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Standard Poodle Puppies under $500
Poodle Puppies for Sale: Looks, Smarts, and Athletic Skills
If you have ever had the privilege of seeing a litter of Poodle puppies, then you know they bring their own special brand of cuteness. Poodles have the unique ability to fit into various lifestyles. Standard Poodles are fantastic for active people or even field trial enthusiasts. Miniature Poodles are hardy enough to become lively companions for families with children. Friendly, people-oriented, intelligent, and energetic, the Poodle is the epitome of an engaging playmate and loving pet.
Overview of Poodle for Sale
Believed to be of German origin with development and refinement by the French, the Poodle is likely the product of several varieties of a versatile curly-coated water dog, the Barbet. European nations such as Hungary, Spain, Germany, and France, had their own types that may have crossbred to produce the Poodle in the 1600s. The Barbet’s contribution to the Poodle is still a point of contention because for many it suggests a French or Russian origin. Nevertheless, the Poodle was a waterfowl retriever possibly as early as the 1300s. Sportsmen developed the original pom-pom hairstyles to encourage mobility while still protecting the more vulnerable areas of their dogs from frigid waters. Poodles remain proficient swimmers and agile athletes. Regardless of variation, the breed standards are identical except for size. All Poodles should have dark oval eyes, hanging ears, a relatively long muzzle, round skull, compact body, and muscular shoulders and hindquarters. They have an intelligent and humorous expression with a regal bearing. Poodles should have a friendly and balanced disposition that is neither shy nor aggressive. They are playful with kids and other dogs.
Size Variants of Poodle for Sale
There are three or four variations of Poodle puppies, depending on which registry is involved. The AKC recognizes the Standard, Miniature, and Toy Poodle. In addition, the FCI registers medium Poodles which are between the Standard and Miniature Poodle in size. There are also a few unofficial variations.
- Royal Standard Poodle – 23 to 28 inches tall
Standard Poodle Over 15 inches tall at the shoulders; commonly 18 to 24 inches tall, preference is 22 to 27 inches tall - Medium Poodle – Also Moyen or Klein Poodles; 15 to 20 inches tall
- Miniature Poodle – 10 to 15 inches tall; Size originally sought for circus performances in France
- Toy Poodle – 8 to 10 inches, 6 to 9 pounds
- Teacup Poodle – under 9 inches; 5 to 7 pounds
Poodle Health
Poodles live an average of 12 to 15 years, although a few individuals may live to 19 or 20. Part of your screening process of Poodle puppies for sale should be to see if the breeder has complied with breed-specific requirements for the H.E.A.R.T. program of the AKC. This program’s acronym is short for Health, Education, Accountability, Responsibility, and Tradition, and requires owners to partake in basic exams and certifications of their breeding dogs. Parents of any Poodle puppies for sale near me would undergo an eye and hip evaluation on all varieties. The Toy and Miniature Poodles would also ideally have a DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy and certification of the knees. A Teacup Poodle may be more susceptible to conditions such as hypoglycemia and heart disease because of its tiny size.
How to care for your new Poodle for Sale
Whether you decide to acquire a Toy, Miniature, or Standard Poodle for sale, they each have similar standards of care. Poodles require high-quality food with animal protein sources. If you feed a commercial diet, chicken, beef, or other meat should be among the top ingredients. If you prefer to feed home-prepared meals, your veterinarian or nutritionist can guide you on cooked or raw diets. No matter how fancy their haircuts, Poodles are sporting dogs at heart. They require an hour of daily exercise as adults. With young Poodle puppies for sale, exercise requirements are about five minutes per four weeks of age to protect their growth plates. Poodles are among the most intelligent dogs and therefore need a lot of mental stimulation. Puppies also require plenty of socialization or they can end up with neurotic or antisocial behavior like cowering or snapping.
Grooming
A Poodle’s curly coat is easy on many allergy sufferers, but it requires extensive maintenance to prevent matting and potential skin infections. There are several clips you can utilize. Many people will style their Poodles in a puppy or kennel clip to simplify care. The body is short, but the face and feet are cut very close. Only a few cuts are acceptable for the show, and these still involve intense daily brushing or combing. As with any other dog, you will need to check your Poodle’s ears for redness or discharge and clip her ears every four to six weeks. Often, you need to pluck excess hair from your Poodle’s ear canal. Many Poodle owners schedule regular appointments for their dogs with a professional groomer. You should brush your pet’s teeth at least on a weekly basis.
Poodle Mixes
Poodle mixes were the first hybrid dogs to reach an exalted status in the post-Victorian age. Most experts agree they were responsible for the “designer dog” craze that began with the Labradoodle in 1989. The Labradoodle’s design was to create an ideal guide dog with a hypoallergenic coat. The experiment failed to create a dog for working purposes. That did not slow down the popularity of the mix and subsequent Doodles such as the Golden Doodle. However, the Poodle mixes started some decades earlier with the Cockapoo in the 1950s. True to the original Poodle mixes, Doodles of the 1990s and beyond are predominantly companion and emotional support animals with coats of varying degrees of curls and hypoallergenic qualities.
Caring for Poodles
Poodles are hardy dogs, but their maintenance requirements are higher than average.
Grooming
If you have ever watched or attended a dog show, you know how elaborate the Poodle’s coat can be. Fortunately, normal care needs do not require you to keep your dog’s coat in such a luxurious state. Such dogs require daily brushing and combing with clipping in specific areas. The AKC only accepts certain haircuts for showing Poodles. Most owners keep their Poodles in some form of a short clip to make the coat more manageable and keep it from tangling.
- Show cut – English saddle cuts and Continental cuts are terribly similar and the required clip for AKC conformation shows; Both shave face, throat, and tail and shape pom-poms on wrists, hind legs, and tail; Continental shaves lower loin and hip area with optional poms in this area
- Puppy – Poodles under a year old can show in this cut
- Kennel – Fur short all over; paws, face, and base of tail shaved; Modified puppy cut and also called a Teddy Bear clip; Quite common casual, low-maintenance hairstyle
- Corded – High-maintenance where the coat is allowed to grow to the ground and is maintained in light cords; Reached its heyday around the Victorian era
- Sporting cut – Cap on top of the head, shaved face, feet, and base of the tail; Hair is scissored along dog’s outline and a pom-pom is left on the tail; Show cut for brood and stud classes
Even with a short haircut, you should brush your Poodle a few times a week to prevent the tight curls from matting and to maintain the skin’s circulation. Like any dog, you need to check their ears every few days and clip the nails every four weeks. Poodles need the tear areas on their faces cleaned at least weekly. You will often see staining along the tear tracts, especially of white Poodles, and you can find products to minimize them. Many Poodles also need you to pluck excess hair that grows just inside their external ear canals. Poodles often have a great relationship with their groomers because frequent appointments are the most efficient way to care for their coats. Groomers can take care of eye staining, plucking and cleaning the ears, clipping the coat, trimming or dremeling the claws, and expressing the anal glands.
Feeding
A typical pet Poodle that exercises with short daily walks should get 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight. Active working dogs may need two to three times that. The caloric intake adds up to about 1250 to 1500 calories for a 65-pound Standard and 129 to 160 calories for a seven-pound Toy Poodle. Any rough guidelines you follow you must adjust according to your dog’s body condition score. If you notice your pet’s waistline disappear or you really have to dig to feel his ribs, you should consider decreasing his intake. Never change your dog’s food portions by more than about 10% a week. If you decide to feed home-cooked meals, the general rule of thumb is about an ounce of food per pound of body weight daily. Poodle puppies need to eat four times a day, but adults should still eat at least two meals. Splitting food portions helps avoid bloat in larger Poodles and may decrease the risk of hypoglycemia in the Teacup Poodle.