I was the same with poodles until I got my first one, I don't mean to denigrate any other breeds when I talk about their intelligence which you've been exposed to. I would love a dumb, happy, mutt just as much.
Even though her poodle was 8 and abused it came to life with good human contact, that's a great story.
If you ever told me I would be a poodle enthusiast I would probably have said there's about as much chance as that as me wearing a Tutu and becoming a ballerina.
The abuse I mentioned was mostly neglect. My daughter adopted this poodle from the humane society after its original owners had lost their house and could no longer care for him. He hadn't been groomed for months and had seriously infected ears. Then the Humane Society vet neutered him without bathing him first and he got another infection. I think she spent nearly $1000 curing him of all the ingrown hairs and infections. He is a beautiful dog and very tolerant of her 3 boys -- one of them autistic.
His only "quirk" is that he HATES flash cameras and has been known to slip out of the house and run away when people are taking pictures. He's done that twice in five years and she has been fortunate to find him and bring him home safely both times. I just bought him a flashing collar (which he can't see) because he is black and invisible at night. He doesn't notice the flashing onthe collar because it's on the back of his neck, so he tolerates it fine.
He loves to swim and he loves to play in the sprinkler. She has to watch him closeley so that he doesn't consume too much water, however, because he can make himself sick. he gets along finewithall the children and all the neighbors, too.
afraidfortherepublic:
I take back everything I ever said about poodles. I'm quite sure that they are the smartest breed out there, after training with a couple of poodles atwatching my daughter's dog. They put my Golden to shame with their intelligence and trainability. word-warrior-bob: I was the same with poodles until I got my first one, I don't mean to denigrate any other breeds when I talk about their intelligence which you've been exposed to. I would love a dumb, happy, mutt just as much.
If you ever told me I would be a poodle enthusiast I would probably have said there's about as much chance as that as me wearing a Tutu and becoming a ballerina.
I, too, had to eat my words about poodles. A poodle I rescued caused me to do a 180, and now I freely admit that I'm a poodleholic. It started out that I was looking to rescue a dog but one that didn't shed, and it has turned into an absolute devotion to the breed.
I like poodles of all sizes, from the tiniest to the largest. As a petite woman, my 2 toys are the perfect size for me. But all sizes share the same level of intelligence -- second only to the border collie.
I'm tired of poodles getting a bad rap, so it's refreshing to see some FReeper FRiends singing their praises!
My little ones hanging out on their mama's desk while she FReeps :)