[nagdu] poodle ponderings

Fri Mar 29 18:40:35 UTC 2013

Debbie,

Thanks for the good words! Well, you know Mitzi can be a nut still at 
play. /smile/

It is very fun how she and the demure Lady Leone compare notes and 
adjust to each other when they are taking their wild and crazy handlers 
through the mall or anywhere else. Leone is so very diligent and 
careful, just doing what she does without a lot of fuss and fluff. When 
people gush in admiration, I can just see her politely tipping her hat 
while she carries on about her business. "Just doing my job, ma'am." /lol/

But when the harness comes off, she can sure get to her real job of 
stealing toys and running with the monster pup! Or sharing her toys, 
too, which is mighty polite of her. /grin/

Tami

On 03/29/2013 09:23 AM, Debbie Cole wrote:
> Want my opinion on the Mitzi poodle???
>
> She is not a demure, feminine poodle.
> She's not a hyper Happy go lucky poodle either.  She is a mature older
> teenager type of a poodle.  Not an elderly sort but knows her game.  I
> see Mitzi as very well behaved and believes Tami is doing a wonderful
> job at training her.  When Tami's husband is cooking in the kitchen
> Mitzi loves to watch from a distance and "help" by watching for
> droppings or crubs falling.    She is affectionate.  Loves to hug and
> cuddle.    When not in harness Mitzi loves to play and earn her
> rewards.  She is a great Guide Dog.  She looks out for Tami and guards
> the home as well.
>
> Debbie & the Blonde Lady Leone
>
> On 3/29/13, Tami Jarvis <tami at poodlemutt.com> wrote:
>> Sarah,
>>
>> Love the comparison. Mitzi poodle is my first guide, so I don't really
>> have a way to compare except from observing other working guides and
>> from what people say about their guides.
>>
>> The jumpiness is definitely a poodle thing. Even at nearly 7, Mitzi will
>> still spook at things, just not as often. Then she's over it, so it's
>> all good.
>>
>> It's so fun hearing others describe my dog so well. /lol/ I still find
>> myself wondering sometimes how much of Mitzi's ways are a "poodle thing"
>> or just her or me...
>>
>> Oh, and she will still give me that blank stare when I ask her to sit. I
>> can't really see it even a little any more, but I can feel it. /lol/
>>
>> Tami
>>
>> On 03/28/2013 11:13 PM, Sarah Clark wrote:
>>> Hi Megan,
>>> Gary and Tami have covered grooming quite well, so I won't repeat what
>>> they have said.
>>> I have been working with my second guide and first poodle for two months
>>> now, so I will mention a couple differences I have noticed. (My first
>>> guide was a lab golden cross.)
>>>
>>> First of all Gary mentioned jumpyness, and my poodle tends to be a
>>> little jumpy or skiddish too when he sees strange things. I thought it
>>> was just mine, but perhaps it is a poodle thing?
>>> The biggest thing to get used to is that poodles are very alert and are
>>> looking at everything. With a lab, if they are looking around at other
>>> things while they are working, they are distracted. But a poodle is
>>> moving their head around watching everything around them, all the time,
>>> and can do this and still do their work too. They are very good at
>>> multitasking. It is ok for them to look; it is not ok for them to get
>>> off track and bump you into things or go towards whatever they are
>>> looking at.
>>>
>>> Also, a lab's gate is kind of bouncy or side to side. But a poodle's
>>> gate is very smooth. Imagine holding onto a cart that someone is pulling
>>> in front of you. That is how it feels to walk with a poodle; as if you
>>> are gliding.
>>>
>>> Though my poodle is the exception when it comes to food, Many poodles
>>> can b finicky about eating. They can also be picky about relieving. Mine
>>> is; when there is something happening around us, he would rather watch
>>> than do his business. I usually don't fret about this too much. I figure
>>> if he has to go he will, and if he doesn't go, he must not have to that
>>> badly. So I just give him a few minutes, and if he doesn't seem
>>> interested, I end it until the next time.
>>>
>>> This is all I can think of at the moment, but I am sure there are other
>>> differences too. As Gary said, they can be a bit vocal. Mine isn't too
>>> bad with this though. He sometimes whines when he sees something he
>>> would like to get at, but he almost never barks. Occasionally he'll
>>> growl when he sees something out of the ordinary that doesn't look
>>> right, but with a poodle this normally isn't aggression, it is more like
>>> saying hey what is going on. There were 3 poodles in my class, and all 3
>>> of them did this at various times.
>>>
>>> I will second that they are very smart. Mine made my instructor look
>>> silly once or twice in class. She said that was the reason she wouldn't
>>> want a poodle; she wouldn't want a dog that is smarter than she is.
>>>
>>> One other personality difference that we were warned about from the
>>> start. Labs will listen to you just because they want to please you. But
>>> a poodle listens to you because they respect you. So until you teach
>>> them to respect you, they don't care if they listen to you or not.
>>> Thankfully this isn't hard to teach. You just have to not let them get
>>> away with disobeying your commands. The first few times I told RJ to
>>> sit, sometimes he would sit, and sometimes he wouldn't. But every time
>>> he didn't listen, he got an immediate correction. Within a day or two,
>>> he was listening to me regularly. And now he listens to me every time I
>>> tell him to sit. At any school, with any guide, they will tell you that
>>> daily obedience is important, but this is doubly so with a poodle,
>>> especially early on in the relationship when they are learning to
>>> respect you.
>>>
>>> Sarah & RJ
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "GARY STEEVES"
>>> <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2013 10:58 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] poodle ponderings
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Meghan:
>>>>
>>>> I've had Bogart for several years now and the maintenance isn't too
>>>> bad. Tamara's description is pretty on.  I brush Bogart about every
>>>> second/third day. I'm not crazy about it but if I find him lying down
>>>> relaxing and I'm relaxing I might just grab his slicker brush and/or
>>>> metal comb and brush his head, legs and parts of his body showing.
>>>> Usually get most of him and if done regularly we'll get all the bits
>>>> and pieces.
>>>>
>>>> At the school they talked about washing his eyes every day with a warm
>>>> face cloth. Sounds great but I rarely did it. I just gently pull the
>>>> hardened stuff from around his eyes (just like sleep in our eyes) This
>>>> will probably gross everyone out but I let him eat it cuz he wants to.
>>>> :)( It is a ritual that he is thankful for. I put my hand by his eye
>>>> and say eyes and he holds still while I gently feel around. I have a
>>>> bit of a poof on Bogart’s head and tail so find it is his head, ears
>>>> and neck area that are most prone to tangles. I've made grooming him a
>>>> bonding thing rather than a chore most of the time.
>>>>
>>>> I get him groomed  every 6-8 weeks depending on the time of year but
>>>> Bogart's hair grows slower than other poodles I've met. My girlfriend
>>>> cuts his nails for me but if we're every 6 weeks getting them done at
>>>> the groomers works well. (want to get my money's worth there!) I
>>>> usually ask my groomers for a bit of a discount as he is a service
>>>> dog. the best I've got is about 10% however, I've settled for $80
>>>> before taxes as a good price for a dog of Bogart's size.
>>>>
>>>> Tamara is right about bringing nature home with them. We often have to
>>>> put Bogart in the tub for a lower leg wash after the dog park since
>>>> it's  not just dirt but smelly dirt he gets stuck around his legs. :)
>>>>
>>>> As far as his work goes I find him very good however, he is my first
>>>> guide dog so have no comparisons. Poodles can be a bit jumpy but they
>>>> recover immediately which makes Bogart a very good city dog. He has a
>>>> great memory of places we've been and is a great problem solver if
>>>> given the time and patience. Poodles are verbal dogs which means
>>>> Bogart is coming up with all kinds of moans and groans that mean this
>>>> and that. However, my only complaint is his dog distractions. Tends to
>>>> bark at dogs a fair bit. We're working on this though. I live a very
>>>> busy life style and I find Bogart adapts very well. He has flown about
>>>> 15 times in his almost 3 year s with me. He even came to London last
>>>> summer for my work I was doing at the Paralympics and did an awesome job.
>>>>
>>>> As you all can tell, I'm quite fond of my curly haired boy. If you
>>>> have any specific questions you think I can help with email me on my
>>>> personal address at g.steeves at shaw.ca since I'm rarely on this list
>>>> these days.
>>>>
>>>> Have fun.
>>>>
>>>> Gary
>>>> g.steeves at shaw.ca
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: Meghan Whalen <mewhalen at gmail.com>
>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:43:13 -0600 (MDT)
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] poodle ponderings
>>>>
>>>> What can folks tell me regarding poodle maintenance? How often to you
>>>> brush your poodle, and what grooming tools do you use? Do you need to
>>>> pluck ear hairs? How about anyone who has worked poodles and other
>>>> breeds? Compare and contrast? Sorry to be vague. I just need to know
>>>> more about them. I've done a lot of research, but I would appreciate
>>>> some first hand perspective.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> Meghan
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
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