poodlefan

For sheer Dawwww Factor, its hard to pass up a Bracco or Spinone But I'm kind of partial to the sighthound bubs - little stick insects. :D and of course dems poodle babies are

I think FHRP needs one to add to her set of Utility Gundogs. I'm used to water bowl tsunamis when they come to visit. :nahnah: And I'm baby sitting.

Seek a veterinary opinion but there is no way I'd jump a dog with a joint issue in any foot let alone the front end which takes most of the stress in agility. No club I know would let the dog train in a brace either.

Sounds like the closest thing we have So the next question is how many are there in Australia and how do we go about promoting them so they are the first choice for people who want this type of dog? This is the point I'm trying to make, if there is a breed you think will fill the requirements that people have then get out there and make sure people know about it, at the moment only pure breed enthusiasts know anything about the range of breeds and how to get one, unless that changes people will go and buy labradoodles because they are the ones being promoted and are the easiest to find. I suppose the threshold questions must be directed to breed enthusiasts.. Anyone with a basic knowledge of google could have those questions answered in 10 minutes. Given that many folk buy their DDs over the internet, its amazing that they don't do a bit more "breed research" before whipping out the credit card and filling their shopping cart with a pup. Educating buyers is the first step for me. No point in promoting breeds to people who need to understand what they need to do to raise a pup and how to determine what breed is best for them. There is no one size fits all families vanilla flavoured dog. Providing advice on how to find the right one would be more useful than telling people that X breed will suit them.

Labradoodles are NOT Lab type dogs that don't shed! Yep If you want a lab type dog that doesnt shed - its not in my opinion a labradoodle. Not yet, but that's the ultimate goal as far as I can tell and that is what I'm talking about, whether it is currently available doesn't change the fact that that is what people want. If there is a viable purebred option for people who want this type of dog then it should be being promoted, I'm not disputing that. What I am seeing is a lot of people whinging about the development of a new breed, getting confused about f1 crosses and not really offering up any solutions for people who want a dog like a lab but without the hair. I also don't see how that somehow means a 'generic blah dog' If its coat type people are after, they could simply get one of these: No, its temperament is not just like a Labs. But it is a gundog and it is a retriever. Yes, its a minimal shedder but guess what - it doesn't need professional grooming... It's face, anus and feet will never be full with crap because someone can't be arsed getting it clipped more than once a year. Its coat will never mat either. How much more 'family friendly' is that? And guess what - every 8 week old pup of this breed will grow into a predictable size, coat type and a far more predictable temperament.

And tell them to take Mum to the vet for a check up. Hell, they can desex her while she's there! The fact that she gave birth to a single pup doesn't mean that's all she carried.

I like them a lot better in your hand too.

Absolutely and I've made the point before. He emphasises the importance of exercise and boundaries. Very important messages. He thinks working breeds need to be given a job. Another big tick.

Lagotto or Standard Poodle. Both gundogs. Portuguese Water Dogs can are pretty solid too. A mature, well trained Standard Poodle is a rock solid dog. You just have to survive adolescence to get one. I'm sure that's a comment a few Lab owners can relate to!

"Everyone" isn't doing anything. Best we all be accountable for our individual posts and leave the generalising out of this thread. Its what got it into hot water in the first place.

If you ever become a dog training instructor, you'll encounter a whole new kind of nutcase.. attached on occasion to the end of a dog's lead. No thanks! I'm going to cloister myself away in academia where my every word comes with the weight of the word "doctor" behind it. Ha! No, every person with a dog is a dog expert. One of the first things I tell handlers is that no one knows their dog better than they do. On their own dogs, they are the experts. A higher degree in animal related field is doesn't guarantee knowledge of dogs. It certainly doesn't guarantee any knowledge about dog training. Some of the stupidist comments I've ever heard about dogs have been made by vets. I would give you Dr Wirth as a classic example. Dr Harry's training advice on occasion isn't far behind. An immense amount of knowledge in a very restricted area doesn't equip academics to train dogs any better than it equips a sheep farmer to teach canine psychology. That's not a better or worse analogy but an acknowledgement that knowledge comes in many different packages and you have to be damn careful to use it out of context. That goes double when any of us step outside of our own areas of knowledge. In our own areas of expertise we may be experts but once we step outside them, we may no nothing more than your average dog owner.

No there isn't that has already been pointed out. There are many non-shedding breeds in a range of different sizes and temperaments. They range in size from the Toy Poodles and Bichon Frise to the Portnguese Water Dog and span most breed Groups (no Hounds though sadly). The fact that your average punter hasn't heard of many of them doesn't mean they can't be found.

Where on earth did I say that? I said that they have the reputation of being an ideal family dog. I said quite a few people don't know the dog's original function. How does that translate into "attracts substandard owners"?? The breed is popular (amongst other things) because of its image as a family dog. A well bred, well trained Lab is a superb family dog. It is also tolerant and adaptable for the most part. It is not an ideal dog for lazy owners, and nor would I recommend it to anyone who isn't going to train and exercise it regularly. I also didn't say that Labradors are lazy, unresponsive lumps. I said that is what some folk mean by "laid back". It is not a descriptor I would use to describe Labradors. Not ones that weight under 40kg anyway.

Breed standard http://www.ilainc.com/IALA/ALabradoodleBreedStandard.html Huge range of sizes, wide range of coat type and a temperament that could never be described as laid back More work required IMO but at least there IS a standard. Time to change the ridiculous name.

You won't cure the chewing by reprimanding him anyway. You've got to channel the perfectly natural behaviour in a more positive direction. What do you give him that he is allowed to chew on?

Most current breeds have been selectively bred for temperaments and many devotees are wedded to that temperament in its current form. The whole point of selective breeding is to improve the chances of obtaining desireable characteristics in the next generation. If you don't like poodles, choose another non-shedding breed. There's plenty to choose from. It might require you to do a bit more research than visiting the nearest Pets Purgatory though. Honestly, if people put as much effort into choosing a dog as they do a car, dogs would be a lot better off. You don't see folk who want a small all wheel drive heading down to the local chop shop to buy a Corolla body bolted to a Landcruiser engine and chassis by someone who's done a Stotts correspondence course in mechanics who guarantees Corolla fuel economy with Landcruiser offroad ability. People buy dogs like that every damn day.

Excellent post. That was my general purpose for this thread. Alot of breeders need to see where the average dog buyer is coming from. Some look down on people who go to a byb or petshop, but you never know, they might have been someone that a breeder has been too busy to email back or deemed not good enough from one email. Maybe they are thinking that dogs suffer to make pups that are dead easy to buy. I know I do.

Poodles don't need "milder temperament". You're suggesting that there's something wrong with the breed now. The only thing wrong is people who can't get past a stereotype to the real dog underneath. Poodles don't have "lines". They don't have a working job now. They are companions. If you don't want a lively people focussed companion, then don't get one. "Laid back" might mean undemanding, unresponsive and sluggish to some folk. That's not a dog to me, it's a lump. People shouldn't kid themselves that buying half a poodle and half a lab will give them the desireable (to them) attributes of either breed be they real or imagined. It's a lottery. Many of the ones I've met are more live wire than poodles. If you want a non-shedding dog that's always going to be easy to live with and be undemanding, then your only safe bet is to get one of these:

No, they're not. But why would crossing a Lab with a poodle guarantee Lab temperament anymore than it would guarantee poodle coat??? Many of these crosses don't have temperaments or coats like either of the parent breeds. Add the fact that you're not talking the best of the best with either of the breeds used to generate crosses, that the pups are generally raised outside homes and you're pretty much guaranteeing you won't produce what families are looking for. If people come here asking for a non-shedding dog of "laid back" temperament, the first two things I'm going to ask are: * what do you mean by "laid back" * what exercise, training and stimulation will you provide? Temperament is only partly genetic. The rest is experience and environment. If people would only grasp that ideal family dogs are made, not born, we'd be on our way to better dog ownership in our community.

Does your dog actually have/get fleas? Advantix works on dogs that swim. It's good for a month for fleas apparently.

If you ever become a dog training instructor, you'll encounter a whole new kind of nutcase.. attached on occasion to the end of a dog's lead. I get this one all the time: Trainer: that won't work Me: have you tried it Trainer: No but.. *insert excuse here* Me: Try it my way first, if that doesn't work, we'll try something else Trainer: Oh wow, that worked. I think: Yep, but 5 minutes from now you'll be saying "but my dog'...

The special, unique dog seems to be ubiquitous And lets not forget the "but Biddelonian Goosehounds can't/won't/don't" argument. Breed explains all behaviour don't ya know. ;) Then of course there's my favourite attention seeking/get out of jail free card.. "but my rescue dog.....". Sunshine I don't care where he came from. He's a dog. He's clearly gotten over the experience. Perhaps you should too.

I owned 2 labs and they were not laid back at all. In fact they were very athletic and driven and a sight to behold when they dived into water to do their job A significant proportion of Labs (and other dogs) in this country are obese. Any obese dog is likely to be "laid back". If you can hardly move, its pretty much a given. ;)

;) :D If families want a dog that is hypoallergenic and non shedding perhaps they should be getting a goldfish instead Don't start me on goldfish. Seeing a fish that can live for over 20 years and that requires a MINIMUM of 40L of water for decent life living how a lot of folk keep them breaks my heart. :D I'll tell you how to make a poodle "laid back". Fatten it to the point of obesity and don't bother to give it any meaningful kind of stimulation. That technique has worked on many breeds for years.

Oops, double post.