DOH!! Bad daddy!

kit_kats_mom wrote: Last week, our neighbors across the street were broken into between 1 & 2 pm. Lauren and I were sleeping when the break in happened and we had the sliders open to let in the fresh air. DH freaked out and said...in front of Katheirne and Lauren, that we will be getting a watchdog now. Good LORD man! Didn't he realize that the girls would be drivng me crazy about the dog now?

I've done a lot of research and I think we've settled on a standard poodle as a breed. Now I just need to find one. I'm actually getting kind of excited about it but man...I wish he hadn't told them about it.

poopity poop.

MommyToAshley replied: LOL! Well, you are committed now... cuz Daddy said so.

That's scary that a break-in happened so close. I'm glad you all were safe.

Have fun puppy shopping!

grapfruit replied: Just be careful in how it's trained. If you TRAIN it to be a "watch" or "attack" dog your insurance company could drop you if they catch wind...

lisar replied: Good luck on the puppy hunt

cameragirl21 replied: I had a German Shepherd growing up...I don't think you'll get a better watchdog than that, I think my dog could have taken on a an entire armed gang, no joke. And they're very sweet and loyal with kids and family members and very smart. They have the scariest bark too, even as a six week old pup.
darn, now I want one....

DVFlyer replied: I bet 90% of the people who have a break-in or hear about one head out to buy a dog.

We did the same thing.

DVFlyer replied: Oh... FWIW- Almost any dog will work as a watch dog. No special training required..... as long as they can bark. Criminals will rarely go into a house with a barking dog.

kit_kats_mom replied: ITA DVF, but I've known poodles and did a lot of research and they are super smart. Some say they are as smart as an average 3 year old. Frankly, I'm more concerned about the shedding (not a problem with poodles) and the manners of a dog over anything else. I will not tolerate an untrained dog. They are no fun to live with.

My2Beauties replied: Good luck with the puppy hunting

moped replied: Can I chime in and say I grew up with a couple poodles......ummmmmmm yeah they are yappy and annoying dogs IMO

coasterqueen replied:
I'd be concerned about the constant yapping/barking they do. I grew up with a babysitter who had several poodles. I despised those creatures. They pooped everywhere inside instead of outside and they barked their high pitch bark 24/7.

GL. I hope you find one not like the one I grew up with.

mom21kid2dogs replied: Can't wait to see your new addition!
Nothing more to add other than a wonderful trainer is a beautiful thing!!!!

Celestrina replied: Check to see if there is a breed-specific shelter somewhere. Too many dogs need help. Many of them are not there due to problems with personality. If you tell the shelter what traits you are looking for, they should be able to find you a good match. Please, do not buy one from a pet store; most get them from puppy mills. Another good place to find a dog is on petfinder.com . Sorry, I'll stop preaching now.

edit: poodle rescue and adoption website

kit_kats_mom replied: I'm already looking at two rescues and I've spoken to one breeder who was reccomended by the poodle club of Tampa. Trust me, I'm not going into this lightly. Were the yippy dogs smaller poodles? The standards are typically much calmer dogs, that's why we are looking at them. They also can be trained to not bark at everything.

Celestrina replied: The toy and miniature are far more yappy, especially since most of them are from the puppy mills and breeding is not taken into consideration. I'm sorry if my attitude sounded holier-than-thou. Here is a website that gives the positive and negative aspects of different breeds: your purebred puppy

coasterqueen replied:
I don't know the different breeds of poodles, but the ones my sitter had were small obnoxious ones. They jumped all over you and barked all the time.

A&A'smommy replied: of course thats the way it goes!!! Good luck with your puppy search, i LOVE standard poodles

redchief replied: Heheh... Standard poodles aren't "yappy," or annoying. They're large, intelligent dogs. They're also one of the first breeds that were allergy friendly. Good luck in the doggie hunt!

My3LilMonkeys replied: Standard poodles are the big ones, right? My boss has one and he is one of the smartest, best behaved dogs I have ever seen - she brings him in the office about once a month when she has to take him to the groomers and you wouldn't even know he was there. He's so cute too.

kit_kats_mom replied: Yes, they are the largest poodles. They aren't yappy and they are very smart. After a few phone calls today, I know it will be a few more weeks at least, before we find our new friend. There is a breeder near me who has a litter who will be ready to go to homes in about 3 weeks. She's already sent pics of the puppy and OMG is he a cutie. I'm not terribly excited about puppydom but she has them all housetrained and crate trained before she sells them so it may be a little easier. The one big advantage is that getting a puppy, we will know exactly how it's trained and won't have to break any bad habits. The big disadvantage? Cost, about twice the price of the rescue, and it's a freaking puppy who chews everything. Luckily, I haven't gotten my new couch yet. LOL

I also spoke with the poodle rescue lady today. She is not excited about sending one of her rescues to live with us because they are such large dogs and she's afraid that the girls will be weenies with the dog. My girls are not wimps though. They are frequently around a large boxer, akita and a lab and they giggle when they get knocked down by a clumsy dog. The rescue lady does have a couple of dogs that meet our criteria but she insists that we meet with some standard poodles and introduce the girls to them before we can be considered for ownership. My DH thinks that nuts and intrusive but I can see where she's coming from. I love the idea of a rescue because you get an older dog but they may also come with problems. I do like the fact that you are rescuing one though. The fact is that these dogs are with foster familys and not at risk of being euthenized though.

So, the current plan is this; we are going to the breeders to meet the puppy on the 25th and the parents of the puppy. We will bring the girls and let them play with the adults and see how they do. The breeder is aware that if she's not able to come down a bit on price, that we will mainly be coming out to test how the girls do with the dogs so we can be approved to get one from the rescue. She's fully aware that I have other options but she's happy to let us come out anyway because we offer an opportunity for her to socialize her dogs. So, we are both benefitting really.

Basically, we don't know exactly what we are going to get but it appears inevitable that a dog is in our future.

Here's a picture of the puppy.

kit_kats_mom replied: and here's the mother with the full litter. I so feel for her. Talk about tandem nursing. :rollsmile:

Celestrina replied:
It's a good thing that they are kept with a foster family. They will report what the dog's personality traits are, and you are more likely to find a dog that fits in with your family. They will also have spent time with people who know how to work on such things as housetraining, obedience training, etc. Again, I'm sorry if I sound like I'm preaching.

kit_kats_mom replied: no no, not preaching. I appreciate honesty and input. This is a huge decision we are making and if a mistake is made, it will be our fault but the dog will end up paying more than we do KWIM? I just really want a good fit for everyone and the more advise I get the better. Especially from people who are familiar with dogs since I have little knowlege except what I've gotten from the internet and books.

ETA, our petsitter is also a neighbor and I called her today to tell her whats up and that she may be getting a phone call from the rescue org. She was over the moon. That woman LOVES standard poodles and she thinks we will love them too.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: BAD BAD Daddy!!!!! The girls are not going to give you a moment's peace now!

About rescue-I know you have done a major amount of research and I hope I don't offend you but be CAREFUL!!!! with rescueing a dog especially with the girls. I have a good friend that the rescue of a 'wonderfully behaved child loving dog' went horribly wrong for...If you can get the breeder to come down some on her price I would take the terrors of puppydom over the chances of the nuances of an adult dog's personality traits and flaws showing themselves at a later date!

kit_kats_mom replied: Right. that's kind of my thinking too. However, there were two beautiful dogs that were for sale from a rescue and I wanted them both. Their owner treated them well and they were well behaved dogs according to the foster mom. A pre trained good dog? Uh, yeah, sign me up! However, they were already adopted. Which is probably good because I was about to drive my butt to West Palm Beach to get one. I know what you are saying though and I agree. I mean, you never know what kind of quirks a dog is going to have. One of my exes had a rottie/shepard mix who was TERRIFIED of flashlights and lightning. I dunno if maybe she'd been hit by a car at some point or what but that normally docile dog would get a little flakey if a lighting strike happened where she could see it.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: The dog my friend's family rescued was by all rights an awesome and well behaved dog until one day-several months after they got her- when she and her brother were outside playing around getting into the car and he happened to pick up a whistle (her dad was a softball coach) and blew the whistle. The dog jumped over and into the side door of the minivan and attacked. My friend was in the hospital for about 2 months and her brother needed over 500 stiches in his arms and face....when her parents got home from the hospital that first night with the animal control the animal control did not believe that this was the dog that had done this...she was laying calmly in the yard. The dog was distroyed and nobody ever figured out what it was that caused the flip.....my friend still has the scars (emotionally and physically) and so does the rest of her family. I know that dogs can and sometimes do attack unprovoked and that may be the case here but it always scares me to remember that when I think of bringing an adult dog home....

Celestrina replied: From what you've said so far it sounds like you have been in touch with a responsible shelter. They aren't trying to just hand over a dog to you, they want to be sure that you are ready for a large dog and that it would be the right one for you. The last thing they want is to have someone hurt or the dog back in a shelter.

kit_kats_mom replied:
Yes, I did contact many poodle groups to find a good rescue org. and a good breeder.

I'm still really on the fence. There are big pros and big cons to both for me so I think it will all come down to which dog we like the most. I honestly think that once the breeder sees how happy my girls are with her dogs, she would probably give the puppy to us if she didn't have to pay for school (she's going to vet school). If she didn't offer to cut the price I believe she may actually be made of stone and I wouldn't want stone heart lady's dog anyway.

No really, I appreciate all sides. I'll take it all in and mull it over. Luckily, we have time and there's no rush to make a decision.

Calimama replied: That puppy is so cute!! I can't believe how big he/she will get!

mom21kid2dogs replied: OMG the puppies are so cute!! Mommy is beautiful, too!

Not much to add other than if you've never owned a dog or been a "dog person" put equal amounts of time into raising and training reading as you are breed info & selection reading. It sounds like you already have an idea of the commitment level but whether you choose rescue or breeder puppy~this WILL be your big summer project. (not to mention the next 10-14 years of your life). Whether you go puppy or adult you will need to locate a good trainer who is on the same page with you philisophically. No matter what age of dog you get~great training is essential and rather time consuming. It should not fall only to one family member, either. All should share in it. I think with larger breeds it is even more of a benefit than with smaller breeds. Large breeds can knock down children when they jump and surf your counters . I can't tell you the number of dogs turned into shelters and rehomed simply because of people who lack the time & commitment to train the dog properly. Feel free to persue the craigslist pets section to see it.

The standard They are a wonderful family breed, whether you get a resuce or a puppy. I also don't rely much on people's individual dog "horror stories" about any individual dogs. There was a standard poodle with significant aggression issues in the last training class I was in. Definately an exception to the rule for the breed but, like with people, there are always exceptions. Of course, the owner chose to dye this poor dog pink (yes, you read right~dyed the dog pink!! ) so I think I'd have some aggression issues as well!!!

kit_kats_mom replied: ROFLMBO. Pink OMG that's just wrong!

I am reading about training and raising too. Like I told my mom. I won't tolerate bad manners from a dog any more than I will tolerate them from my kids. My roomie in college got a weimeraner puppy and that dog turned me from all dogs because her owner just didn't train her at all. This dog was impossible to live with and although I knew it wasn't her fault, I was pretty convinced I'd never have a dog after living with her.

I am confident that I have the time now to devote to training the dog. We have some classes at the local pet store that I've heard good things about and the whole family is on board. I also have my aunt who has a one year old miniture poodle who is excelling in obedience and agility training and she's a WONDERFUL resource since she's willing to show me what to do.

Once reason we chose the standard poodle is that they are rated as the second most intelligent dog by most trainers. This means that they usually pick up the commands after 5 or less tries. They really are smart little boogers. My aunt's dog is crazy smart and so eager to please. He learns most tricks/manners after only 3 tries. She does a little training every day with him and usually by the second day, he's got it down pat and they just practice it.

Again thank you all for your input. I'm finding it all very helpful.

amynicole21 replied: Uhhhh, I have an annoying but lovable boston terrier that I could loan you for a few weeks Maybe that will convince K and L that dogs aren't ALWAYS a good time

Oh, and we already know he loves you and your cozy lap

kit_kats_mom replied:
that's cause I'm squishy Amy...smarty pants.

Celestrina replied:
Weimaraners are definitely a breed that needs obedience training from an early age. They need to know who's the boss or they will assume that position. Between their size, strong willed nature, and energy level, they can be imposing.

jcc64 replied: Ok, Cary, I'll chime in with my dog opinions. We are dog people in my family, though it's been years since anyone actually got a puppy- we only do the rescue thing. And at that- strictly from the shelters. Both of my dogs (one 95 lab mix, 1 pitbull) came from a shelter, both were about 7-10 months old when we got them- they came fully housebroken and crate-trained. Both times when I adopted the dogs, I had an infant in the home. A good shelter will NOT give an unsocialized dog to anyone, especially a family with kids, b/c they know if it's a bad match, the dog will just come right back. Many shelters won't even adopt a dog to a family with kids under 3, which is crazy imo, but they are super cautious. In my experience, if you go to the shelter and tell them what you're looking for in a dog, they will find you a good one if you're patient. And you'll be doing the dog a good turn in the process.
I know that standard poodles are marketed as "hypo-allergenic", but I've heard that in reality, there is no such thing. It's true that they are the lowest shedding dogs, and that they are very bright. Be careful what you wish for, however, b/c bright dogs can often be some of the worst-behaved. Why- they get bored more easily than stupid dogs, and they are often more resourceful and persistent in finding ways to get into trouble.
I am not trying to discourage or encourage you away from the standard, just trying to get you to consider all angles. I've had dumb dogs and smart dogs- the smart dogs are definitely more work.
If it was me, I'd go with the adult dog. Puppies are very cute, but they're ALOT of work.
I highly recommend watching a few episodes of the "Dog Whisperer". He's got a bunch of books and videos out as well. I've never, ever, been steered wrong by his advice.
Best of luck and happy hunting. My dogs are a HUGE part of our family- I don't think you'll regret the decision to add one to yours'.
Btw- Did I see poodles with spots in that picture? I didn't realize they came that way! I think they're so cute!

coasterqueen replied:
Good to know, that's the kind of dog I want.

jcc64 replied: Don't do it, Karen! They are probably one of the most neurotic breeds out there. My mom had one- that dog was a complete FREAK.