Poodles For Dummies

by Ewing, Susan M.

• ISBN13: 9780470067307
• ISBN10: 0470067306
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-05
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

The Poodle is known for her keen intelligence, excellent trainability, and, most notably, those signature curly locks. But there's more to the Poodle than meets the eye (like, say, those expensive grooming bills). So, to Poodle or not to Poodle? That is the question. With an overview of the breed's history, an exploration of all three varieties (Standard, Miniature, and Toy), and 8 pages of full-color photos detailing the colors available and tips and techniques for grooming, Poodles for Dummies is filled with all the meaty information and enlightening morsels you need to decide if this refined beauty is a good match for you. You'll get answers to your most important questions, including: Which size Poodle is best for me? Which color? How do I know if a Poodle breeder is reputable? What are the pros and cons of shelters and rescue groups? What do I look for in choosing a healthy Poodle? How can I Poodle-proof my home and yard? What's the best way to introduce my Poodle to kids and other pets? How often does my Poodle need grooming? No matter which size, color, or gender you own, Poodles are not a "wash 'n' wear" breed. But if you have the time, passion, and dedication to give her the training, exercise, and upkeep she needs, you and your curly companion will have a happy and rewarding life together.

Author Biography

Susan M. Ewing has been “in dogs” since 1977 and enjoys showing and trying various performance events, with an emphasis on “trying.”
She holds a master’s degree in Television/Radio from Syracuse University in New York and has attended canine seminars at Cornell University. She’s a member of the Dog Writers Association of America, as well as the Cat Writers’ Association, and is listed in the 2005 edition of Who’s Who in America.
Ewing has been writing professionally since she was 16 and is the author of several books: The Pembroke Welsh Corgi: Family Friend and Farmhand (Howell); A New Owner’s Guide to Pembroke Welsh Corgis, The Pug, The Dachshund, and German Shepherd Dogs (all TFH Publications); and Bulldogs For Dummies (Wiley). Her column, “The Pet Pen,” appears in The Post-Journal (Jamestown, New York) every Saturday. One of her essays is a part of the book Cats Do It Better Than People.
Other articles of Ewing’s have appeared in AKC Gazette, Family Dog, Bloodlines, German Shepherd Dog Review, Good Dog!, Pet Odyssey, Dog Fancy, Dog World, Puppies USA, the national Schipperke Club newsletter, ASPCA’s Animal Watch, Bird Talk, Kittens USA, Cats USA, and Cats Magazine.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
About This Book	p. 1
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 2
What You're Not to Read	p. 3
Foolish Assumptions	p. 3
How This Book Is Organized	p. 4
Picking the Poodle of Your Dreams	p. 4
Living Happily with Your Poodle	p. 4
Training and Having Fun with Your Poodle Pal	p. 5
Maintaining Your Poodle's Health	p. 5
The Part of Tens	p. 5
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 6
Picking the Poodle of Your Dreams	p. 7
Making a Match with a Poodle	p. 9
Understanding the Poodle Breed	p. 9
Strolling through a brief history	p. 9
Reviewing sizes and personality traits	p. 10
Considering breed standards	p. 11
To Poodle or Not to Poodle: Is One the Best Dog for You?	p. 11
Selecting the Perfect Poodle for You	p. 12
Adjusting to Life with a Poodle	p. 12
Training and Enjoying Your Poodle	p. 13
Keeping Your Poodle Healthy	p. 14
Unwrapping the Whole Poodle Package	p. 15
Walking through the History of the Breed	p. 15
In the beginning, there was dog	p. 15
The appearance of Poodle varieties	p. 17
The Poodle's modern rise in popularity	p. 17
Picturing a Poodle's Physical Traits and Personality	p. 19
Measuring up sizes	p. 19
Scoping out a Poodle's anatomy	p. 20
Taking a look at temperament	p. 22
Surveying Breed Standards	p. 22
The American Kennel Club	p. 23
The United Kennel Club	p. 26
Deciding Whether a Poodle Is Right for You	p. 29
Asking Yourself a Few Important Questions Upfront	p. 29
Does a Poodle fit in with your lifestyle?	p. 30
Do you have room for a Poodle?	p. 30
How will a Poodle respond to your children and other pets?	p. 30
Considering the Costs of Poodle Ownership	p. 31
How much is that doggy? Money matters	p. 31
The clock's ticking: Time issues	p. 32
Choosing the Best Poodle for You	p. 33
Selecting the Traits You Want in a Poodle	p. 33
Puppy or adult?	p. 33
Toy, Miniature, or Standard?	p. 35
Male or female?	p. 35
Which color?	p. 36
Deciding Where to Find Your Poodle	p. 36
Beginning with breeders	p. 36
Considering shelters and rescue groups	p. 42
Wondering about pet shops	p. 44
Choosing a Healthy Poodle	p. 45
Registering Your Poodle	p. 46
American Kennel Club registration	p. 46
United Kennel Club registration	p. 47
Perusing a pedigree after you register your Poodle	p. 47
Living Happily with Your Poodle	p. 49
Preparing for Your Poodle's Homecoming	p. 51
Outfitting Your Home with Crates, Gates, and Ex-pens	p. 51
Crates	p. 52
Gates	p. 54
Ex-pens	p. 56
Buying Comfortable Bedding	p. 56
Staying Attached with Collars and Leads	p. 57
Shopping for collars	p. 57
Looking at leads	p. 59
Securing Proper ID for Your Poodle	p. 60
Beautifying Your Poodle with the Right Grooming Tools	p. 61
Hair care	p. 61
Nail care	p. 62
Self-grooming considerations	p. 62
Savoring the Details of Food and Bowls	p. 64
Getting the Scoop on Cleanup Tools	p. 65
Finding Toys for Toys (And, Yes, Miniatures and Standards)	p. 66
Following a few toy guidelines	p. 66
Gnawing on chew toys	p. 66
Rollicking with retrieving toys	p. 67
Settling on squeaky toys	p. 68
Getting creative with homemade toys	p. 68
Poodle-Proofing Your Home	p. 69
On the inside	p. 69
Out in the yard	p. 70
Choosing Special Spaces for Your Poodle	p. 72
The eating spot	p. 73
The sleeping spot	p. 73
The potty spot	p. 74
Scheduling a Checkup with Your Vet	p. 74
Welcoming Your Poodle Home	p. 75
Picking Up Your Poodle	p. 75
Selecting the right day and the right time	p. 75
Taking home other items besides the Poodle	p. 76
Traveling home safely	p. 77
Giving Your Poodle the Grand Tour	p. 78
Meeting Other Family Members	p. 79
Kids in the house	p. 79
Other pets	p. 80
Surviving the First Night	p. 82
Anticipating Possible Problems and Planning Sensible Solutions	p. 82
Avoiding bad habits from the outset	p. 83
Handling food issues	p. 83
Getting used to grooming	p. 84
Providing Your Poodle with a Nutritious Diet	p. 85
Knowing the Nutrients that Your Poodle Needs	p. 85
Dishing Out Main Meals	p. 87
Choosing among dry, canned, and semi-moist foods	p. 87
Doing some home cooking	p. 89
Getting the scoop on raw foods	p. 90
Steering clear of table scraps	p. 91
Keeping water, water everywhere	p. 91
Giving Snacks and Treats Smartly	p. 92
Giving out snacks	p. 92
Trying treats	p. 92
Establishing a Feeding Routine	p. 93
Feeding at set times	p. 93
Having food available all the time	p. 94
Knowing how much food to feed	p. 94
Changing Your Poodle's Diet as He Grows	p. 95
Avoiding Certain Foods	p. 95
Keeping Your Poodle Clean and Attractive	p. 97
Drawing Up a Grooming Schedule	p. 97
Deciding between Professional and Personal Grooming	p. 99
Grooming in your personal Poodle salon	p. 99
Ushering your Poodle to a groomer	p. 101
Getting to the Root of Hair Care	p. 102
Brushing and combing	p. 102
Bathing and drying	p. 104
Clipping Your Poodle	p. 107
Keeping it simple with pet clips	p. 107
Showing off with show clips	p. 109
Fresh from Head to Toe: Tackling Other Grooming Tasks	p. 113
Trimming your Poodle's nails	p. 113
Keeping an eye on your Poodle's eyes	p. 115
Examining the ears	p. 116
Doing some dental work	p. 118
Training and Having Fun with your Poodle Pal	p. 121
Housetraining Made Easy	p. 123
Littering Your Brain with Housetraining Basics	p. 123
Setting up a housetraining schedule for your Poodle	p. 124
Staying consistent (yet flexible) in your training routine	p. 126
Speeding up the training process	p. 126
Recognizing the telltale "I gotta go!" signs	p. 127
Mastering Effective Housetraining Methods	p. 128
Sleeping the day away: Crate training	p. 128
Putting pee to paper: Paper training	p. 129
Scratch and sprinkle: Litter training	p. 131
Surveying additional indoor training options	p. 132
Getting the Scoop on Cleanup Duty	p. 134
Cleaning up inside	p. 134
Cleaning up in the great outdoors	p. 136
Instilling Good Manners in Your Poodle	p. 137
Getting a Grip on Some Disciplinary Basics	p. 137
Handling a Collar and Lead	p. 138
Collaring your Poodle	p. 139
Leading on	p. 141
Training Your Poodle with Basic Commands	p. 142
Come!	p. 143
Sit!	p. 145
Down!	p. 146
Stay!	p. 147
Leave it!	p. 148
Heel!	p. 148
Overcoming Common Canine Behavior Problems	p. 149
Barking at the mailman, at neighbors, at squirrels, at...	p. 150
I beg you - no begging!	p. 152
Chewing on everything	p. 152
Nipping and mouthing	p. 153
Digging up some trouble	p. 154
Jump, jumping around	p. 155
Aggression against others	p. 155
Finding Professional Help	p. 156
Attending classes	p. 156
Taking private lessons	p. 157
Seeking out animal behaviorists	p. 158
Socializing Your Poodle	p. 159
Acclimating Your Poodle to New Faces	p. 159
Meeting the neighbors	p. 159
Setting up play dates	p. 160
Enrolling in puppy kindergarten or other classes	p. 161
Handling Strange Situations, Objects, and Noises	p. 162
Going for car rides	p. 162
Adjusting to unfamiliar situations and objects	p. 163
Easing a fear of loud noises	p. 164
Hitting the Road with Your Poodle	p. 165
Checking Out Your Traveling Options	p. 165
By car	p. 165
By air	p. 167
Taking Care of Other Trip Details	p. 170
Packing it in	p. 170
Carrying the proper ID	p. 171
Staying at a Poodle-friendly place	p. 172
Leaving Your Poodle at Home	p. 173
Boarding your Poodle	p. 173
Picking a pet sitter	p. 175
Showing Off and Enjoying Your Poodle's Talents	p. 177
Passing the Canine Good Citizen Test	p. 177
Preparing for the test	p. 178
Taking the test	p. 178
Looking Good: Conformation Shows	p. 179
How can you and your Poodle get ready for conformation shows?	p. 179
How does a conformation show work?	p. 181
Testing Skills: Rally Events	p. 182
Oh, Behave! Obedience Events	p. 183
Staying on Course: Agility Events	p. 185
Surveying an agility course	p. 185
Looking at rules and levels	p. 186
On the Prowl: Hunt Tests	p. 187
Equipping yourself and training	p. 187
Hunting at different levels	p. 188
Earning qualifying scores	p. 188
The Nose Knows: Tracking Tests	p. 189
Sharing the Love: Therapy Poodles	p. 189
How a therapy dog helps	p. 189
How to become certified (and other considerations)	p. 190
Maintaining your Poodle's Health	p. 191
Taking Basic Care of Your Poodle's Health	p. 193
Choosing the Right Veterinarian and Setting a Schedule	p. 193
Knowing what to look for in a vet	p. 194
Asking a potential vet important questions	p. 195
Setting up regular checkups	p. 196
Surveying Alternative Healthcare Choices	p. 197
On pins and needles: Acupuncture	p. 197
Back to basics: Chiropractic medicine	p. 199
Doggie day spa: Massage treatment	p. 199
All-natural: Herbal treatments	p. 200
Homeopathy	p. 202
Taking a Shot at Good Health with Vaccinations	p. 202
Checking out available vaccines	p. 202
Scheduling shots	p. 204
Nip and Tuck: The Basics of Spaying and Neutering	p. 205
What happens during spaying and neutering?	p. 206
When should you spay or neuter your Poodle?	p. 207
Keeping an Eye on Your Poodle's Health at Home	p. 208
Exercising your Poodle	p. 208
Checking your Poodle regularly	p. 210
Giving medications	p. 210
Considering Common Poodle Conditions	p. 213
Ouch! Treating Everyday Illnesses and Injuries	p. 213
Cuts and scrapes	p. 213
Lumps and bumps	p. 214
Skin problems	p. 214
Tummy aches	p. 215
Ear issues	p. 215
Internal parasites	p. 216
External parasites	p. 217
Limping	p. 219
Surveying Other Common Poodle Health Issues	p. 220
Bloat	p. 220
Epilepsy	p. 220
Hormonal problems	p. 221
Orthopedic issues	p. 222
Vision conditions	p. 223
Von Willebrand's Disease	p. 224
Staying Prepared with First-Aid Basics	p. 225
Stocking the Essentials in Your Canine First-Aid Kit	p. 225
Traditional medicines	p. 226
Holistic medicines	p. 228
Performing Basic First-Aid Techniques on Your Poodle	p. 228
Taking your Poodle's temperature and pulse	p. 229
Muzzling your Poodle	p. 229
Moving your Poodle safely	p. 230
Giving artificial respiration	p. 230
Treating shock	p. 231
Coming to Your Poodle's Rescue in Specific Emergencies	p. 232
Lacerations and bleeding	p. 233
Different types of wounds	p. 233
Broken bones	p. 234
Heatstroke	p. 235
Frostbite	p. 236
Choking	p. 236
Poisoning (including insect bites and stings)	p. 237
Electrocution	p. 238
Easing Your Senior Poodle into the Golden Years	p. 239
Instituting a Sensible Senior Diet	p. 239
Exercising Your Senior Poodle	p. 240
Handling Senior Health Issues	p. 241
Potty problems	p. 241
Arthritis	p. 242
Hearing problems	p. 243
Fading eyesight	p. 244
Saying Goodbye to Your Beloved Poodle	p. 245
Knowing when the time has come	p. 245
Deciding whether to be with your Poodle at the end	p. 247
Memorializing your Poodle	p. 247
Dealing with your grief	p. 248
The Part of Tens	p. 249
Ten (or So) Great Sets of Poodle Resources	p. 251
Kennel and Poodle Clubs	p. 251
Rescue Groups	p. 252
Grooming	p. 252
Training	p. 252
Travel	p. 253
Performance Events and Other Fun Activities	p. 253
Therapy Dogs	p. 253
Healthcare	p. 254
Memorials	p. 254
Ten Ways to Help Your Poodle if Disaster Strikes	p. 255
Stock and Store Necessary Supplies	p. 255
A crate	p. 255
Food and water	p. 256
Medications and vaccination records	p. 256
Identification	p. 256
An extra lead	p. 256
Make a List of What You Need	p. 257
Consider Places Where You Can Go	p. 257
Examine Your Transportation Options	p. 257
Plan to Leave Your Poodle with Other Folks if Necessary	p. 258
Succumb to Your Last Resort: Turn Your Poodle Loose	p. 258
Index	p. 259
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