tokipoke

I agree we have bred almost an "artificial" dog where it wouldn't be able to survive on its own without the help of humans to keep up with coat care. And it is very interesting to see the changes in the breed standard regarding color and size. I've always wondered why there was no cap in the max size of a standard, and why it's just "15" and over" - the problem I have with some "oversized standard" enthusiasts is that they think "bigger is better" and they discount the other sizes. Just because someone prefers them big, they shouldn't regard the other sizes as inferior

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Yaddaluvpoodles

Thanks.. uhh.. red faced.. that was a big graphic.. sorry!

Yaddaluvpoodles

YES!!!

Now why couldn't I have just said that? That's pretty much my whole point.. it works for all sizes.

tokipoke

My definition of "good lines" is good health, but I understand appearance matters too, sometimes more, especially when trying to sell puppies and show dogs. The first thing many people look at is the color of the dog. This reminds me of bodybuilders who compete for titles. They look like the epitome of fitness and health yet on competition day, they are the weakest they have ever been, starving, and highly dehydrated. All for the sake of appearance.

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Yaddaluvpoodles

Ah crumb.. this is getting worse by the moment... I'm so red faced now it's almost purple.

I meant BIT graphic, not BIG... sigh....

PoodlePowerBC

I'm afraid I beg to differ here! Both My poodles were bigger Standards, and I have to say I have had more "Poodle People" turn their noses up at them as "oversized" than I can count :( I, on the other hand, love the Standard poodle. Small, big, they are all just right for me. The only reason my new Poodle is big is because during researching the Brown, I found a breeding pair I loved, the colors were good, the health history was fantastic, I liked the breeder's attitude and breeding practices, and the time was right!
We are talking a red next, and both breeders we are considering have smaller sized standards.
Rant over

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"There is nothing that any breed can add to a poodle to improve it"

Countryboy

Bein' a guy, I can see this point of view. But, depending on where u live, and who yr buddies are, it's pretty much necessary. Tonka's 27", and I keep his ears short to make him look even more like a dog . . . rather than a Poodle. All my friends love him . . . but they didn't at first!

There's only one 'small' Standard that I see on a regular basis. And she loves her ear rubs. Rather than me bending over, I encourage her to stand up and put her paws on my chest.

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kirobins

I have two adopted Standards. Luna I adopted first she is all of about 45lbs at 2.5 yrs old. Then I adopted Kaia, she is 60 lbs. If it was not for the obvious size difference they could be twins. They even have the same dorky personality. Kaia's coat is thicker and a little morecoarse than Luna's.. What is the difference between the two standards?

LSK

I just lost my 13 1/2 yr old Charley boy who was a Blue Spoo just this Monday. He was a tall guy with diagnosed HD before he turned 9 months, in fact the doctor mentioned his worry when I brought him in at 2 1/2 months. He missed the window to get the operation as a pup because the vet had the tests HD Xrays on him when it was too late....We then went into overdrive to keep him healthy. Bought a home with a huge lawn just so he could have soft grass to play on, I kept him lean at 80 lbs and he received Adequan series of shots all through his life. He got pure water only and special food. Eventually at 12 1/2 yrs old he starter to stiffen up and his spine showed some problems. We then started the pred, tramadol and then Gabapentin. He stayed strong and pain free until just before he passed. The breeder was apologetic when I informed her of his HD when he was diagnosed as a pup. She made a mistake and did not checkout his mom for HD. She was genuinely sorry and refunded Charley's fee to go towards his care. I thought that was kind and ethical. We spent at least 20K toward his health care...Xrays, follow ups to see if he could get the hip operation as a pup, acupuncture, and other holistic approaches to keeping him healthy for as long as possible. And it all worked. He lived a happy and full life with us until just recently. And he was walking, with us lifting him up, until 24hrs before he completely broke down and everything went haywire.
I would get another big guy again but I would make sure about the testing of the parents. Still no assurance but it is at least something. We were fortunate that we were able to do everything possible to keep him healthy and pain free as possible. He was such a great pal that we would do it all over again but this time I would have done a hip replacement and not listened to the vet who sort of poo-pooed the idea because he was not "that bad yet" Maybe he might have lived longer if I had done it......I will never know. Terrible hole in our lives without him...

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BorderKelpie

Aw, LSK, what a horrible loss of such a beautiful boy! Thank you for taking such excellent care of him throughout his wonderful life. I know he enjoyed being loved the way he was.