I was hoping to get some advice and opinion on choosing the right breed for me. I am struggling with figuring out how to weigh the pros and cons of each breed. My journey to getting my next dog started in June 2019. I’ve been extremely close but keep having concerns that prevent me from finalizing my selection. Obviously being able to find the right puppy is even harder now. Exponentially harder.
I love almost everything about Poodles. My other current breed candidates are Havanese and Bichons. They each have qualities I’m looking for and some qualities that are not so much what I’m looking for. I completely understand that this is a Poodle Forum but figured it was worth mentioning what I’m looking at in case others willing to respond have experience in any of the other breeds as well.
I work from home on the phone so I need a relatively quiet dog. I also have house rabbits and need a dog that can work with having small animals. My preference would also be a dog that doesn’t need a large amount of exercise. With that said, those are my concerns about a Poodle. Although I know it can vary by individual, I’ve seen way too many stories about Poodles killing rabbits, (albeit they luckily have been wild rabbits-not so lucky for the poor wild bun), Poodles that bark too much and Poodles that are energizer bunnies. For all three breeds I have seen many people seeking advice about barking. I might be too optimistic but my hope was to find the right breeder that can select the right puppy for me and with training it can be a great fit. I’ve been in contact with some breeders in the last year and a half for all sizes and all three breeds with mixed results. In hindsight I was much better off a year ago when breeders actually had some puppies to pick from. As far as the Bichon and Havs, I have a big concern about potty training. Especially when it comes to Bichons I have seen way too many pictures of dogs in belly bands and have read so many bad stories. Barking and tear staining are also issues, but even those I understand can vary by individual. People also have mixed opinions on whether they are barkers or not. With all this said I am trying not to focus too much on the cosmetic. Overall I like the looks and intelligence of Poodles over the other two. I have wanted a standard for a long time but if I’m being honest with myself the miniature is probably a better size for my home. Some say a toy would be ok with rabbits, while others say they would have the same drive. I toys they are a little smaller than what I’m looking for but am open if they are a better fit. Of all the research I have done it seems Bichons would be the best fit with rabbits, but even then I have seen dog sites that have Poodles listed with low prey drive and Bichons with high drive. It’s amazing how much conflicting information is out there.
For full transparency I have also been in contact with a breeder that breeds a mix that shall not be named because I know there are some strong opinions on both sides but I have actually had the best results with this breeder. They actually work with professional trainers and help select puppies once they are 7 weeks old. I’m struggling finding this from a purebred breeder. I know I want a purebred but it’s frustrating and almost makes me want to wait until the puppy craze settles down. I just fear how long that will take and being even further down a waitlist. I’ve been without a dog for way too long already. I know there’s no such thing as a perfect dog but I have spent so much time researching breeds and don’t know of one that fits all of my wishes. It appears I just need to figure out what I can and can’t live with.
I know there’s a lot of poodle experience on this forum and would love to hear your thoughts. Would a Poodle be in your consideration if you were looking for the same thing? How did you weigh the pros and cons when you were choosing a breed? Thank you!
I love almost everything about Poodles. My other current breed candidates are Havanese and Bichons. They each have qualities I’m looking for and some qualities that are not so much what I’m looking for. I completely understand that this is a Poodle Forum but figured it was worth mentioning what I’m looking at in case others willing to respond have experience in any of the other breeds as well.
I work from home on the phone so I need a relatively quiet dog. I also have house rabbits and need a dog that can work with having small animals. My preference would also be a dog that doesn’t need a large amount of exercise. With that said, those are my concerns about a Poodle. Although I know it can vary by individual, I’ve seen way too many stories about Poodles killing rabbits, (albeit they luckily have been wild rabbits-not so lucky for the poor wild bun), Poodles that bark too much and Poodles that are energizer bunnies. For all three breeds I have seen many people seeking advice about barking. I might be too optimistic but my hope was to find the right breeder that can select the right puppy for me and with training it can be a great fit. I’ve been in contact with some breeders in the last year and a half for all sizes and all three breeds with mixed results. In hindsight I was much better off a year ago when breeders actually had some puppies to pick from. As far as the Bichon and Havs, I have a big concern about potty training. Especially when it comes to Bichons I have seen way too many pictures of dogs in belly bands and have read so many bad stories. Barking and tear staining are also issues, but even those I understand can vary by individual. People also have mixed opinions on whether they are barkers or not. With all this said I am trying not to focus too much on the cosmetic. Overall I like the looks and intelligence of Poodles over the other two. I have wanted a standard for a long time but if I’m being honest with myself the miniature is probably a better size for my home. Some say a toy would be ok with rabbits, while others say they would have the same drive. I toys they are a little smaller than what I’m looking for but am open if they are a better fit. Of all the research I have done it seems Bichons would be the best fit with rabbits, but even then I have seen dog sites that have Poodles listed with low prey drive and Bichons with high drive. It’s amazing how much conflicting information is out there.
For full transparency I have also been in contact with a breeder that breeds a mix that shall not be named because I know there are some strong opinions on both sides but I have actually had the best results with this breeder. They actually work with professional trainers and help select puppies once they are 7 weeks old. I’m struggling finding this from a purebred breeder. I know I want a purebred but it’s frustrating and almost makes me want to wait until the puppy craze settles down. I just fear how long that will take and being even further down a waitlist. I’ve been without a dog for way too long already. I know there’s no such thing as a perfect dog but I have spent so much time researching breeds and don’t know of one that fits all of my wishes. It appears I just need to figure out what I can and can’t live with.
I know there’s a lot of poodle experience on this forum and would love to hear your thoughts. Would a Poodle be in your consideration if you were looking for the same thing? How did you weigh the pros and cons when you were choosing a breed? Thank you!