Poodle Information
Your Subtitle text
Poodle Care
Overview
There are roughly 300 different dog breeds in the world and when it comes to care, one can break these breeds into 2 groups: Outside dogs and inside dogs. What is the main difference? An inside dog needs much more care! Even though an inside dog may love to be outside for a romp in the yard or a nice walk around the neighborhood, the dog has been bred over the years to depend highly on humans for food, warmth, comfort and all essentials to make a dog happy and healthy. The Poodle, whether Toy, Miniature or Standard is one of those dogs! Even though this breed was first a “water dog”, helping hunters retrieve prey that had fallen into waters such as swamps and ponds, today’s Poodle is a pampered, indoor dog …So let’s talk about Poodle care.
The All Poodle Info Book covers every single detail of Poodle care (it is over 400 pages long) and the information cannot fit onto this website! However, we will look at the overviews of what is needed for Poodle care.
From 8 weeks to 6 months, much care is needed during this time of socialization and growth. In most areas, a pup must be at least 8 weeks old before going to its new home. A Toy will grow in height until about the 6 month mark…it will however usually continue to fill out in weight for a while passed that.
From birth to 5 months Poodle care must focus on the possibility of hypoglycemia, a condition in which the pup’s blood sugar level drops drastically and very quickly. An owner must have Karo syrup on hand at all times! You can read more about this here.
Bringing your new Poodle home is not as simple as just picking up your new family member from the breeder. Good care involves planning ahead. While just about everyone knows the basics of what is need we will show you the list in any case. However, one of the most important elements to be aware of is that no matter what the puppy has been fed since he or she began eating solid food, must continue to be fed to the puppy. Quickly switching foods can make a dog ill…and in the case of a puppy it can be the cause of the dangerous hypoglycemia! A slow change must be made. We strongly recommend feeding only home cooked food to any Poodle – This is the healthiest food you can give to your family member. Why feed your Poodle additives, colors, preservatives and (most terribly) fillers! Fillers are put into dog food to “plump” up the food, to make it appear as if there is more food than their actually is. It is quite horrible that manufacturers are allowed to do this. Youcan read more about this here.
Now, let’s look at all of the items that you should have BEFORE you bring your Poodle home and most CERTAINLY have to keep your Poodle happy and healthy.
A dog bed – A new puppy will feel stress going to even the best of new homes. This is why making sure that you have a nice, soft, comfortable dog bed is important. You will show your Poodle that this is the area in which they can rest, sleep or just get away from noise when things seem to overwhelming! Place this in the corner of a quiet room.
A Harness – It cannot be said enough! Toy Poodles (no matter what the age) and all Mini and Standard puppies MUST have on a harness and NOT a collar when they are on a leash. When a dog collar is used, this can cause the dog to have a collapsed trachea. The dog’s trachea (windpipe) is protected by rings of cartilage…when this happens, those rings collapse in, causing pain and breathing problems. How does this happen? When a dog collar is used and then connected to a leash, all it takes is for the dog to take a leap and be jerked back by the leash’s end….or even when walking, if the dog runs ahead and the owner does not have time to react quickly enough and the dog is jerked back by the leash. Using a harness spreads out the contact points across the dog’s chest, underarms and back so that no harm comes to them. These can be purchased at any dog supply store and come in many unique and interesting designs so that your Poodle always looks in style!
A crate – As explained in the training and crating chapters of the All Poodle Info Book, crate training does not mean putting your dog into a crate all day or all night! It is a temporary method of keeping your dog confined at certain times while you are in the process of house training them. However, you may possibly need a crate when bringing your Poodle to the vet (some insist on having dogs crated) or for travel.
A Car Safety Seat - Long ago cars did not even have seat belts for humans! But now, of course, we all know how many lives they save. The very same is true for dogs. Even if you are the best driver in the world, you cannot be in control of those who are driving near you. Be sure to secure your Poodle into a car safety seat. All it takes is 1 second of you having to quickly brake for your Poodle to go sliding off of the seat, completely unprotected! These are also great for dogs who get car sick. Many of these connect onto the back of the seat and are raised, so that even a tiny dog can look out of the window, thus reducing motion sickness.
Toys – A dog toy is not a dog toy. Some owners think that “more is better” and simply stock up on 20 or so generic toys. This is not very helpful for a puppy. Puppies need great toys for 2 main reasons: Teething and Enjoyment. A teething pup is in pain…and a bored puppy can cause a lot of stress in the family. Toys should be interactive and varied. Interactive toys are those that make noise, move or hold treats inside. Toys designed for teething are able to filled with water and put into the freezer .
Clothes - Putting clothes on a dog is not just a canine fashion statement. As explained in the All Poodle Info Book, a dog’s feet are not as thick and desensitized as one may assume….And all small puppies should be protected from the chills, cold, snow and any “ice melt” which can cause damage to the paws.
From 8 weeks to 6 months, much care is needed during this time of socialization and growth. In most areas, a pup must be at least 8 weeks old before going to its new home. A Toy will grow in height until about the 6 month mark…it will however usually continue to fill out in weight for a while passed that.
From birth to 5 months Poodle care must focus on the possibility of hypoglycemia, a condition in which the pup’s blood sugar level drops drastically and very quickly. An owner must have Karo syrup on hand at all times! You can read more about this here.
Bringing your new Poodle home is not as simple as just picking up your new family member from the breeder. Good care involves planning ahead. While just about everyone knows the basics of what is need we will show you the list in any case. However, one of the most important elements to be aware of is that no matter what the puppy has been fed since he or she began eating solid food, must continue to be fed to the puppy. Quickly switching foods can make a dog ill…and in the case of a puppy it can be the cause of the dangerous hypoglycemia! A slow change must be made. We strongly recommend feeding only home cooked food to any Poodle – This is the healthiest food you can give to your family member. Why feed your Poodle additives, colors, preservatives and (most terribly) fillers! Fillers are put into dog food to “plump” up the food, to make it appear as if there is more food than their actually is. It is quite horrible that manufacturers are allowed to do this. Youcan read more about this here.
Now, let’s look at all of the items that you should have BEFORE you bring your Poodle home and most CERTAINLY have to keep your Poodle happy and healthy.
A dog bed – A new puppy will feel stress going to even the best of new homes. This is why making sure that you have a nice, soft, comfortable dog bed is important. You will show your Poodle that this is the area in which they can rest, sleep or just get away from noise when things seem to overwhelming! Place this in the corner of a quiet room.
A Harness – It cannot be said enough! Toy Poodles (no matter what the age) and all Mini and Standard puppies MUST have on a harness and NOT a collar when they are on a leash. When a dog collar is used, this can cause the dog to have a collapsed trachea. The dog’s trachea (windpipe) is protected by rings of cartilage…when this happens, those rings collapse in, causing pain and breathing problems. How does this happen? When a dog collar is used and then connected to a leash, all it takes is for the dog to take a leap and be jerked back by the leash’s end….or even when walking, if the dog runs ahead and the owner does not have time to react quickly enough and the dog is jerked back by the leash. Using a harness spreads out the contact points across the dog’s chest, underarms and back so that no harm comes to them. These can be purchased at any dog supply store and come in many unique and interesting designs so that your Poodle always looks in style!
A crate – As explained in the training and crating chapters of the All Poodle Info Book, crate training does not mean putting your dog into a crate all day or all night! It is a temporary method of keeping your dog confined at certain times while you are in the process of house training them. However, you may possibly need a crate when bringing your Poodle to the vet (some insist on having dogs crated) or for travel.
A Car Safety Seat - Long ago cars did not even have seat belts for humans! But now, of course, we all know how many lives they save. The very same is true for dogs. Even if you are the best driver in the world, you cannot be in control of those who are driving near you. Be sure to secure your Poodle into a car safety seat. All it takes is 1 second of you having to quickly brake for your Poodle to go sliding off of the seat, completely unprotected! These are also great for dogs who get car sick. Many of these connect onto the back of the seat and are raised, so that even a tiny dog can look out of the window, thus reducing motion sickness.
Toys – A dog toy is not a dog toy. Some owners think that “more is better” and simply stock up on 20 or so generic toys. This is not very helpful for a puppy. Puppies need great toys for 2 main reasons: Teething and Enjoyment. A teething pup is in pain…and a bored puppy can cause a lot of stress in the family. Toys should be interactive and varied. Interactive toys are those that make noise, move or hold treats inside. Toys designed for teething are able to filled with water and put into the freezer .
Clothes - Putting clothes on a dog is not just a canine fashion statement. As explained in the All Poodle Info Book, a dog’s feet are not as thick and desensitized as one may assume….And all small puppies should be protected from the chills, cold, snow and any “ice melt” which can cause damage to the paws.
Bowls - Any bowl will do, right? No! Plastic bowls can cause staining on a Poodle coat! Only obtain ceramic or stainless steel bowls for food and water.
Grooming Supplies - Poodle care certainly involves proper grooming. This includes nails, dewclaws, bathes, drying, wrapping, trimming, clipping and topknots. Full Details (121 chapters) can be found in our book. You can read more about this here.
Grooming Supplies - Poodle care certainly involves proper grooming. This includes nails, dewclaws, bathes, drying, wrapping, trimming, clipping and topknots. Full Details (121 chapters) can be found in our book. You can read more about this here.
