Poodles are generally fun-loving dogs that have a pretty reserved temperament, so if you’re looking for an agreeable pet that your family will love, you may want to consider a miniature poodle. Here is some general information about these dogs that will help you to make the right decision, as well as some things you can expect once you bring your pet home.
The Concerns
One of the things you may be concerned about when it comes to your miniature poodle is grooming. Poodle hair tends to be thick and curly, so you’ll need to make sure that your puppy is groomed as often as possible. The standard grooming cut for puppies is relatively short hair all over the body, and you may need to do this about once a month or so to keep your pet looking great. Colors of miniature poodles include brown, cafe-au-lait, white or black varieties will be featured in pet stores across the country, and you can also have your pet grooming professional apply temporary dye to your poodle’s coat for a special occasion; red, apricot, blue, silver, or gray are acceptable colors, and won’t damage your dog’s coat.
It is ideally recommended for you to learn your poodle’s temperament before you buy them. Sometimes you may need to socialize with the miniature poodle as a puppy, as poodles have a common trait of being reserved towards strangers. Miniature poodles also tend to bark a lot, meaning that they actually do a good job of alerting you if there are things wrong at home. In a majority of cases, your poodle will enjoy playing with children, except for a few poodle varieties that tend to be high-strung, so it may be a requirement for you to take a look at the ancestry of the poodle before you buy it.
The miniature poodle generally has a pretty long life span as well, but you’ll need to watch out for certain genetic problems that can arise. Cataracts is common in all poodle varieties, and retinal atrophy could cause blindness, so you’ll need to take your poodle to the vet often for vision and nervous system checkups. Your poodle should also be checked for runny eyes and ear infections often. And, poodle skin tends to be sensitive; allergies and skin rashes can occur when certain types of dog shampoo or dyes are used, and clippers could cause skin conditions in poodles as well. Make sure that your grooming facility uses sanitized and hypo-allergenic materials when grooming your poodle.
For more great information on how to care for your miniature poodle, visit www.poodle-lovers.com.
It has been known long that some crossbreeds seem to do better than their parents of either breed. It’s a question of finding which breeds cross best with other breeds. Some of these crossbreeds even go on to become established breeds in their own right. The Golden Labrador Retriever is an example of this, bred from Labrador and Golden Retrievers. As puppies, they readily show the best of both the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever.
The Best Dog?
Both Labrador and Golden Retrievers are dogs that love people and are looking to please. Keep in mind that not every one is alike, and poor training will always make for a bad, fearful dog (regardless of breed), but overall, a Labrador/Golden Retriever puppy is a born people pleaser. They are fascinated by people and seem to identify with them. They also have a lot of strength and stamina, which comes in good for service and search and rescue dogs.
Great Dogs For Helping the Blind
According to service dog experts and charities that train seeing eye dogs in England, the best dog for the job is a Labrador/Golden retriever crossbred. There is a strict breeding program run in England by Guide Dogs to raise dogs to be seeing eye dogs. A Labrador/Golden Retriever puppy is first tested at about eight weeks of age to see what his personality is like.
Their training never really stops. Often times the puppies will fail their training and be put up for adoption as a pet. To take a Labrador/Golden Retriever puppy and turn out a dependable life-saver costs an average of $70,000 (US). They work until old age or illness forces them to retire, and then they are placed in care homes for the remainder of their days.
Other Things to Know
Although many online Labrador puppies information web sites will say that a Golden Labrador is always yellow, this is not true. Occasionally a dark puppy will be born. American Canine Hybrid Club is where you can register your Labrador Golden Retriever puppy.
Each day, there is a newborn Golden / Labrador Retriever puppy who makes that first step to being a specially trained service dog. They all can rescue us from ourselves and our selfishness and help give our souls back to ourselves.
There is always a reason for aggressive behavior in dogs. If you can discover the reason for the aggression, you can usually correct or at least control a dog’s aggression. Some breeds of dogs have gotten a really bad reputation of late; pit bulls, rottweilers, and chows, for example. Some breeds are even forbidden in certain communities. This is just sad. Aggressive dogs are MADE and not born. All puppies come into this world completely innocent. They are like blank slates that have yet to be written upon, and they become products of their environment and training, or lack thereof.
There are many breeds of dogs. There are large breed dogs and small breed dogs; long hair dog breeds and short hair dog breeds; but there are simply not aggressive breeds and nonaggressive breeds.
Dog aggression is caused by health issues, environment issues, or training issues. There are, of course, several subheadings under all of these causes for dog aggression.
If you see that your dog is aggressive or is becoming aggressive, the very first thing to do is to take him to see his veterinarian. The vet will examine the dog to see if he has any health issues that are causing him pain or discomfort.
If the dog doesn’t have any underlying health issues that are causing his aggressiveness, the next thing to consider is his environment. Is the dog being walked with a gentle lead? Does the dog have a crate that he calls home? An environment that the dog considers unsafe or uncomfortable will often be the cause of his aggressive behavior.
If the dog is healthy and if his environment is good, the next thing to consider is the structure of his pack. You see, dogs are pack animals. They need and expect order. You may have inadvertently put the dog in charge. He thinks that he is the alpha dog and as such is responsible for the pack (the family). Aggression caused by a dog’s belief that he is the alpha dog can be easily changed by simply providing obedience training and convincing him that he is NOT the responsible party.