[PoodleEnthusiast]

Hello Everyone!
I have been stalking this forum for awhile, lol, and think Standard Poodle might be the perfect fit for my family. I just wanted to make sure and get some input from people who already have Spoos. We have 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl. Ages of kids are 15, 13, 9, and 6. We have been waiting to get a dog until the kids are a little older. Our house is a little bit loud, and the kids usually have kids over so we need a dog that can tolerate a little craziness and kids. Its not out of control crazy, but I want to make sure we have a dog who can tolerate a little rambunctiousness from kids. Our teenage daughter is on the cross country team and is very active. She would take the dog on plenty of runs, walks, hikes, and bike rides. Someone is at our house most of the day, the most time the dog would be alone would be 4-5 hours, but that is rare and would probably only happen like once a month. We want a dog that is playful and active, but has an off button if given adequate exercise and mental stimulation. We also want a dog that is affectionate. Any advice or help would be very appreciated! I really want to know everything I can so we can give a dog the best life ever, and that includes making sure the dog is a good match. Thanks guys!

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Welcome!

Your home would be a great fit for Peggy’s sire and many of her siblings. It would NOT be a great fit for Peggy. My best advice for you would be to find a reputable breeder who will work with you to match your family with the perfect pup. That may mean formal temperament testing at 7 weeks (do a search for “Volhard” if you’re not familiar with this) or it may just mean a breeder who pays close attention to their litter and is confident in their ability to assess each puppy’s temperament. What you don’t want to do is pick a puppy based solely on their appearance, or you may end up with a shrinking violet who is overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of your active household.

Do you have much experience with large dogs and/or dog training?

 

[Michigan Gal]

Let's see, my DD, plus 5 nephews, plus two babysitting. 8 kids ages 3 to 13. Could not have asked for a better dog than our standard, Magnum.

The person I bought him from was holding as a show dog, but he didn't quite measure up, though he stopped traffic. He was one year old and lived with the family. I think think one year was a good age for us.

 

[Raindrops]

I see no reason why a standard wouldn't do well, provided you find a breeder that will do a good job of matching you with a puppy when they're 7 weeks old and after their temperaments can be judged. Just stay far away from any breeders that let people pick based on color or when the pups are very young. Breeder's choice is always going to set you up for the most success, provided they understand what you are looking for.

To bring this point home: A litter of puppies may have a couple that are on the shy side, that need extra patience and would do very poorly in a house of noisy rambunctious kids. These particular puppies may be noise sensitive, and can react poorly to the erratic movements of children. The litter may also have a couple that are high drive dogs that are overly-confident little terrors when puppies and do nothing but rebel and bite any exposed skin they can find. These particular puppies need a firm experienced hand to teach them appropriate behavior, and would likely terrorize children. And then you will have middle of the road dogs that are moderately confident yet cautious, moderately driven yet flexible in needs, and moderately energetic with a natural off switch. These are the dogs that are perfect for a family environment. Of course, just about any well bred puppy will excel and mature into a wonderful dog in the right hands. But it's the breeder's job to ensure that they are paired correctly.

Standard poodles are good for families with children that are taught to respect a dog and will take part in the dog's training. These are very smart dogs and it is good to have the whole family on board to agree on ground rules so that the dog won't get mixed messages on allowed behavior. Poodles are sensitive and have complex emotions, so teaching children to respect a dog's feelings is important. That said, poodles can be wonderful family dogs. Like any puppy, a good training foundation is key to having a well behaved family member.

There is a lot of info on these forums on how to choose a reputable breeder. And there is a list of reputable breeders by state.

 

[PoodleEnthusiast]

Welcome!

Your home would be a great fit for Peggy’s sire and many of her siblings. It would NOT be a great fit for Peggy. My best advice for you would be to find a reputable breeder who will work with you to match your family with the perfect pup. That may mean formal temperament testing at 7 weeks (do a search for “Volhard” if you’re not familiar with this) or it may just mean a breeder who pays close attention to their litter and is confident in their ability to assess each puppy’s temperament. What you don’t want to do is pick a puppy based solely on their appearance, or you may end up with a shrinking violet who is overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of your active household.

Do you have much experience with large dogs and/or dog training?

When I was little my family had

Welcome!

Your home would be a great fit for Peggy’s sire and many of her siblings. It would NOT be a great fit for Peggy. My best advice for you would be to find a reputable breeder who will work with you to match your family with the perfect pup. That may mean formal temperament testing at 7 weeks (do a search for “Volhard” if you’re not familiar with this) or it may just mean a breeder who pays close attention to their litter and is confident in their ability to assess each puppy’s temperament. What you don’t want to do is pick a puppy based solely on their appearance, or you may end up with a shrinking violet who is overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of your active household.

Do you have much experience with large dogs and/or dog training?

When I was little our family had several large dogs, and when I was a little older, we had mini poodles. I helped out to train the dogs, but since that was such a long time ago, I’m probably going to get professional help from a trainer. Ive been looking through some of the recommended breeders in this site, and I think that I might go with Marquis Diamond. They seem like a great breeder from what I can tell so fingers crossed!

 

[Amira]

When I was little my family had

When I was little our family had several large dogs, and when I was a little older, we had mini poodles. I helped out to train the dogs, but since that was such a long time ago, I’m probably going to get professional help from a trainer. Ive been looking through some of the recommended breeders in this site, and I think that I might go with Marquis Diamond. They seem like a great breeder from what I can tell so fingers crossed!

I communicated with Susan from Marquis during the time when three of her silver girls were pregnant. At the end I decided not to go with Susan as we didn't click. Her communication was lacking. I felt she didn't put much effort in the conversation as they were very vague and short answers. I felt she didn't care about me as a buyer even though I told her several times I was serious and not like other buyers who ask questions and at the end waste their time. Her poodles are gorgeous and I appreciate the extensive testing she does and the care she put towards her poodles, but I don't support people who have bad customer service or bad personality. She is indeed wishy washy. I hope you have better experience with her than I did.

There are other breeders I do recommend like Desert Reef, Noriko, and Lakeview Standard Poodle.

 

[Rose n Poos]

I communicated with Susan from Marquis during the time when three of her silver girls were pregnant. At the end I decided not to go with Susan as we didn't click. Her communication was lacking. I felt she didn't put much effort in the conversation as they were very vague and short answers. I felt she didn't care about me as a buyer even though I told her several times I was serious and not like other buyers who ask questions and at the end waste their time. Her poodles are gorgeous and I appreciate the extensive testing she does and the care she put towards her poodles, but I don't support people who have bad customer service or bad personality. She is indeed wishy washy. I hope you have better experience with her than I did.

There are other breeders I do recommend like Desert Reef, Noriko, and Lakeview Standard Poodle.

Your input is appreciated and your other recommendations are all good choices. I'm sorry that your encounter with Marquis wasn't a happy one for you.

It's going to happen in life that there are people we don't click with. That doesn't make them bad at what they do. This will sound like splitting hairs but conscientious breeders are not "in business", not as a business is typically perceived. What's on your radar as customer service may not be on hers at all. The poodles will always be first and foremost with them.

Did you get a poodle from any of the other breeders you recommended?

 

[MaizieFrosty]

I communicated with Susan from Marquis during the time when three of her silver girls were pregnant. At the end I decided not to go with Susan as we didn't click. Her communication was lacking. I felt she didn't put much effort in the conversation as they were very vague and short answers. I felt she didn't care about me as a buyer even though I told her several times I was serious and not like other buyers who ask questions and at the end waste their time. Her poodles are gorgeous and I appreciate the extensive testing she does and the care she put towards her poodles, but I don't support people who have bad customer service or bad personality. She is indeed wishy washy. I hope you have better experience with her than I did.

There are other breeders I do recommend like Desert Reef, Noriko, and Lakeview Standard Poodle.

I had the same experience you had with Marquis Diamond with Desert Reef! I definitely prefer a breeder who is willing to talk and who is nice.

Marquis Diamond does produce excellent dogs. I've met a few and they are beautiful and have great temperaments. They used Maizie's sire for their silver puppies a few years back.

 

[Happy'sDad]

We want a dog that is playful and active but has an off button if given adequate exercise and mental stimulation.

This is why we brought Happy into our family. From the sound of things, I think a Standard Poodle is a perfect fit for your family. I have a teenage daughter and a 6yo son. Happy cuddles with my daughter, wrestles with my son, and is my running and hiking partner. From the beginning, I made sure she had lots of positive contact with kids and activities we enjoy. The result is a mostly fear free dog who enjoys the company of children and is up for almost any adventure. Like with any puppy, you're going to have to deal with the annoying puppy stuff. But for the most part, Happy was over the worst of it, potty trained, and done with puppy biting by seven months - your results may vary.

Follow the advice above about selecting the right breeder and pull the trigger. You're going to wonder why you didn't do it earlier. Welcome to the forum. I look forward to seeing your new puppy...

 

[Amira]

Did you get a poodle from any of the other breeders you recommended?

Yes, I did.

 

[MaizieFrosty]

Yes, I did.

Are you going to share which one or keep us in suspense?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

@Happy'sDad, this thread’s a year old and sadly we’ve yet to receive an update from the OP.

@PoodleEnthusiast, if you pop back in, I’d love to know if you ended up getting a poodle for your family.

 

[MaizieFrosty]

This thread’s a year old and sadly we’ve yet to receive an update from the OP.

@PoodleEnthusiast, if you pop back in, I’d love to know if you ended up getting a poodle for your family.

Oh wow, I didn't even notice it (and I usually do notice dates)! Haha

 

[Rose n Poos]

The OP hasn't participated for a while. I was asking the the member who popped in 8 days ago to comment on one of the OP's choices, not very happily, if they'd acquired a poodle from one of the breeders that they liked.