I need doggy help

[pitbulllady]

A Poodle would be an excellent choice for many reasons. However, they are not a generally very healthy breed. The breed suffers from a high COI (coefficient of inbreeding; they have an extremely limited gene pool). As others have mentioned, Beagles or Beagle mixes would probably suit you well; although they can be quite loud. They're also VERY nosy (as in, their nose hijacks their brain sometimes) so obedience in off-leash situations is always iffy at best and training them to walk politely on leash can be quite challenging. I'm not saying don't get one, just that your life will be much better if you go into it expecting these things rather than being blindsided by it after you bring the dog home.

The dogs that tend to be the healthiest and most moderate in temperament IME are the Heinz 57 mutts--the kind of dogs that have "mixed breed" all the way up their pedigree and nobody can figure out what kind of mix they are. Look for one that is built very well and moves fluidly. If you adopt from a shelter, the dog will likely be very bouncy and even a bit high-strung from pent up energy; give it at least two weeks to settle in and get the cortisol out of its system before you really evaluate the personality. If you can get a dog from a foster system, that's a great way to go. Often they're much more normalized than shelter dogs, and the foster home will be able to tell you a lot more about the dog's personality and energy levels.

Good luck! New dog hunting is always fun.

The Standards are, in general, a lot healthier than their smaller counterparts and have not been so widely bred. In fact, many people who saw Faust, especially when he was shaved down in a "sporting clip", had no idea what breed he was! They simply did not realize that Poodles got THAT big or were such muscular, imposing dogs! Faust was also chocolate, and I had many people ask me if he was a chocolate Lab mix or a Chesapeake Bay Retriever or if he was part Boykin Spaniel(our official state dog, a medium-sized all-purpose field dog that traces its ancestry back to the American Water Spaniel, Field Spaniel, and Chesapeake), because most people associate white with Poodles. Faust's parents were German imports, what are known as "Konig Pudels", or "King Poodles", and they are still very much bred with hunting and working in mind. And by the way, this is absolutely a GERMAN working/hunting breed, NOT French, as many people believe.

The coat IS problematic, though. Poodles DO shed, contrary to popular belief, but rather than dropping out onto the floor, furniture, your clothing, etc., loose hairs simply become entrapped and entangled in the rest of the coat, forming mats very easily, starting out literally as "dreadlocks". In fact, in Europe Poodles can be shown "corded", with their coats twisted into dreadlocks like a Puli or Komondor, but it's very time-consuming to get the coat to cord properly rather than just matting. It's very expensive to have a large Poodle groomed professionally, and it will need to be done at least twice a month. I just bought a set of sheep sheers and learned to do it myself, but even still it would take a few hours each time. The coat is like Velcro, and attracts and tangles up anything it comes into contact with, like burrs, twigs, leaves, etc. Add to this the fact that these dogs absolutely LOVE water-I'm talking semi-amphibious here-so often that "intake" will include mud, pond scum, and other aquatic niceties, too. The worst part of coat maintenance is having to literally pluck hair from inside of the ears using long locking forceps(aka "roach clips"). You can imagine how painful that is, but it's absolutely necessary. The fact that a Poodle will stand there as stoic as a rock, with nary a whimper, while wads of hair is being yanked out of its ear canals by the roots is testimony to the toughness of these dogs; most dogs would scream and snap and need to be sedated to carry out this necessary evil. Now that I'm uhm, "retired", I would actually love to have another Standard, since I now have more time to deal with the grooming factor. One of the nearby sheriff's depts. actually has a blue Standard as one of their police K-9's, and I would absolutely LOVE to see the look on some perp's face when a POODLE comes charging at them from a squad car!

pitbulllady

 

[CitizenNumber9]

I'd rather have a shaved down poodle anyway, especially since my future plans are for Florida where it will be nice and hot
How often do you have to pluck the ears? Also, how often would they need to be shaved down? A standard sounds pretty much like my dream dog heheh. Not to mention the ultimate beach dog!

 

[pitbulllady]

I'd rather have a shaved down poodle anyway, especially since my future plans are for Florida where it will be nice and hot
How often do you have to pluck the ears? Also, how often would they need to be shaved down? A standard sounds pretty much like my dream dog heheh. Not to mention the ultimate beach dog!

I'd pluck Faust's ears about once a month, and I started him out really young, so he'd be used to that before he became a 90-pound mass of muscle and energy. They are remarkably adaptable dogs; they can lounge around inside nice and calm(unless someone knocks on the door), and then get outside and have this boundless energy. Most active, athletic breeds don't make that transition to indoor laid-back pet too well, lol. They love to play fetch(naturally, being gun dogs), so a Standard would be right at home down in FL with all that water, provided that you can keep one out of conflict with the local alligator/cottonmouth/EDB population. They are great guard dogs as well, and believe me, only a fool would think twice about going into a home where they hear THAT bark, because it's not a yippy little dog bark but a loud, deep serious bark! Shave one down about once per month and you're good to go. Better yet, find a local retriever training chapter of AKC or UKC and get involved with that or with dock dog training, as Standards are now allowed to compete in AKC retriever trials and Master Hunter trials.

pitbulllady

 

[CitizenNumber9]

I'd pluck Faust's ears about once a month, and I started him out really young, so he'd be used to that before he became a 90-pound mass of muscle and energy. They are remarkably adaptable dogs; they can lounge around inside nice and calm(unless someone knocks on the door), and then get outside and have this boundless energy. Most active, athletic breeds don't make that transition to indoor laid-back pet too well, lol. They love to play fetch(naturally, being gun dogs), so a Standard would be right at home down in FL with all that water, provided that you can keep one out of conflict with the local alligator/cottonmouth/EDB population. They are great guard dogs as well, and believe me, only a fool would think twice about going into a home where they hear THAT bark, because it's not a yippy little dog bark but a loud, deep serious bark! Shave one down about once per month and you're good to go. Better yet, find a local retriever training chapter of AKC or UKC and get involved with that or with dock dog training, as Standards are now allowed to compete in AKC retriever trials and Master Hunter trials.

pitbulllady

Sounds excellent! I'll definitely shoot you a PM when I'm ready to get one (dont hold you breathe though it may be a year or two haha). Your description of Faust has me convinced that you know some reputable breeders

 

[pitbulllady]

Sounds excellent! I'll definitely shoot you a PM when I'm ready to get one (dont hold you breathe though it may be a year or two haha). Your description of Faust has me convinced that you know some reputable breeders

Unfortunately Faust's breeders no longer have dogs and I'm not sure if they are back in this country or not. Both were military people and I know at least one of them was deployed to the Middle East. The people who bred "Cooper", the red Standard seen hunting with Uncle Si on "Duck Dynasty" live near Atlanta and breed and train outstanding hunting dogs, but they are not cheap, not when that dog has more working and hunting titles than any dog I've ever known! If you want a dog with a health guarantee from a real working/hunting background, and don't want to import one from Europe, though, that's the way to go. They start their puppies out retrieving in the field at eight weeks of age and have videos of 10-week-old pups retrieving ducks and pheasants.

pitbulllady

 

[CitizenNumber9]

Unfortunately Faust's breeders no longer have dogs and I'm not sure if they are back in this country or not. Both were military people and I know at least one of them was deployed to the Middle East. The people who bred "Cooper", the red Standard seen hunting with Uncle Si on "Duck Dynasty" live near Atlanta and breed and train outstanding hunting dogs, but they are not cheap, not when that dog has more working and hunting titles than any dog I've ever known! If you want a dog with a health guarantee from a real working/hunting background, and don't want to import one from Europe, though, that's the way to go. They start their puppies out retrieving in the field at eight weeks of age and have videos of 10-week-old pups retrieving ducks and pheasants.

pitbulllady

That's unfortunate I wish I'd have read this before sending you a PM fat with questions lol! I don't watch Duck Dynasty, personally, I'm just not much for tv in general. Do they have a website? I'd like to look them up (the breeders not the DD people LOL)

 

[PlaidJaguar]

I'd rather have a shaved down poodle anyway, especially since my future plans are for Florida where it will be nice and hot
How often do you have to pluck the ears? Also, how often would they need to be shaved down? A standard sounds pretty much like my dream dog heheh. Not to mention the ultimate beach dog!

I'm a professional dog groomer, so I speak from LOTS of experience here. It's cool that Faust was so tough about ear hair plucking, but trust me, that is NOT normal. Most Standards are complete sissies about it. Generally Poodle hair is rooted very firmly, and it can be more painful to pluck their ear hair than other breeds. There is quite a bit of debate in the grooming profession as to whether ear plucking is necessary. In many cases it causes irritation, sometimes bleeding, and can make a situation much worse. I generally prefer to clip the ear hair very short with safety scissors (although I do not recommend you try this yourself! Please enlist professional help if you're going to have scissors near a dog's ears!). The method of ear cleaning and diet will have a huge impact on Poodle ear health. Chronic ear infections are nearly always caused by allergies, and most can be solved with diet.

For clipping, It depends on the coat type, but most of my Poodle strip downs can make it 6-8 weeks easily, and some of them can go as long as 12, if they've got harsher coats. They definitely need more frequent bathing, nail trimming, and ear maintenance though, so if you're not planning to do those things yourself it gets very expensive very quickly. Poodles are extremely tolerant of handling though, so they're a great breed to learn to groom yourself. They won't pitch a ridiculous fit every time you try to get them wet or touch their feet, unlike SOME breeds. Lol

A well bred Poodle, especially of German or Swedish origin, is much healthier than a run-of-the-mill BYB poodle, and Spoos are healthier than minis and toys. HOWEVER, they still have closed stud books and a high COI, so relative to other breeds they have a higher incidence of health problems. It's extremely awesome that Faust was so healthy, but one case does not a study make.

 

[pitbulllady]

I'm a professional dog groomer, so I speak from LOTS of experience here. It's cool that Faust was so tough about ear hair plucking, but trust me, that is NOT normal. Most Standards are complete sissies about it. Generally Poodle hair is rooted very firmly, and it can be more painful to pluck their ear hair than other breeds. There is quite a bit of debate in the grooming profession as to whether ear plucking is necessary. In many cases it causes irritation, sometimes bleeding, and can make a situation much worse. I generally prefer to clip the ear hair very short with safety scissors (although I do not recommend you try this yourself! Please enlist professional help if you're going to have scissors near a dog's ears!). The method of ear cleaning and diet will have a huge impact on Poodle ear health. Chronic ear infections are nearly always caused by allergies, and most can be solved with diet.

For clipping, It depends on the coat type, but most of my Poodle strip downs can make it 6-8 weeks easily, and some of them can go as long as 12, if they've got harsher coats. They definitely need more frequent bathing, nail trimming, and ear maintenance though, so if you're not planning to do those things yourself it gets very expensive very quickly. Poodles are extremely tolerant of handling though, so they're a great breed to learn to groom yourself. They won't pitch a ridiculous fit every time you try to get them wet or touch their feet, unlike SOME breeds. Lol

A well bred Poodle, especially of German or Swedish origin, is much healthier than a run-of-the-mill BYB poodle, and Spoos are healthier than minis and toys. HOWEVER, they still have closed stud books and a high COI, so relative to other breeds they have a higher incidence of health problems. It's extremely awesome that Faust was so healthy, but one case does not a study make.

This is why I'd recommend getting a puppy-ANY purebred puppy-from a breeder who can provide a lifetime guarantee against genetic disorders, who does extensive testing on their breeding stock. It's also why more and more breeders of field-bred "Spoos", as you call 'em(much shorter to type) are passing up AKC altogether and registering with UKC or with one of the field dog registries, because they have not closed the stud books and limited the gene pool. UKC also classifies Standards as a Sporting Breed, along with Labs, Chessies, GSH's and Pointers, so there is no stigma there of these just being "foo-foo" dogs that aren't really intended for anything but parlor pets/companions, as with the AKC's Non-Sporting group. UKC also allows Standards to be shown, in conformation classes, in a field clip, so you can bring a dog in from the duck blind and put it in the show ring, or vice versa, and not have to wait for the coat to grow out or have to shave it down.
For anyone interested in a working/field-bred Standard, there are several excellent breeders, even working with AKC lines. Check out http://www.redhuntingpoodles.com for Louter Creek Kennels near Atlanta, GA, breeders of "Cooper", the dog who appeared with Uncle Si on "Duck Dynasty" and http://www.harmonyhuntingpudels.com . Pups won't be cheap, but the old adage, "you get what you pay for", certainly applies here.

pitbulllady

 

[The Snark]

I find these discussions interesting as to which dawg is the best for resisting disease, finding attic truffles and crawling in bed with you on those hot winter nights. Probably the most interesting of all is the fact that one will get solid researched verified contradicting information from hundreds of well informed sources.

The problem is the criteria the person looking for a dawg establishes.

Small to medium size no bigger. That narrows the field down, doesn't it? To about 80% of the dawgs on the world.

Playful. With the possible exception of most Akitas (that tend to grow out of playfulness into a quiet and sedate lifestyle, this is determined by how the animal is raised. If told roly poly puppy antics are just wonderful mannerisms the animal tends to be that way it's entire life.

Good swimmer. Any dawg can be taught how to swim. I wouldn't expect several lengths of a swimming pool out of a Dachshund and your average Newfoundland will eventually contribute to clogging up the pool filter if it's swimming obsession isn't curbed a little.

Not prone to health problems. So you web surf the breed sites and make a list the ones with inherent defects.

After all that you are still left with a choice of over 70% of the dawgs in the world. Your request here will inevitably digress into personal preferences. And that, dear friend, is really as important as the selection of the animal. Compatibility between yourself and it. No scientific rules and criteria are going to guide you. It's your heart, and the dawgs, with a degree of tolerance from both sides built in to the equation. Compassion and understanding will get you both over more speed bumps in your relationship than all the vetting criteria you could ever let rule your thinking.

 

[Stirmi]

I find these discussions interesting as to which dawg is the best for resisting disease, finding attic truffles and crawling in bed with you on those hot winter nights. Probably the most interesting of all is the fact that one will get solid researched verified contradicting information from hundreds of well informed sources.

The problem is the criteria the person looking for a dawg establishes.

Small to medium size no bigger. That narrows the field down, doesn't it? To about 80% of the dawgs on the world.

Playful. With the possible exception of most Akitas (that tend to grow out of playfulness into a quiet and sedate lifestyle, this is determined by how the animal is raised. If told roly poly puppy antics are just wonderful mannerisms the animal tends to be that way it's entire life.

Good swimmer. Any dawg can be taught how to swim. I wouldn't expect several lengths of a swimming pool out of a Dachshund and your average Newfoundland will eventually contribute to clogging up the pool filter if it's swimming obsession isn't curbed a little.

Not prone to health problems. So you web surf the breed sites and make a list the ones with inherent defects.

After all that you are still left with a choice of over 70% of the dawgs in the world. Your request here will inevitably digress into personal preferences. And that, dear friend, is really as important as the selection of the animal. Compatibility between yourself and it. No scientific rules and criteria are going to guide you. It's your heart, and the dawgs, with a degree of tolerance from both sides built in to the equation. Compassion and understanding will get you both over more speed bumps in your relationship than all the vetting criteria you could ever let rule your thinking.

Thanks snark, i just was looking for a general idea to start looking when i go to the shelter and you make great points

 

[The Snark]

My first wife and I went to the shelter to pick out the perfect dawg. We were all puffed up with exactly what it should be. A red setter I think. Something to safely cuddle our month old baby. A massive moody Akita eyed us indolently as we walked passed. No setter but on our way out the Akita strolled to the gate of it's kennel and stood there, waiting for us to adopt him. Our eyes locked. It was deepest suspicion on both our parts at first sight. We took him home. He strolled through the entire house like he owned it, found the baby's crib and laid down beside it with a long suffering sigh. He wouldn't let us near the baby. Hissing, huge fangs bared, eyes glaring. In the ensuing battle where I kicked him numerous times and he shredded a Chippewa engineer boot I was wearing, we established the rules of the house. He was satisfied I wasn't a wuss ready to be intimidated and became my closest friend from that day on.