[srsnidow]

Hi all! My husband gave me the green light to start looking for a standard breeder last night and I couldn't be happier.

We are the proud parents of an adorable female cocker spaniel, two sons and one daughter. I've been pestering DH for a spoo and he finally relented. While lurking here, I discovered how wonderful this forum is. I'll be taking my time (and soliciting advice in order to find the best possible puppy or adult dog for our family.

We had a sad experience with our first cocker spaniel, Riley, some years ago. We were inexperienced dog owners and purchased him from a BYB at 6 weeks of age. He had severe temperament problems and persistently bit our then 8 year old son and many other adults. Our trainer and vet felt that his problems stemmed from him being a natural alpha and the fact that he never learned proper pack behavior since we adopted him at such a young age. I knew better than to get him so young, but I let myself fall victim to my desire to get a puppy right away. Poor Riley went through obedience school at 5 months, returned for refreshers on two occasions, went to doggie boot camp twice, saw a behavior modification specialist, and spent some time on tricyclic antidepressents. We were careful to reinforce the training at home, all to no avail.

We finally had to re-home Riley 2 years ago with a girlfriend of mine who is single and lives alone. Riley seems to be happy and is doing well. No more biting issues either! Sometimes I wonder if my busy household was another facet of our troubles at that time. Riley seems to flourish in a quiet home with his person all to himself. I'm hoping that a breeder truly will be able to match a puppy to our family dynamic.

After the first dog debacle, I was more careful when choosing Sophie. Our trainer taught us how to look for a less dominant puppy and of course I didn't bring her home until she was nearly 10 weeks old. Needless to say, she is a sweetie, albeit shy around strangers. Since I'd been through a gazillion training sessions with Riley, Sophie's obedience training was a snap! Because of our mistakes with Riley, I want to take plenty of time when choosing a standard poodle. I'm looking forward to having a new family member and to making a few poodle loving friends.

 

[plumcrazy]

OOOooooo!!! How EXCITING!!! I LOVED conducting my standard poodle search, and I love even MORE having our beautiful girl at home with us (I also received a green light from hubby-dearest and now Lucybug loves him BEST!!) Sigh... :lol:

It is important to find a great breeder, one who you trust implicitly to be honest and fair with you; and one who is very familiar with the breed and health testing requirements to maximize your success in finding your forever friend! The breeder from whom we acquired our perfect poodle princess is a member on this forum as are a few other very knowledgeable and respectable breeders - you'll learn a lot here!!

Good luck and keep us updated on your search!!

 

[PaddleAddict]

Welcome! I remember how excited I was when my hubby gave me the green light to get our poodle. Now my husband is so in love with our mini poo!

Good luck on your breeder search. It can be hard because there are a lot of bad breeders out there masquerading as good breeders.

Ask a lot of questions here. There are some very, very knowledgeable spoo people on this forum!

 

[Olie]

Welcome!! Good luck in your search. Maybe visit and use the breeder section. We have some great breeders here and people with lots of experience with good and bad ones, so be sure to ask loads of questions.

What type of poodle are you interested in?

 

[srsnidow]

I am interested in a standard poodle, pretty much any color or sex. I am a little afraid of male dogs in general because of my bad experience with my male cocker. A lot of people say that the males are more likely to be love bugs though, so I'm won't let sex of the dog be a deciding factor. My little Sophie is shy and frightened of new dogs and people, so I am hoping I can find a pup that is gentle...no idea how to tell is a pup will be gentle though. I like white, DH likes black, but what we really want is a sweet, laid back dog that's good with kids and other dogs. If anybody has breeder suggestions please PM me. Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

 

[rjen]

All the advice is good. If the breeder claims they screen for health problems ask to see the paperwork. When you find a breeder you trust listen to what they say about the pups, they should know them well. Try to find a breeder that does the super puppy program. And after all that you may find that a puppy will pick you rather than you picking the pup.

 

[poodley]

picking the pup or he picks you!

All the advice is good. If the breeder claims they screen for health problems ask to see the paperwork. When you find a breeder you trust listen to what they say about the pups, they should know them well. Try to find a breeder that does the super puppy program. And after all that you may find that a puppy will pick you rather than you picking the pup.

This is true, I was at the breeders looking at red babies,when, from behind me my Mr.BB kept swatting at my behind with his paws ! Needless to say he was the one we got!

 

[Marian]

Welcome, and good luck with your search!

 

[thestars]

HI! Glad to have you here! Looking for that "right" Spoo puppy is daunting yet exciting. There is alot of information already posted on this forum, you just have to search for it and if not found bring up a thread.

 

[bigpoodleperson]

Welcome! Im sorry about your bad experience with Riley. My poodle boys name is Riley, and he is just the best dog! He is a very smart, very loving member of my family. He is a therapy dog too. Please dont think that all males are bad. I wish you luck on your search, and hope you find the perfect baby!

 

[apoodleaday]

:welcome: Best wishes for your poodle search. I've been owned by a standard since Thanksgiving and it is the BEST thing ever

 

[BigRedDog]

Big Red Dog

Got what I wanted for Valentine's Day..a Red Standard Poodle. Lovely girl and looking forward to having fun with her for many years to come.:amen::amen:

 

[fjm]

Congratulations! Have you brought her home yet? Looking forward to the photos!

 

[Feathersprings]

Yay for you! Pictures My poor DH never gets to give the green light lOL! I find the dog and let him know

 

[poodley]

Sooo jealous my husband won't budge!!

 

[georgiapeach]

Since the OP has a female, I'd get a male. Two females in the same house sometimes doesn't work. I have 3 males and one female, and I'd take males anyday over a female - JMHO!

 

[Trillium]

So exciting, Good luck with your search. I've had both male and female spoos and I think both are wonderful. I've got 2 girls right now and they are great!!! Very sweet and cuddly. Awsome family pets

Prior to them I had 2 male spoos. Both were wonderful dogs and incredibly great with kids!! The last male spoo was a gentleman of a dog. The calmest sweetest natured boy I've ever met.

 

[Bella's Momma]

Exciting! Congratulations on the decision.

We got Bella as a puppy and the breeder's extensive questionnaire and interview helped her to select the right temperament dog for us. Also I have a great book (IMHO) called "Before and After Getting your Puppy," that discusses some things to do when meeting a prospective dog.

I'm sorry about your experience with Riley. The same thing happened to me, as a child, except the dog came from the shelter.

ETA: Woops! I see you've updated and changed your name. CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[John Rambo]

i tend to find that males are much sweeter (just my 2 cents)!!! I will pm you with some great poodle breeders for a show or pet quality dog :angel2:

 

[Roxi Rocks It]

We are located in No. VA and got our Brown SPOO from a breeder in Stafford/Fredricksburg area. Very reputable with health guarrentees and lots of champs. She has two litters tand has two litters now with blacks and whites.. She also breeds for browns. When we vaca she boards our girl and Roxi has a BLAST! I am not sure I can mention the name of the breeder. Does anyone know if it is premitted...I am new to the forum.