Easier how? I've had many dogs in my lifetime, I find the poodle to be probably the smartest . Mine was easily housebroken, learned sit, down, over. Refuses to learn shake. LOL This morning he was playing and I'm not sure what he wanted but he started barking at me and jumping toward me. I puffed up and commanded him to sit, which he did, got praised & a treat and that stopped his arguing with me. Right now I am having to brush & comb him out everyday. He will get groomed on Friday, I can hardly wait. He is by far the bounciest dog I ever had and the only one that has ever argued with me.

 

Your post made me chuckle. You have a sassy dog. Such a character. I have a sassy dog at home who sheds a pound a day. Her sassy nature is funny at times but sometimes difficult to deal with. Last night I had to work late and walked her at midnight instead of 9pm. She was not happy. She refused to get up and went limp. Every time I asked her to come, she would roll over and play dead. It took me a good 10 min and she finally came to dog cookies.

I forgot to answer the first question. Why are they easier? Obedient, easy to train, no shedding outweighs constant lint rolling and brushing, least destructive breed I’ve ever had, easy to potty train, not clingy.

 

sassy, yes indeed.. Not often but at almost 8 months he likes to test me at times. I do the Cease Milan, puff up shoulders back..lol Once he knows I mean business he will settle down. And yes routine..I find he likes his routine...in the morning I take care of the lil dogs, then him. Once he goes out to potty , he eats n plays then we have a walk...If I am pet sitting I have to break his routine and after potty & eat he has to go in his crate while I'm gone, he will balk at going in, but only when its not time...not part of his routine. I've been doing a lot of pet sitting this month so he is better but he certainly knows when its time for what.

 

I've been doing a lot of pet sitting this month so he is better but he certainly knows when its time for what.

Ooh cool what breeds are you pet sitting? Are they easier?

 

Easy keepers in some ways and not so in others.

The grooming is work, but we know about that going in, so we need to just suck that up.

Destructive? Javelin, not at all, but Lily? Remember she destroyed three pairs of underwear, one pair of pj bottoms and ate a bunch of peppermint patties wrappers and all not so long ago. Her house nick name is Mischief after all.

Training? They are very smart and quick so you have to be careful not to drill them or they get bored and tune out or in Lily's case if you do more repeats fo something she has been doing correctly she decides that she must actually be doing it wrong and change her response so now she is wrong.

As far as comparing them to other breeds, I think all breeds have easy aspects and hard aspects. Personally I don't particularly find breeds that are willing to be drilled until they drop to be particularly smart.

 

Destructive? Javelin, not at all, but Lily? Remember she destroyed three pairs of underwear, one pair of pj bottoms and ate a bunch of peppermint patties wrappers and all not so long ago. Her house nick name is Mischief after all.

We sometimes call our poodle "Willard the Destroyer."

Sure, he is still a puppy in ways at about 7 months old, but he loves to chew. At his height, he can pull things off the counter easily. There have been times were he decides to chew / destroy items he has ignored for months.

One of the problems is, he has no shame. If you try to scold / discipline him, he just looks at you like "Ok, whatever. I did it, and I'd do it again. It was great."

 

Ooh cool what breeds are you pet sitting? Are they easier?

I've mostly cared for the older dogs, easier. One client has a lab, a dachshund and a chihuahua. Another has a chihuahua mix, a jack russel mix and a mix hound. Then one client has a hound mix and a cat. I have a poodle coming up in the future. also two pits, and a mix malamute. All pretty easy keepers.

 

I’m not gonna lie, I’m writing this after this yesterday:

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I think part of the difference between Lily and Javelin on this is that Lily, like Willard, found all of my efforts to dissuade her from counter surfing just all pretty funny and so she is unrepentant about it. On the other hand when Javelin first got tall enough to think about counter surfing we started throwing an empty plastic 1 l soda bottle with pennies in it at him. I made sure I beaned him on the head a few times. We still have that bottle on our kitchen counter. BF has used it to keep Javelin from jumping up on him. All BF has to do is say "do you want the pennies?" and/or show him the bottle and he stops dead in his tracks. Every now and then I see his nose go up to the edge of the counter and I rattle the bottle and he puts his nose back down.

 

I am going to say absolutely NOT! Maizie has been the most challenging dog I've ever had, by a mile. Frosty has been much easier, but still has exercise needs that the average dog owner couldn't provide. They are my full time job. No other dog I've ever had has been all consuming like them! Exercising for 2 hours/day, training sessions sprinkled throughout the day, grooming, needing to be fed 3 times/day (because that's what works best for them), needing to chew, needing a million toys, but making sure they are safe for Maizie, needing to keep a watchful eye on the house and especially countertops since they're both surfers, $$$$ invested in training classes and trials to keep them mentally stimulated, etc. etc.

ETA: I didn't even go into the vet bills! They need a gastropexy right off the bat, and they have many possible health issues. One must be extremely financially secure or have pet insurance!

 

I've had mainly Giant Schnauzers before getting Zephyr, and I have to say Zephyr is much easier. He is so much less destructive in the house. I am still finding and undoing things that "Schnauzer-proofed" my house! I lived for 13 years with mouse traps on my sofa to keep Zorro off of it. I wouldn't have cared if he went on the sofa to sleep, but he would be like a little kid jumping on the bed and the cushions would be scattered all over the house. If the mouse traps were there (he popped one once when he was a puppy and after that they were unset for the rest of his life) he would stay off, but if I took them off he would immediately be up there having a ball.

I had to put a hook on a back bedroom where I keep my saddle because he would open the door, pull the saddle off of the rack and drag it all over the house. He never chewed on it, just dragged it around. Many other things around the house to try to keep them out of trouble.

Grooming is actually easier with the Poodle, because I can do him in pieces, and I can keep him looking really nice between groomings with the scissors. I can do face one day, feet another, body another. With Schnauzers you have to wait until they look hairy and unkempt and then do the entire dog; plus the head is (I think) harder to do. It took me a long time to learn to get the eyebrows right. Plus ears seem to be much harder, they get clipped with a 10 blade inside and out and all around the edges, and dogs universally hate it--and Giant Schnauzers are much more powerful physically and mentally when they fight something.

Giant Schnauzers must get lots of strenuous exercise every day. They have to run and run and run and run and run. Otherwise your house will suffer. They also need lots of mental exercise every day, otherwise your house will suffer. Zephyr has plenty of energy when there is something to do, otherwise he is chilled out and doesn't mind sleeping all day.

One big difference is just having a dog that people are not afraid of. With my Schnauzers I had to be careful all the time. People were afraid of them, which could make them aggressive. Schnauzers are bred to protect and defend and they take that job very seriously, so you have to be very careful that they don't see something as a threat and react to it. I miss having my guard dogs, but you have to understand that having a guard dog means you have to guard them as much as they are guarding you. You have to make sure that they don't react to things inappropriately, and this is not easy. You have to be alert all the time. They are always looking for threats, and it just takes a millisecond for the dog to change from a relaxed, happy dog into a guard dog and go for somebody. That is why I have a poodle now, I just couldn't do that anymore.

One thing that is harder with Zephyr is trying to find ways to motivate him in training. He is not interested in food. He will sometimes take treats, but will not work for them. He will play with tug toys for a little while but then gets bored with that. The thing that is best with him is petting and praise, and physical play, like shoving him around, but if he's not interested in what we're doing it's very hard to get him to focus.

 

One big difference is just having a dog that people are not afraid of. With my Schnauzers I had to be careful all the time. People were afraid of them, which could make them aggressive. Schnauzers are bred to protect and defend and they take that job very seriously, so you have to be very careful that they don't see something as a threat and react to it. I miss having my guard dogs, but you have to understand that having a guard dog means you have to guard them as much as they are guarding you. You have to make sure that they don't react to things inappropriately, and this is not easy. You have to be alert all the time. They are always looking for threats, and it just takes a millisecond for the dog to change from a relaxed, happy dog into a guard dog and go for somebody. That is why I have a poodle now, I just couldn't do that anymore.

Since I don’t have a full blooded poodle, I was told by many spoo owners that standard poodles guard. Lucky has zero guard instinct.



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Reraven I totally agree with your assessment and your giant schnauzer is gorgeous!!! I feel like poodles is luck of the draw. Lucky is easy bc he doesn’t counter surf or bark. He has been the easiest pet I’ve ever owned other than my cat Donald. He cost less than any of my three dogs in terms of vet bills even with a plexy. Of course some of this was bad luck with Nibbler needing corneal graft at one and happy going bald at 2. Kit well had her pyometra and kidney infection. Lucky also enjoys grooming like it is massage. Happy, and sometimes Kit, will scream and mouth during grooming. My only issue with Lucky is his thieving ways(shh....he steals dirty clothes) and maybe the bouncing has accidentally injured my foot a few times. Mostly from overexictment at the dog park.

ETA: one thing I must admit is the exercise department. These guys need a lot of stimulation and exercise because they are the most active breed I’ve owned.

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I too have had many different dogs. Currently, Beagle, Pembroke Corgi, and Lola our standard poodle. The grooming is a big time and or money commitment, so that is not easy. Lola has a strong personality, very smart, can be assertive with strange dogs, but she is very trustworthy in the house. "Easy" means different things, but I would not use the adjective "easy" to describe her.

 

Archie is one of the most demanding dogs I've had. He needs consistent attention, brain work, exercise, etc. or he just turns into a nutcase. And he's so focused on me that if he's too bored or anxious he will annoy the crap out of me until I help him somehow. I don't really get more than one lounge-around-the-house day in a row with him.

On the other hand, it is nice that he doesn't shed (though he's got a mixed-breed coat that mats if you look at it funny). And he learns just so quickly. And he's got an easy-keeper temperament, in that he gets along with everyone and adapts quickly to new situations. In that respect, he's definitely easier than Cleo with her fear issues. But overall, I think it's more that his quirks happen to suit me, which makes him feel easier to deal with than other dogs. Without that combo, he'd be a bit of a pain.

The easiest dog I've ever had was my childhood Lhasa/Cocker cross. She wanted to be right next to me, but beyond that she didn't care. She got housetrained and that was about it. If you wanted to go for a walk, that was great; if you were feeling lazy, that was fine too. She was down for whatever I wanted as long as she could be with me for it. She scrounged trash cans, but otherwise wasn't especially destructive or mischievous. She didn't shed either, so we kept her in a super-short clip and never really worried about her hair. She could go anywhere for grooming, too, because she liked people. Easy peasy.

Edit: It seems like most (non-hunting) Cockers I've known are like that. Scatterbrained, but pretty easy keepers in day-to-day life.

 

I don't know the answer. I think you have to take into account both the dog's personality (which varied even within a breed) and the dog owner's personality.

Poodles may be perfect dogs for some people, but the absolute worst choice for others. Poodles are not a good choice for someone who wants to leave their dog out in the yard in all kinds of weather and have little interaction with them. They are not right for someone who doesn't want to groom a dog - and believe that you should never have to wash a dog unless it had an unfortunate experience with a skunk.

I do know poodles are right for me - and Babykins, while not perfect - is the ideal fit. Every dog brings some challenges and every owner requires some learning adjustments for each new dog. There isn't a day that goes by that DH or I mention how thrilled we are that we got Babykins.

I've never owned or cared for another breed, but I do see a lot of dogs in my various canine classes - and I've seen quite a few that were fabulous dogs - and a few not so wonderful.

 

I too feel that it varies greatly depending on the personality/drive/energy of the dog. Though individuals within the same breed can share similar tendencies there can always be outliers. I actually kind of wonder if my Luna is an outlier, as she is the easiest dog in the world. She is happy doing anything and everything if I am there with here. And if I am not there with her she patiently waits for me to return. She is non destructive, quiet, sweet, quick to learn and has enough drive to stay engaged but not a high energy dog. My parents and siblings don’t like dogs at all, and even they like Luna because of how easy she is.

It goes without being said that her grooming needs are not easy because of the show coat, but everything else has just been a piece of cake.

Before I got her I was literally prepared for the worst though. I had done so much research that I was ready for a hellion. I think that helped because the few and far between puppy issues that we had were nothing compared to what I was expecting. I don’t believe that all poodles are like her though. And I don’t believe it was all my training that helped her to get where she is - i think most of it was inborn.

 

Bella, and my toy poodle long before, are/were very loving and affectionate lap dogs. Each, low maintenance, perfectly house trained.

I had an equally marvelous cocker spaniel in the past, and a lovely reddish blond mixed retriever from the shelter as my first dog as an adult.

Advantages of a toy poodle:

1) Makes great apartment dogs.
2) Doesn't eat or poop much.
3) Plop it in a shoulder carrybag and take it shopping without others knowing what you have.
4) Trains easily.
5) Fun and funny.
6) Loyal.
7) Will bark and warn you if they hear noise outside your door.
8) Cuddly to sleep with.
9) No to few health or temperament problems if parents were DNA tested and come from strong lines of minimal problems.
10) My two both seem/seemed psychic, if that makes sense.
11) If there's a major flood or fire and you have to evacuate, packing it up with your other stuff is a breeze.
12) Even in old age, a well-cared for, healthy toy poodle still has joie de vivre.

Disadvantages:

1) You may have to hunt for a vet who carries the Merial IMRAB-TF killed virus rabies shot, which is Thimersol-Free (TF) (no mercury) since they're so small, but it's worth the peace of mind.
2) DIY grooming backfires if you don't really know what you're doing; fortunately their hair grows back fast. Or you can keep them in a short DIY clip which looks fine.
3) Locating fleas or ticks in all that hair if you walk it outside on the grass or in the woods and live in a problem area; ideally just bathe them when you get back in the house.
4) Vulnerable to attacks from Pitbulls and other aggressive dogs.
5) Vulnerable to being kidnapped on walks in high crime/drug areas with you being assaulted, or stolen if left in your yard even in low crime areas.

 

I have refered to my poodles as cheating, they are so easy compared to my Jazzy - Chow/German Shepard mix and Tucker - my doxie/poodle mix. My Jazzy was a guard dog and reactive to other dogs. My safety took priority over obeying. As for Tucker, he had the brains of the Poodle and the stubbornness of the doxie....he was a climber and a barker. I have had a few Shepard mixes too...I will take grooming a Poodle any day over cleaning the bathroom after washing a shedding Shepard. With the Poodle it is up to me when and where the hair comes off.

When I got my Poodles I asked for calm confident dogs, good for therapy work and that is what I got....

 

Poodles have personality plus. Gracie always carries her tail and head high. She is the most confident dog I have ever had. She will only fight me after a play bow is delivered. She is reactive and excitable. When excited her obedience and training go out the window. Normally she is extremely obedient. Her understanding of human speech is outstanding. She is a house dog. One counter surfing incident. (involving her own food that was slow in coming to her) The plate her food was on fell to the floor shattering with a great noise. She bolted to find me in her way where I delivered a little correction. Her nose has not risen above counter height since. She loves her home. She once chewed a carpet at 6 months old. We did go through the "don't touch" training at that time. Unless given permission she will not touch any of our possessions. (She has a basket full of her own) This includes food on plates left aside while viewing TV. She will never eat anything unless given the order "Gracie Eat"



On her arrival at 10 weeks old she deposited one poo in the center of a newspaper. She has always pooed outside since that day. (generally she saves it for her exercise walk on the beach) It was about 4 months until she reliably peed outside the home.


There are issues with her innate instinctive behaviors. These kind of behaviors are difficult to impossible to train out. Apart from Gracie she has been given other names. Duck destroyer, Chook Chomper and Swan Slayer. She is a bird dog. Apart from a couple of show dogs her pedigree shows a line of trained retrievers. I chose her breeder as one who bred retriever poodles. Also She is always "on guard" any infringement of her idea of our territory is heralded by a cacophony of deep barking and growling. This is only terminated when I "come see" what is about. Then she desists and "talks" to me.

Grooming I do myself. She will jump up onto the grooming table herself and submits to all the indignities well. (treats are given) She will move to allow the grooming of new parts of her anatomy. (lets get this over with daddy!) Her paws are sensitive and she does not like them groomed. Shaving her nose and Bum are inconvenient but reserve treats.


She makes friends with all she meets (humans and dogs) I have a list as long as my arm of people who have offered to take her in if I can no longer look after her. She is loved by all who meet her. (except ducks)
I don't think a standard poodle is a dog for a beginner. They would outsmart you. I have trained a wide group of breeds and Gracie is the smartest dog ever. If you are new to dog training and you intend to have a standard poodle, make sure you have a professional trainer to help.


Well, now its walk time. "Gracie! Daddies shoes" (shoes are brought to me one at a time. lots of tail wagging) "Gracie Daddies hat" (hat brought with more wagging and a jump of joy or two) Without being told her leash is retrieved. I guess we are ready!!!


This all sounds like a brag and it is. I have the perfect poodle. (when she is bad, I say "you are mummy's doggy" that way its not my fault) Bad behavior is the trainers fault.:amen:

 

Wonderful hearing from you Eric! Gracie sounds like the perfect angel. I truly enjoy reading your posts.


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