The Ninja Poodles

[EllyMae]

I know this post is about your pups...but I have to say you have the cutest little girl! I saw her in a post about her first day of school. She has such beautiful eyes! I know you are a proud mama to both pups and daughter.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
Aww, thank you! And I love that she loves animals. I really DO wish I had 3 or 4 more just like her, but it's a miracle I have her, and I'll take that!

 

[walkswithdog]

Man, I want a standard next. Ran into a lady with a couple of pet bred ones this weekend. Even undersized and awkward they were good dogs.

When I start looking I'm hoping to grab up one that's performance bred and gone over-sized on some poor unfortunate soul - much to my benefit.

When I worked in Canine Companions for Independence's kennel they had had two Std.s donated. Man they made those labs and goldens look awkward and slow. Those breeds wait sooo LOONNNNGGG for the visit from the Brain Fairy. If I hadn't LOVED the breed before then (ex-groomer) I'd have loved them ever after. They make such excellent service dogs as well as most any other work.

I keep an eye on the performance breeders and the shows from time to time because I'm all determined that's where we go next. I'll always have a German Shepherd but I could cut down on the number of shedders here and not cry about it.

 

[MissPrissy]

Hmmm how many blue chickens does it take to trade for a blue pup? LOL

 

[SportTees]

Nice pics - Someone gave me a 9 mo. old akc standard poodle this weekend. I can't believe how smart they are!!

 

[Kittikity]

I used to groom dogs.. Not show dogs, just at a salon at one of the big chain pet stores.. But poodles were always my favorite to groom, especially the standards.. I'd love a standard but can't afford $300 plus for a dog.. Even though they weren't show dogs, I'd have people request me to groom their poodles.. I guess my love for the breed really showed in my work..

 

[BeardedChick]

I looked at nice standards in my area and the only one I could find was $2,850! A little further from home, prices were around $1,500 from 'reputable breeders'.

That's a LOT of blue chickens!

 

[asher]

Beautiful pups!

Can I ask some questions of you as a poodle owner? I'll PM you if you like. We're having some issues with our toy x mini, Zoey and I'm about at the end of my leash (no pun intended) with her.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

All of them are so cute! I really like Reggie

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
Anything over 15" tall at the shoulder is technically a standard, and there is no upper size limit. So you won't find any culls (and I use "cull" here to indicate a pup being sold as a pet on a spay/neuter contract--NOT to mean being killed!) for size reasons, unless it's just a dog that the breeder feels is too small to be competitive. In my opinion, anything over 25" or so runs the risk of getting very coarse and heavy-boned, and that is what you usually find among backyard breeders of standards.

$1,500 for a standard pup is actually very, very reasonable ($2,800 is NOT, and I bet I could guess the breeder on that one). The money that goes into paying stud fees, shipping the grump, completing the proper health and genetic testing on these dogs before breding them is nothing to sneeze at. I've never yet met a breeder of AKC (or CKC meaning Canadian, not "Continental") show-quality standard poodles who does any better than breaking even--and that's if they're lucky.

That said, it is COMPLETELY possible to get a really nice dog, from quality stock, cheap or even free. Good breeders place older puppies and retired champions all the time. If you don't mind an adult dog or an older puppy, you can get your hands on a wonderful dog for a nominal sum. This dog, my beloved Cappy, was one that I found through a breed rescue in Texas. He came to me as a 6-year-old, and we enjoyed many happy years together, until he died at 14. He earned titles in obedience and agility, and well as a Versatility in Poodles VC--I even used him as my "learner dog" in conformation showing, putting 9 points on him. You never met a better dog.