Poodle Owner's Poll

11 % He or she is SUPER shy

32 % My Poodle is only shy around strangers

28 % My dog is not shy at all

29 % My Poodle is VERY outgoing!

Owner Thoughts: "I rescued my Poodle and she was very shy at first, but with lots of care to allow her to become socialized, she has blossomed into an extremely outgoing little dog!"

"My dog is very shy, but so am I. Sometimes I wonder if his behavior is him copying me!"

Note: It is not uncommon for a dog to be shy. The best way to help them is to slowly show them the world. New places, new people, new activities...in a slow and steady way so that they do not feel overwhelmed. 

5 % My Poodle almost never barks

15% He or she only barks at certain times and not that often

30 % They bark a bit more than I wish!

55 % He or she barks a lot!

Owner Thoughts:  "I love my Poodle to death, but she barks at the oddest times, for things that I don't understand. For example, the other day, she barked while looking out of the window and when I looked there was NOTHING there at all!"

Note: Dogs can hear noises from up to 5 miles away, and they can smell other dogs for up to 3 miles away, so when your dog barks at nothing, it just may be something! 

Read more about Barking.

3% My Poodle never plays with toys

55% My dog has so many toys that I've lost count, but he or she plays with just about all of them

42 % He or she has 1 special dog toy that they love above all others

Owner Comment:  "My Smoochie's favorite dog toy happens to be the family shoe horn. Don't ask!"

 

Note: Many dogs will choose 1 special toy and it is not unusual for them to show nesting behavior with it, whether they are male or female...They often take care of it as if it is a puppy!

2 % Took less than 1 month

4 % Took 2 months

27% Took 3 months

18 % Took 4 months

1% Took me more than 4 months

10 % I don't seem to be done, my Poodle doesn't seem to understand what to do!

12% My Poodle is still young & not housebroken yet, but it's going GOOD

26 % My Poodle is still young & not housebroken yet, but it's going TERRIBLE !

Owner Thoughts:  I don't seem to be done! : "For 2 years I've been taking her outside to pee/poo.. when she goes.. I clap and say good girl! she wags her tail.. but then she still has slip ups."

It took 3 months: "We had a hard time in the beginning. Then I introduced the litter box and the female Poodles got the hang of it but NOT the male. Then I took away the litter box and introduced training pads and again the females took to it but the male will only go potty outside."

Note: The #1 piece of advice is to be consistent. Following the guidelines 1 day and not the next will only confuse your dog! Read more about Training.

87% Yes

13% No

Owner Comments: "We always had Poodles when I was a little girl, so I knew that this was the breed that I wanted when it was time for me to get my own dog. I can't imagine having any other kind!"

"My husband and I knew we wanted a Poodle, we were just unsure about the size.  We were leaning toward Mini and then learned about Moyen. In the end, though, we ended up with a gorgeous red standard. She's so ingrained in our lives now, can't believe we went so long with a dog!"

"I was not sure which breed I wanted to have. My former dog was a Lab and this time I was looking for a smaller dog. I happened to come across a rescue and there was an adorable apricot toy that needed a home. I think it was fate. She is part of the family now"

Note: Many owners choose this breed based on passed experience. While most do obtain their pets from home breeders, rescuing a dog is a wonderful thing to do.  If you are thinking about adopting, do be sure to have a full disclosure form given to you, that will let you know about behaviors and potential concerns to make sure your home is the right one for any particular dog.

15% White

15% Black

10% Red

12% Apricot

11% Beige

19% Parti

17% Other

Owner Thoughts:  "My Poodle was a dark red when she was a puppy, now at almost 2 years old, her color has turned more like a dusty red, almost like it lightened quite a bit"

"My Poodle is black, but she has spots on her that are reddish brown that where not there before"

"She was an apricot and cream blend when very young. For some reason, the breeder registered her as white. Now that she's grown, the apricot has turned much darker especially on her ears and the cream certainly hasn't changed to white. So, she is not the color listed on her papers."

Note: The most common colors of the Poodle are white and black, solids. It is not uncommon for the color to fade. The owner with the red who turned lighter is not alone. This usually happens by the 1 year mark and the final adult color will be there by 2 years.

Black Poodles can have an issue with having areas that turn red or brown. This can be helped with color enhancing dog shampoo.