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Hi guys! As I mentioned in another post, my husband and I are in the process of trying to find our first standard poodle. We recently lost our toy poodle of nearly 15 years but we've always known we wanted a larger dog for our next canine companion. We're also hoping for a more laid-back, easy going poodle, which I know tends to be a more common personality trait in standards than toys or minis.
My ideal would be a 35-40lb standard but I know that's very small for a standard and I've had a bit of trouble finding a quality breeder that expects pups in that size range - especially as most quality breeders do breed for show and you typically don't want such a small standard in the ring. I have run into a few moyen breeders but those are fewer and further between (especially the quality breeders).
A family member lived with us for a few months this year along with his 60lb pitt/lab mix who is an absolute love so that was a good size comparison for us around the house (and much more comfortable than we expected). However, poodles have a much more delicate body structure and weight distribution than a pitt/lab mix so it wasn't completely helpful.
Ideally, I'd love to be able to meet a few standard poodles to get a better idea of size but with COVID-19, that's a little more difficult (though I'd welcome if anyone in the DC area would be willing to meet and greet outdoors with masks at a park!) I've met standards before but it's been a while and was before we were seriously considering one.
I'm just having a tough time visualizing how different a 40lb versus 50lb versus 60lb standard would be and if it's even really that big a difference. I want to be able to pick up and manage my dog on my own (and I'm a bit petite). Did any other standard owners have these questions when considering a standard? I'm hoping to be able to go meet the parents at whatever breeder we end up going with but it would be great to have a better idea before making that decision. And most quality breeders aren't excited about prospective owners without deposits placed coming over for a visit (especially during COVID-19).
I'd appreciate any feedback on size - and any comparison pictures - anyone can share. Thank you!
My ideal would be a 35-40lb standard but I know that's very small for a standard and I've had a bit of trouble finding a quality breeder that expects pups in that size range - especially as most quality breeders do breed for show and you typically don't want such a small standard in the ring. I have run into a few moyen breeders but those are fewer and further between (especially the quality breeders).
A family member lived with us for a few months this year along with his 60lb pitt/lab mix who is an absolute love so that was a good size comparison for us around the house (and much more comfortable than we expected). However, poodles have a much more delicate body structure and weight distribution than a pitt/lab mix so it wasn't completely helpful.
Ideally, I'd love to be able to meet a few standard poodles to get a better idea of size but with COVID-19, that's a little more difficult (though I'd welcome if anyone in the DC area would be willing to meet and greet outdoors with masks at a park!) I've met standards before but it's been a while and was before we were seriously considering one.
I'm just having a tough time visualizing how different a 40lb versus 50lb versus 60lb standard would be and if it's even really that big a difference. I want to be able to pick up and manage my dog on my own (and I'm a bit petite). Did any other standard owners have these questions when considering a standard? I'm hoping to be able to go meet the parents at whatever breeder we end up going with but it would be great to have a better idea before making that decision. And most quality breeders aren't excited about prospective owners without deposits placed coming over for a visit (especially during COVID-19).
I'd appreciate any feedback on size - and any comparison pictures - anyone can share. Thank you!