[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!