Standard Poodles are an interesting combination of intelligence, playfulness, personality, and stately appearance. They are the oldest of the poodles, and were originally used to retrieve birds from the water. Poodles have been water dogs, circus dogs and pampered pets. They have been used to create the Curly-coated Retriever, crossed with the English pointer to produce the Pudelpointer, and also played a part in the development of the Irish Water Spaniel.

Standards are generally good natured dogs, highly intelligent and one of the most trainable breeds. Your Standard will enjoy doing something that makes you laugh, and they will continue doing it if they think that it amuses you. They are calmer than their smaller counterparts, and have a need to be with people. They are excellent with children and other pets, and usually a little shy with strangers. If left in the companionship of other dogs, they will begin to train their companions to be Poodle-like. They are able to adapt to just about any environment to live in, from a small apartment, to a large house and yard. As long as they receive daily exercise, they do well in either. Standard Poodles love the water and enjoy going for walks, and will be much happier if given the opportunity to go out and play. If left in the companionship of other dogs, they will begin to train their companions to be Poodle-like.

Poodles excel in the therapy dog area. They seem to realize who needs their attention, and who needs them to be gentle and quiet. They can also be trained as hearing-ear dogs, drug sniffing dogs and rescue dogs. These duties go right along with the hunting and retrieving that they are still used for. Because Poodles are amongst the smartest of the animals, they are good problem solvers and are excellent at creating entertainment for themselves and others.

If you are looking for a dog to do just about anything, a Poodle is for you. They enjoy Conformation, Obedience, Agility, Flyball, Tracking, Field work, Therapy jobs, and anything else that you can dream up. All your Poodle wants to do is please you and excel at everything he does.

Standards are over 15 inches tall and weigh between 40-80 pounds. They are a long-lived breed, living to 12-15 years of age. There are some genetic diseases associated with them. Hip Dysplasia, ear infections, and some skin allergies are common. Also, PRA and Von Willebrand’s disease appear in them. Because of these issues, we believe in genetic testing of our breeding stock. There are times that no matter how much testing was done, and how wonderful the backgrounds are, you will have a puppy with a problem. This is something that can not be avoided. However, proper testing, and good breeding ethics, minimize this chance.

Grooming is a necessity for the Standard Poodle. {Many people have said that they are a non-shedding dog. In fact, they do shed, but what comes out gets caught up in the rest of the hair. Without regular brushing, this becomes a big mat in the hair.} They need to be bathed and clipped regularly. Ears need to have the hair pulled from inside to keep down infections. Brushing is required to keep tangles and knots from appearing in their coat. Clipping and bathing is easy to do at home with a few supplies. One of the wonderful things about the Poodle is that they can be cut and trimmed in any way that you want. Whatever will suit your lifestyle, is a great cut for your Poodle. Most family pets are kept cut in the sporting cut. That is, the face, feet, throat, and base of the tail are shaved, leaving a pompon at the end of the tail and a scissored cap at the top of the head. The rest of the body is clipped or scissored, leaving the hair less than an inch in length.

The poodle comes in many colors and with different markings. Blue, Grey, Silver, Cream, Chocolate, Café au Lait, White, Red, Black, and Apricot are the colors that may be in their coats. They can be a solid color, or a Parti (over 50% of the body is white with large blotched of another color) or they may be a Phantom (primarily one color, with markings similar to a Rottweiler in a different color.).

Poodles are wonderful dogs that will enrich your lives with its antics and love.