The Poodle (and Dog) Blog

"You are SO history"

Scotty and I might have become an item. We might have had a future. He is cute and fun, with a great sense of humor. We like the same music, activities, and movies.

But it was not to be.

I asked him to come in for a cup of coffee after we had been to a meeting together.

Misty, the alpha Poodle, greeted him with her usual “I love you, I love you, welcome to my home” little Poodle dance. I turned around just in time to see him put his hand on her face and push her away.

I thought her feelings might be hurt, but she just smiled at him and said,

“Oh, you are SO history.”

The origin of the Poodle cut—my version

Why do Poodles have funny haircuts? The tradition of the Poodle clip goes back thousands of years. We don’t know the origin, but with my proclivity for historical novels I imagine this scenario:

The Poodle is a favorite with the lord of the manor when he goes off hunting waterfowl. After the hunt the lord invites the shaggy Poodle, who is wet and dirty from a day of retrieving, into the manor so that they can discuss the day’s hunt.

“Oh, no,” the lady of the manor screams. “You are not bringing that filthy dog into the manor.”

Thinking quickly, the lord summons the barber. They confer and invent the Poodle clip. Thinking that a totally bald dog looks pretty ugly, the barber shaves the parts of the dog that get dirty: the feet, face, tail and underbelly. Then the rest is sculpted. The barber molds the topknot to give the dog an intelligent look. The fur on the long ears is combed down to give her beauty. Strategically placed pompoms give her a charming, jaunty look.

As they are finishing, the lord says, “Don’t you think my favorite hunting dog looks rather (he searches for the word)…stupid?”

“No, no,” the barber assures him, hoping for a big tip. “Very practical. She will stay clean and dry on land and be more buoyant in the water. The pompoms will keep her joints warm.“

The lady of the manor is enchanted by the elegant look and invites the Poodle into the manor. Of course the other dogs are laughing their butts off when they see the Poodle. The Poodle has no idea why they are laughing until she sees the second Poodle cut, but by then Poodles have become household fixtures in the manor as they settle by the feet of the lord and lady to warm themselves by the hearth every evening.

See Poodle as hunting dog

Does that dog hunt?

If you’ve seen Poodles only in dog shows, movies, or as a fashion accessory, you might be surprised to learn that they were originally hunting dogs. Royalty and noblemen hunted with Poodles for centuries. As time went by they were bred mostly for companionship. Today the American Kennel Club puts them in the "non-sporting" group, meaning house pets and companions.

But even today with their floppy ears, pompoms, and curly hair, many Poodles are ready for the hunt and have shown themselves to be quite skillful. There are hunters who have used Labrador Retrievers in the past, but have been won over by the intelligence and abilities of the Poodle.

These are hunting Poodles.

A retired game warden from Minocqua, Wisconsin, Gary Scovel, has hunted with Poodles through the years but admits that he often gets strange looks from other hunters.

Scovel has owned Poodles as house pets for over thirty years but he didn’t start hunting with them until 2001 when he read about a Colorado woman who took two Poodles up to the top ranks of American Kennel Club hunting trials. He started training his Poodle, Beau, and discovered his house pet could be a great bird dog.

I know several women who have wanted Poodles as pets, but their husbands had no interest…until …they told them that Poodles were originally hunting dogs. None of the men actually hunted, but they loved the idea of having a hunting dog.

Chalk it up to one more thing women don’t understand about men.

More on hunting Poodles

See origin of the Poodle clip

The Poodle as service dog for the disabled

I’ve written several posts about service dogs—most of them have been Labradors or Golden Retrievers because they seem to have the necessary temperament.

I had an email from Carol from Berthoud, Colorado telling her experiences with Ian, a standard Poodle that has served her as a service dog. Carol has a progressive debilitating disease that has rendered her disabled.

She wrote:

"I adopted Ian from a Poodle rescue when he was a year and a half old. He had grown up in a motel room with six other dogs and knew nothing about the outside world. I lived in the country at the time and he had to get used to tall grass, wind, and all the experiences he had never had. He learned quickly and wanted to please me.

He was sweet and loving but also protective. Twice he gave forth with growls that told questionable people to stay away. He sat by my side during that time and didn't move.

As time went on I had trouble walking and bending to pick things up. With the help of a friend who trained and showed her Golden Retrievers I learned how to teach Ian to pick up things for me from a table or the floor. He loved helping me.

I used the kind of harness used for guide dogs so that he could help me with balance. I lived in Michigan at the time and had a flight of stairs to climb.

Ian has been a wonderful companion who also does very well in restaurants and public places. Since he doesn’t shed, there is no concern with hair flying everywhere.”

Carol had trained dogs in the past but she did need the help of a professional trainer to teach the dog skills needed by the disabled, such as picking up items.

Carol does acknowledge that the personality of the dog should be accessed because standard Poodles are an energetic breed needing a lot of exercise. Sometimes the routine duties of a service dog do not challenge them physically or mentally. Some Poodles are so social they would rather work the room, somewhat like a politician or the homecoming queen.

Thanks, Carol, for sharing your experiences with a Poodle service dog.

Poodle Mushing, Urban Mushing, Dog Scootering

While there are a lot of silly dog products on the market, the Dog Scooter looks like it would be flat out fun for dog and owner.

Big dogs need more exercise than most people can give them. They love to run, but allowing them to run off-leash can be dangerous. For us to run on a leash at their speed is impossible.

With the Dog Scooter the human is in control of steering and braking instead of having the dog out in front which requires a lot of specialized training and is not suitable for urban settings. To propell the scooter, all the dog needs to do is go forward, which they love to do. The scooter is light with low rolling resistance and no downward drag on the dog. To be part of a team, the human can also kick to provide forward momentum.

The Dog Scooter would be good exercise for any big dog, but I think it would be particularly good for a standard Poodle.
They are quite courageous, powerful dogs. They learn quickly, enjoy working as a team with their owners, and love to show off. Poodles have distinguished themselves as sled dogs, but their paws are not made for running in snow. Most Poodles and their owners refuse to accept the stereotype of Poodle as wimpy dog.

The scooter has a lot of built in safety features, which allows it to be enjoyed by older children and older adults.

The scooters are custom built depending on the dog’s weight and measurements. You can even choose the color. The price of $540 for a custom built scooter seems in line with other sports and hobbies and you won’t have to travel long distances to use the Dog Scooter. No special equipment or clothing is needed.

The scooter was invented and developed by Mark Schuette. And I will admit that his email, “Poodle Mushing” caught my attention and imagination.

More information is on their website, including tips for beginning the sport.

Video

Teacup Poodles—buyer beware

Tiny Poodles called Teacups. They may be charming and adorable, but buyers should know what they are getting into before purchasing one.

Through thousands of years of breeding the smallest with the smallest and the largest with the largest, there are now three distinct sizes of Poodles recognized by the AKC: Standard, (over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulders), Miniature, and Toy (under 10 inches).

There is no such thing as a registered Teacup Poodle. The term is used as a marketing gimmick to indicate that the puppy will be extra small, commonly 2 1/2 to 4 pounds when full grown. However tiny Teacup Poodles often have serious health problems, which may be why they are so small in the first place.

In many ways they are like premature babies. In nature they would seldom survive puppyhood. They need constant human care and nurturing. If they survive, they often have lifespans of 3 to 5 years instead of the expected 12-15+ years of a toy or miniature Poodle.

These tiny puppies should cost less than a normal size healthy puppy because they require special care and generally have higher medical expenses, but often a breeder will charge more for them.

For most people a "Teacup" puppy is a bad idea. Besides health and dental problems, they are quite delicate. Jumping from a chair or being stepped on can cause serious injury. They should never go into a home with children or a lot of activity unless they are kept in a draft-free crate or cage.

In which case, as my email friend Rita says, “You might as well put a Poodle costume on a rat or hamster.”

Poodle Service Dog not allowed to accompany disabled student

Fifteen year old Cooper James has been stricken by the degenerative disease, spinal muscular dystrophy, which makes normal physical activity difficult to impossible.

Kodak, his standard Poodle service dog, has made a big difference in his life by picking up dropped items, opening doors, and helping the boy to stand.

"My dog makes my life just a little bit easier," Cooper said. "I see an easier future."

But the Calgary Board of Education doesn’t seem to realize the value of the dog in helping Cooper deal with his physical disabilities. Cooper will miss the first day of school because they are not allowing his service Poodle into the classroom.

His mother, Eyvis James, is planning to take a letter to school officials from the Lions Foundations of Canada Dog Guides, where they got Kodak who has been trained as a Service dog. She also plans to file a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

Connie Pratt fought a battle years ago for her own son to have a service dog with him. "It just makes me angry someone who sits behind a desk and pushes paper all day doesn't understand how important a dog is to a disabled person," Pratt said.

The story from Alberta

Read the letter from Kodak's foster parent.

UPDATE: Thursday, Sept. 7. The Calgary Board of Education reversed its position and will allow Kodak to accompany Cooper to his classroom. They had stated that the children should be protected from a dog and possible allergies.

Cooper's mother, Ayvis James argued allergic reactions shouldn't be an issue because Kodak is a standard poodle and does not shed. Plus, the dog was hand-picked for its non-aggressive behavior.

Meet Ciiji, the Shih Poo

Cijji is a mixed breed, a Poodle hybrid, a Shih Poo. Her father is a black miniature Poodle and her mother is a White
Shih Tzu.

It has been my experience that people who don’t grow up with dogs in their lives usually don’t get dogs as adults, and if they do, they don’t develop strong bonds with dogs.

Phil Keller from West Virginia is a definite exception to this.

He was 60 years old when he got his first dog. Getting the dog was something that his late wife, Sandy, wanted. As they drove the forty miles home with Ciiji in Sandy’s lap, Phil would glance at the dog, who would then lower her eyes shyly. Before the trip ended, Phil told Sandy, “You know our lives will never be the same again now.” It became obvious that “this little girl had stolen my heart.”

When he retired a short time later, his experience with Cijji, the Shih Poo, had been so rewarding that he volunteered at animal adoption center where he found and adopted Pepper, a black miniature Poodle.

Phil writes:

As I usually do when I take interest in a new subject, I immediately started finding out everything I could about dogs. I read books, I watched dog shows on TV and I talked to other dog owners. My first instincts were to teach Cijji and see how much I could teach her.

The first thing that needed to be taught was house breaking. Sandy had wanted a female dog because she did not like the idea of a male dog cocking his leg to pee. She decided to use puppy pads and to train Cijji to use them. Using the command “get on the pad”, I started training Cijji to go sit on the pad. I started her out one foot from the pad and when she went to the pad I gave her a treat. Soon she would run to the pad from as far away in our house as I could get her.

Another thing I was interested in was teaching her to pick out objects from an assortment of toys. I would have her sit in front of me and I would place in front of her, a collar, a ball and a stuffed toy that we called “baby.” If I said “collar “and she touched the collar with her paw I would give her the treat. She did pretty well at this but never got 100 percent accuracy. Sometimes she would get so excited she would touch all three.

Cijji learned many words and when I speak she stares intently at my mouth just hoping to hear something that means enjoyment for her. One of the things she learned was the saying “ daddy get cookie” which meant I was going out and was not going to take her with me. She would go to the stair well and lie down and give me this sad look.

Cijji will pout and I always felt that for a dog to pout it must have above average intelligence. Just like a child feels it is punishing the parent by being moody.

Cijji is a good guard dog and will bark whenever she hears a noise outside. It takes more than a day for her to start feeling comfortable with strangers. She learns tricks quickly and is a great walking companion. She will stay by my side and never complain about how fast I walk or how far.

There was one night that changed Cijji’s life forever. The night Sandy died unexpectedly, Cijji was sleeping with her. This was about a year ago and I know that Cijji must have tried to wake her several times. After that night, Cijji comes to me when I am sleeping and wakes me up to see if I am ok. I know she still feels the loss. When I am walking her in the local park I may hand her leash to a walking partner and she will stop and come to me as if she is so afraid of losing me.

When I adopted Pepper, the mini Poodle, Cijji was slow to accept her. But they have become close friends now and Cijji is the alpha dog even though she is the smaller of the two. At four years old, she weighs 15 pounds with silky black hair.

Cijji is a fussy eater but always seems to keep her weight perfect. It is so funny when I give her something new to eat. She will sniff it, lick it, sniff it again, lick it again and sometimes says no thank you.

She likes to lie beside me in a chair when I watch TV but never on my lap. Sometimes she will sleep in another room by herself and other times she wants to snuggle up to me.

In summary I would say her personality is like a Lhasa Apso. Quick to warn of strangers. Loyal to owner. Slow to make up to people. It would seem there may have been Lhasa Apsos used in the development of the Shih Tzu. Maybe cross breeding brings out throwback personalities.