Max The Poodle (Poodle)

Member Name: loulou22

Product:	Poodle
Date:	15/04/05 (794 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Company, Love to play with you

Disadvantages: NONE!!!

I was 13 when I got my puppy, I originally wanted a spaniel, but my mum insisted that if were going to have a dog then it was going to be a poodle because she had always wanted one! So after a lot of protests and a few arguments, I agreed to the idea of a poodle… and I’m so glad I did! He’s my baby and I’d be lost without him!


I was round at my granddads house one day and my mum had given me a copy of exchange and mart to look at and see if there was any puppies advertised in there, there was, so she phoned up this really nice lady in Bridgenorth who had been breeding poodles for about 40 years, we arranged to go look at the puppies the following Saturday morning.


We arrived at the house, and was greeted by 3 standard poodles barking at the gate, we went inside and somehow I just fell in love with these little fluff balls running round my feet, there was about 4 of them to choose from. The choice however was very easily made… the one with the funny wiggly bum walk who kept fussing round my legs. I told mum he was the one we had to get, and my granddad who had come with us picked him up and checked him over and mum paid £275 fro him and that was it, I had my new best pal!


The journey home was about an hour, which was hard for the little fella as he was locked in his doggy box and was scared and looking through the bars at me, he had already been carsick so I took him out the box and gave him a cuddle. I put him back until we got home, then we took him in and opened his little doggy door for him to come out and explore… but no he stayed in there scared. However a little coaxing with some doggy toys later and he makes his way out, still nervous and scared but hey when he’s got me to play with he soon gets over that and is as playful as any puppy.


After a while we soon realised we were going to have to call him Max as he was (and still is!) completely MAD!!


Max has been great, he is the first dog that I actually had a part in training, and yes I managed ok! He can do all the basic stuff, like walking on a lead, sitting and lying down when he is told to and he can even shake paws with you. However his basic discipline is useless! He used to be really naughty and chew everything, I think he still would if he ever had the chance! He hates postmen and is actually quite funny as well as doing the typical attack the post when it comes through the door, he will go to the effort of throwing himself against the car window if he is sitting in it and we drive past a postman! In the car he is generally well behaved, he has his own dog seatbelt, so he can sit in the front and keep who-ever is driving company!!


*** Poodles ***

Poodles come in 3 sizes. Standard, Miniature and Toy.

Standard Poodles are the largest of them all they can grow very large (a bit bigger than a Labrador!) and as with all big dogs they need lots of exercise.

Miniature Poodles are the middle size, they can be about as big as a spaniel and they too also need plenty of exercise.

Toy poodles are the smallest and in my opinion the best out of all 3! They can be anything from about as big as a Yorkshire terrier to the size of a small spaniel. Max is a toy poodle and he is almost as big as my friends Cavalier King Charles.

Poodles also come in a variety of colours including, black, apricot, white and chocolate.


*** Grooming ***

Poodles require A LOT of grooming. They have coats made of wool and unlike other dogs they don’t moult, their fur is continually growing, so they do need daily brushing to prevent lugs and knots, and a regular trip to the groomers, which can cost anything from £10 up. Alternatively if you feel confident enough, then you can buy a dog grooming kit for around £20, and with most of these you get an introductory video to show you how. I’ve had a go myself and providing you don’t want anything too fancy, then its pretty simple.


*** Food ***

Depending on the size depends on the amount of food needed. We feed Max in the morning and evening, he has a bowl of dried dog food and gets doggy treats and biscuits as well as a bit of human food every now and again.


*** Play ***

Max loves to play, poodles are naturally very playful dogs and love to learn as they are also very intelligent. They enjoy a wide variety of toys, Max has his own toy box, so does our other dog and so does my little brother, so our lounge is great!!

*** Friends ***

Until recently there was only Max and myself, but then in January 2002 we decided to get him a friend, this came in the form of a little Yorkshire terrier puppy, and to be honest I’m sure Max thought it was some kind of joke and we’d bought him a live toy! For the first week they had to be separate, then gradually we introduced them, still making loads of fuss of Max as he is of course “top dog”. Eventually they began to get along and now they are fine and can be happily left alone together. They still have their moments of separation, but that’s now usually because the little one has taken over the playful role and Max likes to rest. Also in January 2003, another new friend in the form of a baby! Right from the moment my little brother came home, Max was great, he loves him to bits and is always fussing over him, if you go into the baby room when we put him to bed, you will find Max lying under the cot until James (baby) has gone to sleep, then he comes back downstairs, until I go to bed then he will either sleep with me or my mum on the end of the bed!



Overall poodles are fantastic dogs to have despite what I and many others originally thought, they are playful, very loving and friendly, they adapt well to new situations, they get on very well with children and other dogs. They don’t cost a lot to keep and if you have a small one they only need walking every other day or a short walk everyday, if they have too much exercise they can damage their legs though!


To finish this op off I’m going to tell you about my most memorable event with Max (its hard to pick as there so many!)


The first Christmas we had Max, we stayed at my aunts house and she had a puppy German Shepard who was about 3 weeks younger than Max, they had never meant before this so we were abit cautious about letting a poodle meet and play with a German Shepard, however the worries should have been the other way round as our little Max was the one who ended up chasing Otto (the German Shep) round the garden and straight across the frozen pond and in and out the house! It was so funny to watch this tidy dot chasing this big dog round! That’s the type of dog Max is though… completely fearless!

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