New dog

[beloitpiper]

What's a Hodag? And miniature poodles are one of the smartest of the small dogs, so if this one is stupid, maybe you got a defective one?

I think we may have gotten a defective one...we're the 3rd owners.

And a hodag...well I think this would best be left up to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodag

[auld argonian]

I dunno...defective is a realtive term. Has the dog got some pathological problem?

That does happen...we ended up with a kitten once who was diagnosed as mentally retarded by the vet...the poor little guy ended up having a very short life but, as the vet said, that was going to happen and basically he never really grew up and was a kitten his whole life...so a short but happy and very much loved existence.

Otherwise, he might just be "not the brightest bulb in the box" or simply hasn't had the right kind of training from the previous owners. I'm sure that there are tons of "dumb but lovable" dog stories out there and, as far as getting him to behave like a good member of the family, it's not as difficult as it seems.

First: get it a kilt. That's very important. If you're real lucky, he's a singer and will howl away to accompany your bagpipe playing...now there's something that you two can do together.

It's just a matter of patience and consistency. Look at all the responses from your fellow Xsmarksers telling you about the positive experiences that they've had with poodles. And I would believe them because they're Xsmarksers and therefore strong, good looking and well above average and they wouldn't lie about something as important as dogs.

Try this:

http://www.ttsint.com/kilts/measure.htm

...I hope they stock Gordon...

Best

AA

[beloitpiper]

I dunno...defective is a realtive term. Has the dog got some pathological problem?

I think it's biggest problem is inbreeding. A breed as specialized as a toy poodle can't possibly have the biggest gene pool...

That's why I wanted a mutt. Specifically a mutt from the Humane Society. Not only do you rescue a dog, but you also avoid potentially harmful breeding and genetic problems.

[Clockwork John]

I have a black mini poodle that I rescued from the local pound. They were calling him Bob Marley because the poor little guy was matted so badly that it looked like he had dreadlocks. I gotta admit, the little guy has grown on me. He's a scrapper. We have a bobcat that occasionally wanders onto our property, and he's not afraid to tangle with it. I keep him in a sporting clip- short, neat, and tidy- not girly at all, and when it's cold, he has a little shirt with a skull and crossbones on it. I know, it's kinda lame, but it's cute. Can you imagine a big skinhead in boots and a bomber jacket walking a mini poodle in a sweater?!?! Yeah, that's me.

The traditional poodle cut was at one time functional. Poodles are water retrievers, and their coats are cut so that the hair will insulate the vital organs and joints(heart, lungs, brain, and kidneys). The French took that cut to the extreme and made it fashionable(there's that dreaded f word again).

Beliotpiper, I'm sorry that your mom waited until you were gone to get a dog, and I'm sorry the dog is not to your liking, but, as others have said, he may grow on you. Try to make the best of the situation.

[gilmore]

I think it's biggest problem is inbreeding. A breed as specialized as a toy poodle can't possibly have the biggest gene pool...

That's why I wanted a mutt. Specifically a mutt from the Humane Society. Not only do you rescue a dog, but you also avoid potentially harmful breeding and genetic problems.

Not true. On several counts. Problems arising out of inbreeding do not, or should not, happen with reputable breeders. They know what to look for and breed accordingly. Serious breeders are almost always so devoted to the breed and improving it that they never, ever breed dogs with genetic problems. The ones I know---and I know several---will either cull puppies with obvious problems, or sometimes give them away or sell them but only if they are neutered or spayed, and the new owner is fully informed of potential problems. If they have a line of dogs with a genetic problem, they go to great lengths and expense to breed it out. If they did otherwse, they would soon get a reputation for having dogs with problems, and no one would do business with them. In fact, a dog from a kennel with a good breeding program is far, far less likely to have genetic problems than mutts that are the products of the willy nilly breeding of strays.

Toy poodles aren't at all specialized and are quite popular. They are companion dogs, and are not bred for specialized tasks. Hence, their gene pool is one of the largest among the recognized breeds.

The problem with getting a mixed breed from a pound, though laudibly humanitarian, is that you never know what you are getting and what physical or emotional problems the dog has or may develop. With a purebred you can select one from a breed that has characteristics that are compatible with your own circumstances. I know several apartment dwellers who got a cute little puppy at the pound only to have it grow up to be huge and far too energetic and demanding for a small home. If they had known what they were getting, they could have made better informed decisions.

In my experience when people say "my dog is inbred and has personality problems" what they mean is, "I am too lazy and/or uninformed to train my dog properly, and am unwilling to learn."

[ccga3359]

Not true. On several counts. Problems arising out of inbreeding is not, or should not, be a problem with reputable breeders. They know what to look for and breed accordingly. Serious breeders are almost always so devoted to the breed and improving it that they never, ever breed dogs with genetic problems. The ones I know---and I know several---will either cull puppies with obvious problems, or sometimes give or sell them but only if they are neutered or spayed, and the new owner is fully informed of potential problems. If they have a line of dogs with a genetic problem, they go to great lengths and expense to breed it out. If they did otherwse, they would soon get a reputation for having dogs with problems, and no one would do business with them. In fact, a dog from a kennel with a good breeding program is far, far less likely to have genetic problems than mutts that are the products of the willy nilly breeding of strays.

Toy poodles aren't at all specialized and are quite popular. They are companion dogs, and are not bred for specialized tasks. Hence, their gene pool is one of the largest among the recognized breeds.

The problem with getting a mixed breed from a pound, though laudibly humanitarian, is that you never know what you are getting and what physical or emotional problems the dog has or may develop. With a purebred you can select one from a breed that has characteristics that are compatible with your own circumstances. I know several apartment dwellers who got a cute little puppy at the pound only to have it grow up to be huge and far too energetic and demanding for a small home. If they had known what they were getting, they could have made better informed decisions.

In my experience when people say "my dog is inbred and has personality problems" they are really saying, "I am too lazy and/or uninformed to train my dog properly, and am unwilling to learn."

On one of those rare instances I agree with Gilmore . My wife's dog was a Husky/Sheperd(Alsation) mix with I think black Lab thrown in some where. Poor little guy had hip displacia and was real bad at about 12 yo.
Now if you were talking Royal family...