Poodle Training & Poodle Breed Information

Poodles are a wonderful human companion dog. Poodle owners look upon this breed as being something very special and rarely change their allegiance to any other breed of dog. In fact, the numerous desirable qualities of the poodle has seen them become one of the most popular of all pure bred dogs worldwide.

Poodles are an extremely versatile breed who will adapt well to most household situations. Apart from being recognized as one of the most intelligent dog breeds they are also good natured, have a beautiful even temperament and thrive on human companionship. Plus they have that lovely distinctive appearance - Poodles stand out in any crowd!

When given proper puppy socialization and Poodle puppy training they are a magnificent addition to any dog loving household.

Poodle Breed History

The popular Toy Poodles and Miniature Poodles came to prominence hundreds of years after the standard was developed.

Poodle Varieties & Appearance

There are three different varieties of Poodle. From smallest to largest they are the Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle and the Standard Poodle. All three varieties share the same desirable characteristics. If you come across ads for a "teacup poodle puppy" or "teacup poodle for sale" this is merely a marketing strategy used by breeders to sell smaller versions of the breed.

Toy Poodle Information:

Miniature Poodle Information:

Standard Poodle Information:

Grooming Your Poodle

Once you and your poodle get into a routine for brushing, bathing and clipping it will actually be a fun experience for your dog. Poodles love to be pampered!

Poodle Temperament & General Characteristics

Poodles are well suited to families with children. Due to their size the miniature poodle and standard poodle are considered more suitable for living with young children.

Most Poodles make excellent watchdogs. They are ever alert to any disturbance around the home and will sound the alarm (bark!) when the need arises.

Poodles do thrive on human company and are not suited to being left alone and isolated for long periods each day. When you are at home they like nothing more than to be right there with you sitting in front of the TV.

Poodles still retain the keen hunting instincts for which they were originally bred. For this reason they love games at the park such as retrieving a ball, hide and seek and they love to swim at any opportunity.

No poodle should be overly shy, timid or in any way aggressive.

Poodle Health Concerns

Purchasing your poodle from a reputable poodle puppy breeder will give you the best chance of bringing a physically and mentally sound dog into your life. A good poodle puppy breeder only breeds from top quality breeding stock (who have been thoroughly screened) and each mating will be carefully planned in advance. Poodle breeders play a crucial role in the health of their chosen breed going forward. They are also responsible for beginning the puppy socialization process in each individual puppy - you will then continue this process as soon as your puppy arrives home.

You can gain more detailed and specific poodle health care advice from your poodle puppy breeder or Veterinarian. Below is a list of potential health problems that you should at least be aware of:

All three Poodle varieties can suffer from: Hip Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Cataracts, Seizures, Von Willebrand's Disease, Epilepsy, Hypothyroidism, Other Eye Disease, Cushings Disease and Mammory Tumors.

Specific To Toy And Miniature Poodles: Legg Calve Perthes, Patella Sub Luxation, Cryptorchidism, Trichiasis and Urolithiasis.

Standard Poodles: Gastric Torsion, Addison's Disease, Sebaceous Adenitis and Canine Cancers.

Apart from the genetically inherited diseases listed above there are many things you can do to keep your Poodle fit and well. Ensure that you feed a good fresh diet (not too much), provide plenty of exercise, socialization and poodle training.

Poodle Training Information - How To Train A Poodle

Poodle puppies seem to love the physical and mental stimulation that is derived from obedience training. Poodle training provides the perfect outlet in which to channel their boundless energy in a positive and fulfilling manor (the alternative is destructive behaviors). Toy poodle training is also the best way to form and strengthen the close bond you will share with your poodle.

Poodles respond best to positive, reward based training methods built on encouragement, praise, repetition and positive reinforcement. Just provide consistent direction and your poodle will learn in quick time. Always work with your Poodle's natural drives and instincts and keep training sessions short, consistent and fun. There is no place for any harsh punishment or corrections in your poodle training sessions.

Here are a few training issues which are particularly relevant to Poodle owners:

• Poodle House Training - House training a poodle is usually the highest priority for new Poodle puppy owners. The good news is that Poodles are a relatively easy breed to potty train. If you pick out a reliable poodle housebreaking strategy, and stick to it, you should achieve the desired result in just a few weeks. Popular methods of house training poodles are crate training and paper training. You can find a proven poodle house training schedule in this training resource - Secrets to Dog Training - Poodle House Training.

• All of the basic obedience training commands can be easily taught to your poodle. They quickly learn behaviors such as sit, down, stay, come, heel and many more. When applying your toy poodle training or poodle puppy training remember to always keep it fun, and continue to challenge your dog. Don't let the training sessions become stale or like a "chore" in any way.

• One poodle training issue that continues to frustrate poodle owners is leash training. Training a poodle to walk nicely on a loose leash is difficult, but by no means impossible. It's important to start leash training as early as you can and never reward inappropriate behavior on the leash (by continuing to walk). To get your poodle properly leash trained you can follow the leash training advice detailed in this poodle training resource - Poodle Leash Training.

If you are looking to train your poodle puppy, solve common behavior problems in your poodle or teach some obedience, you can find the latest cutting edge techniques here - How To Train A Poodle.

Some other pages you may be interested in:

Prevent or solve all the common dog behavior problems such as excessive barking, chewing, pulling on the leash and puppy whining.

Teach your Poodle some cool dog tricks.