[nagdu] Poodles

[Mardi Hadfield]

Amber,If you want a Poodle than that is what you should go for.But there
are certain behaviours that are poodle specific. They are extremely smart
and you have to keep one step ahead of them.I am sure that Tami can fill
you in on Poodle idiosyncrasies.Make sure that you are prepared for this
wonderful breed.My breed of choice is a Siberian Husky.None of the schools
train Huskies so I have to train my own if I want one.I have had 3 Husky
guides and they have all been wonderful guides,with Nala being the best
guide dog I ever had.That said, They shed all the time.Lots of hair.I just
get them all shed out and it is time to start all over again.My grooming
tools consist of a ferminator,a shedding blade ( used to shed out horses)A
rake for pulling out loose hair that has clumped together( not the same as
a mat), and a slicker brush.I brush my working guide every day, but only
groom my 3 pet huskies about twice a week.Even my Belgian Shepherd guide is
groomed 3-4 times a week,unless I am using him. Then I will make sure he is
groomed well before I take him out.Needless to say, I sweep and vacuum HAIR
all the time. Huskies are a breed that is not for every one either. They
have a personality which does not lend it self to training unless you find
one that
wants to please you. They get board fast, so I had to change the training
around often.I chose my first Husky as I wanted a dog that could pull a
manual wheelchair for long periods of time and not tire.She was trained as
a wheelchair Mobility dog first and when I became legally blind, I trained
her to guide me. I eventually got a power wheelchair,so she did not have to
pull me any more. She was such a smart dog and could do just about any
thing I asked of her.She could pick up dropped Items,could find a lost item
and many other things.She could pick up a dime off the floor and hand it to
me as well as guide me all day and still have energy enough to trot all the
way home at the end of the day.I loved these qualities about her and that
is why I have continued to work with Huskies.I definitely did my research
on the breed as I also found out they will dig up your yard,howl like a
wolf, and will destroy your house and every thing in it, if they do not
have enough work to keep them occupied.I only trained my Belgian Shepherd
because I could not find the right Husky to train at that time.He is a
wonderful guide dog, but is very different from a Husky.So,after doing your
research,and finding out every thing about poodles,if you still want a
poodle than go for it!Best of luck,  Mardi and Shaman and Neechee.

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