SEREIA POODLES
Origin
Standard poodles, likely, originated in Germany hundreds of years ago as a water dog. And made popular by France. They came to be by the mix of dogs like the barbet, french water dog, greyhounds and others.
The Standard Poodle was originally used by wildfowl hunters, to retrieve game from water. The smaller varieties of the breed were bred from the original, in France, where they were once commonly used as circus performers, but have become popular companions.
The breed's distinctive lion coat clip developed as a practicality when they were used as waterfowler's dogs, with the long hair around the chest providing insulation for the dog's vitals in freezing water, while the shorn hindquarters reduced drag whilst swimming and the tufts of hair on the legs provided purchase in the water
The Poodle was recognised by the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom in 1874, and by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1886, soon after the founding of both clubs.
Size
Toys: under 10" at the withers
Miniature: 10-15" at the withers
Standard: 15+" at the withers.
Temperament & Energy Level
Poodles tend to be medium to high energy dogs. Meaning they love to play, hike, participate in sports and more. Some poodles do have a lower energy level, but all need exercise for their health and happiness.
Poodles are a very intelligent breed and can excel in obedience, rally, tricks and more. They can get bored easy and can be smart enough to need training sessions to be fun vs long and repetitive.
Many poodles also have medium to high prey drives. Meaning many will try and chase down small critters and can excel in sports like barn hunt, chase, and sprinter. Though many poodles also can have a low prey drive. All depends on the dogs lines.
Coat & Colour
Poodles have a thick curly coat, that should feel coarse. They need regular grooming, generally every 4-6 weeks, to maintain a healthy coat and prevent matting. With regular brushing and combing at home in between.
The Poodle has a wide variety of colours. Including white, black, brown, blue, gray, silver, café au lait, silver beige, cream, apricot, and red. And patterns such as parti-, abstract, sable, brindle and phantom.
The only color poodles do not genetically carry or come in is merle. They are mixed in by another breed. And we would never sell to a merle poodle breeder or a doodle breeder.
Health testing
Health issues a breeder should be testing for in standard poodles:
http://vipoodle.org/find-a-poodle/
https://www.ofa.org/recommended-tests?breed=PO&var=STD
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy ( Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), is a group of degenerative diseases that affect these photoreceptor cells. With this disease, the cells deteriorate over time, eventually leading to blindness in the affected dog.) Tested by DNA.
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy RCD4 ((progressive retinal atrophy rod-cone degeneration 4) is a late-onset PRA mutation that causes bilateral degeneration of the retina which causes progressive vision loss, and eventually blindness.)
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Neonatal Encephalopathy (Thus Neonatal Encephalopathy means a disease of the brain that becomes apparent soon after pups are born. Affected pups have been weak, uncoordinated, and mentally dull from birth.) Tested by DNA
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Neonatal Encephalopathy w/Seizures (Neonatal encephalopathy with seizures (NEWS) is a previously undescribed autosomal recessive disease of standard poodle puppies. Affected puppies are small and weak at birth. Many die in their first week of life. Those surviving past 1 week develop ataxia, a whole-body tremor, and, by 4 to 6 weeks of age, severe generalized clonic-tonic seizures. None have survived to 7 weeks of age.) Tested by DNA
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Von Willebrands (Von Willebrand's disease is an inherited bleeding disorder that occurs most commonly in dogs and rarely in cats. It is caused by a deficiency in the quantity or activity of von Willebrand factor, a protein in the blood that helps platelets stick to injured surfaces to form a clot.) Tested by DNA
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Sebaceous Adenitis (Is an elective test. Done by a skin punch biopsy to see if a dog is suffering from the auttoimmune disorder that is a inflammatory disease focusing on the sebaceous glands, eventually leading to their destruction. Not always done on healthy dogs as those with SA have major hair loss and skin issues/infections) Tested by skin punch biopsy
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Basic or Advance Cardiac (Congenital heart disease in dogs is a malformation of the heart or great vessels.) Basic Cardiac - Each dog is to be examined and classified by a veterinarian by auscultation. Advanced Cardiac- Done by A Vet Cardiologist, The clinical cardiac examination should be conducted in a systematic manner. The arterial and venous pulses, mucous membranes, and precordium should be evaluated. Heart rate should be obtained.
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Day Blindness (Day blindness, also known as achromatopsia, is characterized by a failure of cone cells
in the retina to function properly. Cone cells are responsible for vision in bright light
conditions while their retinal counterparts, the rod cells, function in dim light. Meanings dogs would have a hard time seeing during the day) Tested by DNA -
Degenerative Myelopathy (Degenerative myelopathy (DM), also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM), is a disease affecting the spinal cord, resulting in slowly progressive hind limb weakness and paralysis.) Tested by DNA
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Hip Dysplasia (Canine Hip Dysplasia typically develops because of an abnormally developed hip joint, but can also be caused by cartilage damage from a traumatic fracture.) Tested by X-RAYS trough OFA or PennHip
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Elbow Dysplasia (general term used to identify an inherited polygenic disease in the elbow.) Tested by OFA trough X-rays
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CERF Eye Exams (OFA Eye Certification exams (previously “CERF” exams) are screening examinations performed by board certified veterinary ophthalmologists in order to identify changes within the eye(s) suggesting the presence of one or more of these diseases. The exam is performed following pupillary dilation and consists of indirect ophthalmoscopy & slit lamp biomicroscopy.)
Spay and Neuter Links
We support letting a dog mature before spaying and neutering. There is a lot of scientific studies showing the benefits of dogs maturing and having their hormones. Larger breed dogs should not be spayed or neutered before 18 months of age, though 2 years or older is even better. If your veterinarian pushes for pediatric spay and neutering, they do not keep up with continued education and new studies.
Links to studies:
Behavioral and Physical Effects of Spaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris):
Spay and Neuter Surgery’s Effects on Dog Health:
Rottweiler study links ovaries with exceptional longevity:
Spay/Neuter And Joint Disease:
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf
Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence:
Early neutering of bitches increases incontinence risk, study finds:
Associations between neutering and idiopathic epilepsy:
Scientific research studies that found spaying and neutering do not reduce aggression in dogs:
Effect of gonadectomy on subsequent development of age-related cognitive impairment in dogs:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11439769/
Evaluation of the risk and age of onset of cancer and behavioral disorders in gonadectomized Vizslas:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24432963/
Sterilization Effects Worse for Golden Retrievers Than Labs (Intact members of both breeds enjoy lower rates of joint disorders and cancer, researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine added.):
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Effects of ovariohysterectomy on reactivity in German Shepherd dogs:
Endogenous Gonadal Hormone Exposure and Bone Sarcoma Risk:
Gonadectomy effects on the risk of immune disorders in the dog: a retrospective study:
Grooming tips
Poodles have a continuously growing coat, which is curly and harsh in texture. They need regular brushing and combing, how often depends on how short or how long you keep their hair. On average they should be brushed anywhere from once a week to every other day. The longer the coat the more often they need it.
The best tools to use for brushing is a metal slicker brush, where the bristles are bent. One of my favorite slickers is the CC Coral Brush, found here: https://wheatleywares.com/products/big-g-large-slicker-brush-1?_pos=3&_sid=2a310dd80&_ss=r
They come in small, medium and large, but I suggest getting a large for any size of dog.
You would also need a comb, a metal greyhound comb is the best tool to go over the coat after brushing. To get any little tangles the brush may have missed. Any comb is generally good. But here is an example: https://wheatleywares.com/products/butter-comb-000?_pos=19&_sid=7f339a194&_ss=r
The best way to brush and comb, to be sure you are getting all the way down to the skin, is the line brushing/combing method. Here is a video I made explaining it: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CM1_KozgOz4/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Professional grooming should be done every 4-8 weeks, for the average pet groom, depending on how long or short of a trim you want them done in. The longer the coat, the more maintenance and grooming appointments that is needed.
MATTING
When a pet is not well maintained, they start to tangle, then their coats gets tighter and
tighter, forming a mat. The longer you leave the mats with out going to the groomers,
the tighter the mats become.
Dangers
Severe matting can be extremely painful to your dog as it it pulls the skin every time your pet takes a step. Even mild matting can cause your pet a great deal of pain. Matting can cut off blood supply to extremities, and deny regular air circulation. Skin denied fresh air and stimulation from regular brushing becomes quite unhealthy. It can turn dark pink to red, and open sores are apt to form emitting foul odors. Even organic matter, like weeds and stickers, can become embedded in the skin
Removing Mats
If the pet has only a few knots or small mats they may be able to be brushed out with no pain to the pet. But severe mats will need be shaved by your groomer, for the safety and comfort of the pet.
Shaving a matted coat is a delicate and slow process requiring experience and expertise. Depending on how bad the mats are your pet may have bruising and irritated skin, maybe even hematomas on their ears now that their ears can get proper blood flow..
NAIL TRIMS
Regular nail clipping, or trimming, should be part of the routine care of your pet. The requirement for nail trimming can vary depending on how fast each pets nails grows.
Nail trimming is important for the long-term health of all dogs. Long-term overgrowth can cause difficulty with walking, pain and soreness and eventually contribute to the development of arthritis. Long nails also can get caught and tear, or grow so long that they can curl backwards into a spiral shape that can make walking very painful for dogs. Uncut nails may curl so far that they pierce the paw pad, leading to infection and debilitating pain.
Nails should be trimmed every 2-4 weeks depending on how fast your dog’s nails grow. If not, the quick tends to grow out with the nail, making it nearly impossible to cut properly.
Unlike humans or some other animals, a dog walks on his toes like a horse, not the soles of his feet. Long nails can cause the dog to rock back on his paws, causing strain on his leg assemblies and interfering with his gait. Some dogs (particularly overweight ones) may find it uncomfortable to put their full body weight on their feet with overgrown nails, causing sore feet, legs and hips. Over the long term, this can also contribute to the development of arthritis.
Training
So what type of training methods do we use? Well, I don't use one method 100% of the time. But I do primarily do what many would call "scientific based positive training". What does that mean?
Unlike dominance theory training where a dog obeys out of fear of being punished, or positive reinforcement training where a dog obeys in order to be rewarded, science-based training relies heavily on research by veterinarians and animal behaviorists with an understanding of dog behavior and cognition.
In positive training, bad behavior is ignored and good behavior is rewarded. Because dogs generally repeat behaviors that are rewarding to them and discontinue behaviors that are not, positive training works by teaching the dog which behaviors earn a reward; usually a treat, toy, praise, or affection.
I do tend to follow more of a scientific approach to dog training, unlike solely positive based only. Rewards are given for appropriate or desired behaviors, but, unlike the strictly positive reinforcement method where bad behavior is ignored, if an inappropriate or undesired behavior is performed, rewards are taken away.
Much like a dog who likes to jump up, I ignore them until they show desired behavior, four feet on the floor or sitting. When they show good behavior they get praised.
Some of the most important advancements in science-based training have been explained by behaviorists Sophia Yin (whom is unfortunately no longer with us) and Alexandra Horowitz who both use an extensive understanding of canine behavior and cognition to teach pet parents how to effectively communicate with – and therefore train – their dogs.
Some links to info on different training methods or training resources: