# I wouldn't have believed it.....



## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

Real working.....Poodles????


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Well, 50 years ago, the standard poodle was a top hunting dog. Not many of them left. There is a standard poodle in our Schutzhund club, but she only does obedience and tracking. Doesn't really show much interest in the tugs for protection.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Poodles were hunting dogs (waterfowl) even before firearms. They "dogged" ducks into traps even before they were retrievers and pointers.

Pudelhund means something like "splasher-dog."

Countries in Europe use them as sniffer dogs for drugs and other contraband on trains and ships.

I think they have spent most of their history as working dogs, until pretty recently.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The image of the Standard Poodle is nothing what the real dog is. I think a well bred, sound one is a dog that could do pretty much what you want it to. JMHO!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> The image of the Standard Poodle is nothing what the real dog is. I think a well bred, sound one is a dog that could do pretty much what you want it to. JMHO!


LOL! We posted simultaneously.

Very true that the image is far from the real dog.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The toy poodle, on the other hand!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> The toy poodle, on the other hand!


Not to mention teacup!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Bob Scott said:
> 
> 
> > The toy poodle, on the other hand!
> ...


That's nothing more then a bass plug with feet!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Well...I was going to say incarnation of Satan...but hey, you're just a nicer person than me.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I have to say I have known a number of well bred very nice toy poodles. They are not the breed for me, but they have provided a lot of love & joy for others. I have known a lot of nice standards & minis too. Of course with the toys, there is a rather nasty house training issue for some reason. Tiny brains or too much territory?


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## Molly Graf (Jul 20, 2006)

I've trained them all - toy, miniature, and standard poodles. The toys are difficult to train in general - sensitive, nervous - and teeny tiny dogs are always (in my experience with two of my own chihuahua) very difficult to reliably housebreak. Miniature poodles are wonderful to train - excellent obedience dogs, training is a piece of cake - I almost don't want to take their money to do it. VERY smart little dogs and very athletic. But no, I wouldnt' call them working dogs, except if you want to do agility or akc obedience with them. Standards on the other hand - I've known a few that I could definately see working - as someone said - I'll bet if they had enough drive, they could do pretty much anything. Including Schutzhund, police, detection, very competitive obedience, SAR - anything. They have much stronger temperaments than people might realize, behind their "fru fru" exterior.

molly


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I aagree with you Molly. What do you think the reason is that the toy breeds are difficult to housebreak? I wonder if it is because as puppies, new owners don't confine them to a small enough area, and therefore, the territory is so large for them they don't think they are soiling their area. Maybe that combined with the fact that their bladders are so tiny they really can't "hold it" very long?


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Does anyone have any housetraining tips for toy breed pups I can pass on to a gal who has two 12 wk old cavalier/pug mix puppies? They are crated at night & don't soil the crate. During the day, they are confined to the kitchen & pee & poop all over it. I suggested she confine them to a smaller area during the day, & also wahtch them more closeley & when they show signs of having to go, to put them on the paper, then praise them when they eliminate. She doens't think this will work, so I thought maybe someone on this board may have better ideas I can pass on.

Her goal is to have them use a litter box in the house rather than training them to go outside.

Thanks,
Sue


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> Does anyone have any housetraining tips for toy breed pups I can pass on to a gal who has two 12 wk old cavalier/pug mix puppies? They are crated at night & don't soil the crate. During the day, they are confined to the kitchen & pee & poop all over it. I suggested she confine them to a smaller area during the day, & also wahtch them more closeley & when they show signs of having to go, to put them on the paper, then praise them when they eliminate. She doens't think this will work, so I thought maybe someone on this board may have better ideas I can pass on.
> 
> Her goal is to have them use a litter box in the house rather than training them to go outside.
> 
> ...


If anyone does (and I don't :lol: , because I think it's a bad plan to train dogs to go indoors), can you PM Susan?

No offense at all to a valued forum member, Susan, but maybe toy dogs' potty challenges should be addressed in the Lounge, if they must be addressed at all on a working dog forum. :wink:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I definitely agree with Molly about Poodles. 

I'd love to see one trained in SchH!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Molly, I also agree. Like I said, we've got a two or so year old black standard in our Schutzhund club. She LOVES to track and her obedience is nice. I think she's trying for her BH next trial. Not sure if she'll make it further than that as she's not very drive-y for the tugs to start out protection. Not sure if she started tug work too late or what.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

http://www.orthexsaci.estranky.cz/stranka/vycvik

follow the link, scroll down a bit, and there's a poodle doing bitework


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Daryl Ehret said:


> http://www.orthexsaci.estranky.cz/stranka/vycvik
> 
> follow the link, scroll down a bit, and there's a poodle doing bitework


That looks so wrong lol.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

in realtion to the OP's link - here is another
http://www.sleddogcentral.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3905&SearchTerms=iditarod,poodles


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

After reading those post from that form I really think some of those folks don't get it. It doesn't matter how much ability a dog has. If it doesn't have a good double coat, it ain't gonna make a good sled dog.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't believe toy breeds are difficult to house break... how hard is it to open a window and squeeze?? :lol: don't hurt me!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I've been known to use that method.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> I've been known to use that method.


Since I have a habit of adopting pre-owned dogs, I've had a few small dogs in addition to GSDs: such as a Bichon Frise, two Pugs, a Brussels Griffon......

......and I have no idea where the housebreaking myth came from. Aside from the smaller bladder, I suspect that the whole housetraining story comes from the overlap between people who can't/won't train and people who gravitate toward miniature dogs.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Good friends of ours have a tiny little Yorkie. 
They get flustered when the come to our house and find a little dog hair on their clothes yet their little Yorkie pees and poops all over their 4000 sq ft home. 
quote: "She's so tiny it's just no big deal cleaning up after her"! :roll: :evil: 
I can't imagine doing that even with my 13lb JRT.
I think a lot of the trouble with little dogs is how they are treated as something other then dogs. "Furkids" We need an emoticon for GAG!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Good friends of ours have a tiny little Yorkie.
> They get flustered when the come to our house and find a little dog hair on their clothes yet their little Yorkie pees and poops all over their 4000 sq ft home.
> quote: "She's so tiny it's just no big deal cleaning up after her"! :roll: :evil:
> I can't imagine doing that even with my 13lb JRT.
> I think a lot of the trouble with little dogs is how they are treated as something other then dogs. "Furkids" We need an emoticon for GAG!


Yep, that's exactly what I mean. GAG! Those owners are the reason the small dogs have the "can't housetrain" rep.


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