Are you looking to get a dog? Then you might want to think about what kind of dog you want. If you want a dog that is active, engaging, exciting to be around, and highly intelligent, you might wish to look at a poodle. The poodle is easily one of the most exciting pets you could have around a house; a natural bundle of energy that, when needed, can fend for itself. Whilst most see the poodle as a vanity pet, they are far more than just cutesy little canines that you can spend the day walking around.
If you want to understand more about poodles, then our guide will break down the key facts about a poodle so that you know exactly what you are getting when you take a poodle into your household.
The basics of a poodle
Poodles are dogs that are mostly associated with France, seen as the national canine of the country. However, despite their national attachment to France, the poodle actually developed in Germany where it was used for duck hunting. They have been around for about 400 years, and are a crucial part of modern society.
Many own a poodle as a vanity dog, as they tend to be extremely glamorous and pretty canines. They also tend to have interesting little designs, such as pompons and glorious show coats. With that in mind, the poodle is a common choice for those who want an aesthetically stylish dog.
So, if you were to invest in bringing a poodle into your family, you need to be ready for what kind of dog you are getting.
· In terms of height, you should expect the average poodle to reach anything from 15” and above. The average poodle reaches 15”, but most can go a little bit bigger than this as they age, and the years go by.
· In terms of weight, a poodle’s weight is dependent on its gender. Typically, make poodles can be anything from 60-70lbs in weight, whereas female poodles might reach around 40-50lbs in weight.
· In terms of age, you can expect a poodle to live for anything from 10-18 years on average. Of course, life expectancy in a poodle comes down to lifestyle, diet, and even a little bit of luck with regard to illness.
So, if you want to get a poodle, these are the typical height, weight, and age balances to expect.
Poodles around others
If you were to go for a poodle, one thing you need to quickly realise is how they are when you spend time with them around the household. Any dog you bring into your life should be one that can easily be suited to a certain kind of characteristic. So, what can one expect if you were to invest your money into a poodle?
· If you have other dogs, you might want to spend a bit of time getting your poodle used to their presence. Poodles are better than average but aren’t exactly going to make best friends with other dogs in the house.
· If you have a family, then your poodle should be happy to spend time with everyone. Some dogs attach themselves to one member of the family; poodles, though, are social animals that have time for everyone.
· If you have children, then having a poodle is a very good thing. Poodles are amazing around kids and are never really strong or aggressive enough to ever pose a threat that you would need to be worried about.
A poodle, then, is a social dog that should be quite happy to settle into life at home without too much stress or pressure. They also tend to be quite good around total strangers, so you should have no problems with a poodle in terms of how it deals with new people. The downside is they can be quite energetic around others, even strangers, so they can be a touch non-stop in the way, they go about their daily activities. This means that you need to keep that in mind because they can become quite demanding dogs to own.
Seen as poodles can adapt to most households and neighborhoods, though, you should have nothing to worry about in terms of adaption time or periods. They also, despite their loveable nature, make good watchdogs for the evening as they can easily alert you to any intrusions.
How does a poodle grow physically?
So, when investing in a dog, you always want to know what kind of dog you are going to wind up with. For example, what kind of coat are you going to be dealing with?
Typically, a poodle will have a long coat that is curly in style. Unless you specifically have the coat stylised to look different, long, and curly is the way to go for most poodles. This suits their look most typically and should be easy enough to deal with as time goes on.
Also, you will be happy to know that poodles tend to be quite low down the list when it comes to shedding. Other dogs shed a lot more. While some clean-up will be needed, it won’t be constant like it can be with other dog breeds. However, the downside of that is that you typically need to get your poodle groomed regularly otherwise their coat can become quite easily damaged. You should expect to have to groom them two to three times a week on average.
As a poodle grows, expect it to continue to be quite eager in terms of wanting physical attention. They will be happy to more or less clown around to try and gain your attention and praise, though, so expect poodles to be quite attention-hungry as they begin to reach full maturity. This leads to them being quite high-energy dogs, so don’t expect a poodle to just sit around all day.
In fact, you might be better trying to find some kind of activity that your poodle can do every day. They are the opposite of lounging dogs or dogs that only want to go for one stroll a day. This can make them quite high-intensity dogs, and it can also lead to quite a lot of barking, unfortunately.
If you want a dog that is easy enough to keep happy so long as you have the time and physical energy, though, the poodle is a wonderful companion. If you tend to spend most of your time at home, though, the poodle is probably not the right choice – they tend to be quite high-maintenance dogs who don’t really take to sitting around.
Do poodles need much exercise?
In terms of getting your poodle a lot of physical exercises, you should be prepared to do a lot of work to keep them in good condition. This is a two-way contract; poodles expect, even demand, a lot of regular exercises. Fail to work them out and your poodle can become quite irritated and bored.
They need a lot of activities to keep them busy, and this includes taking your poodle swimming on a regular basis. Poodles love to swim, so make sure you can get them in the water as often as is possible. Keep in mind, though, that poodles were once bred as duck hunters, so they do like a lot of chasing. Build a collection of tossing toys and balls for them to work with, and they can enjoy their exercise, even more, when you are both out and about in the wild together.
The main thing to remember with most poodles is that they do tend to like going on long journeys and treks. If you are looking for a dog breed that you could go hiking or walking with, then you should find that a poodle can be a surprisingly good choice.
The other primary problem you might have to think about when it comes to fitness is when you are at work. Poodles can become quite frustrated stuck indoors, so you might need to either have someone watch them or get them a really busy outdoor play area instead.
Do poodles need training?
One thing to note about a poodle is they tend to be quite good at learning thanks to their broad intellect. Dog intelligence obviously varies from species to species, but these are very smart dogs that can easily keep up with you on an intellectual basis. They are easy to work with and tend to be great when it comes to housebreaking. However, their natural agility and graceful style means they are quite commonly found walking the tightrope around your house.
Since they tend to be great at canine sport and also tend to be great trackers, this is an obedient breed of dog. Form a relationship together and build a mutual trust and you should have no problem at all in getting your dog to do as you ask.
However, they do tend to need a lot of positive encouragement for something to stick when you first meet them. If your poodle does something good, rewarding it heavily with love and praise is sure to help it quickly realise what you do and do not want.
They love to please you, so make sure you treat them fairly and give them the praise they deserve when they get something right. A poodle has the intellect to learn what you want; you just need to find a consistent approach to training. Most find that these dogs are excellent for understanding more or less exactly what you want, so long as you can ensure that the praise comes along at the right moment.
How healthy are poodles?
Some dog breeds tend to have problems with their health, but poodles tend to be quite durable and healthy little dogs. So long as you care for your poodle and really put their health first, you should have no problem keeping them happy and healthy overall.
The most common issues with a poodle in terms of their health include hip dysplasia and eye issues. this can include problems like von Willebrand’s Disease and Idiopathic epilepsy. You need to also look out for common problems, including luxating patellas, which are increasingly common in toy and miniature poodles. Standard-sized poodles are a touch more physically durable, though, making it less likely they will suffer from the same kind of problems.
Poodle health, though, is something you should really take into account as the years go on when physical and eye-related troubles begin.
What do poodles eat?
In terms of nutrition, one of the biggest problems you can have is making sure you feed your poodle properly. These are dogs that require a lot of good food, but there is no catch-all diet for a poodle. Typically, you want to sit down with the vet and/or breeder to find out what they tend to like to eat. Though seeing a fat poodle is extremely rare, they can put on a lot of weight if you are not keeping them busy so be sure to match a strong, healthy diet with plenty of time spent outdoors together.
With regards to treats, you need to keep them in moderation with a poodle as they can become quite tetchy if they get too used to such treats. Like everything with a dog, small amounts of treats paired up with healthy eating is very important.
In conclusion
So, with all of the above details, you can hopefully see that raising a poodle is jolly good fun. It takes a lot of time and commitment, but if you are a physically active person, it should not be a problem for you to commit to a dog like this.
Poodles tend to be easy to live around because they are just so friendly and endearing. As such, you should look to adapt to a poodle based on the information above. Do that, and you are far more likely to find that raising a poodle becomes a much easier task for you.