The Parti Crew Reviews Winter Coats for Poodles

Joey's Journal (by a lovely parti Poodle named "Joey", with a little help from his secretary and Mom, Charlene Dunlap) comes to my in-box each week with news of what Joey and his family (canine and human) have been up to.  This week, the Journal contained wonderful photos of Charlene's Poodles in varying types of winter coats.  When I wrote to ask if I could share her reviews of "Poodle coats", Charlene was kind enough to not only allow me to share this entry, but also suggested that my readers might enjoy one of the articles on her website which actually has instructions for the "prize winning entry" (the best dog coat for Poodles, or at least, when I saw the photos and read about them, it certainly seemed like it would be, far and away, the very best coat for a male Standard Poodle!) You can read and look at the photos and decide which ones you like the best.   

Thank you so much Charlene, for these wonderful articles and being the Guest Blogger for us this week.  I don't know about the rest of you, but it is finally "winter" here, as far as colder temperatures, so it is a good time of year to think about dog coats! And if you have a sewing machine and a little bit of talent, make SURE you click on the link at the end of this article, where Charlene explains how she made the coats.  I bet your Poodle would love one of these, and also, what a wonderful gift for a friend of yours who might have a Poodle who could use a coat! My older girl has a thin coat now, and I know she would enjoy one on winter walks.

Poodle Winter Coat Reviews

                by guest blogger Charlene Dunlap of Canine Horizons

If any of you are thinking of buying or making coats for your Poodles, here's my experience.  Basically, I want my dog's body covered - including their underbelly.  Many coats I've seen are the horse blanket type which leaves the entire underbelly exposed.  Living in North Carolina, we usually have crisp winters with an occasional cold blast . . . so I would only rarely need thermal coats and boots for the dogs. 

Pic 1 & 2 - these are the HURTTA jackets we got last year.  They cover the belly and have a drawstring waist to snug the fit and elastic bands around the back legs to keep the coat from shifting.  They are warm and pliant.

 However, the size that fits Standard Poodles would also fit a Golden Retriever and the coats are made several inches longer in the body than are most Poodles (and also makes the jacket too long under the belly to accommodate boy dogs' equipment).  See length of back on Sydney.  Also, I don't care for the knitted leg openings in the front. 

These blue coats by Furminator are made to put on wet dogs (such as those just out of swimming at the lake) and not really for forest walks; however, they're a nice weight for not too cold days.   They're also made for longer backed dogs.  (I have quite a bit of material folded back under just above the tail).  

They are made of excellent quality terrycloth which is warm yet not too much so; however, terrycloth grabs leaf debris, which is almost impossible to pick out.  Theses coats do take tailoring to a Poodle's body, which I haven't done yet, but I like them pretty well. 

  

Jyah and Sydney outgrew (age weight) the coats I made for them several years ago, but they fit the boys quite well.  These are actually the best design as they don't have a collar,  which my Poodles (because of all the hair on their necks) don't need, and there is no restriction around the front legs.  

 Also, the belly band is far enough in front of their boy parts so as to not get soiled.  Pretty nifty, huh?  I don't sew anymore - but maybe I should. 

Charlene and the Parti-Four: Scotty, Joey, Jyah, and Sydney

From Melanie:  I LOVE these coats at the bottom, don't you?  Here is a link that will take you directly to the "Winter Coats for Poodles" article on Charlene's website that tells how to make them:

http://www.caninehorizons.com/Winter_Coats.html

Attention:  other Poodle owners--if you make a coat for your Poodle, I would love to have a photo to share with Poodle Blogger's readers!

As always, thank you to Charlene Dunlap and the Parti-Four!

Melanie

Searching for a Poodle puppy?

It is rare to find Poodle puppies coming into rescue organizations or animal shelters, so most likely if you have your heart set on a puppy, you will be purchasing a dog from a breeder.

A link at the bottom of this post contains a list of Poodle breeders for your reference.  We do not know these breeders personally, so it is very important to ask the right questions when you make contact with the breeder. An ethical breeder will have a lot of questions for you as well, because they want their dogs placed only into homes with purchasers that are well-matched for them.

                                          

If you are considering becoming a breeder, please make  that the breeder breeds  only dogs that have had all genetic  health clearances  recommended for that variety of Poodles (Toy, Miniature of Standard) by the Poodle Club of America. Also, ask for a written contract and make sure you understand exactly what the breeder will offer you if your dog does develop a hereditary health issue.  Will they offer you a replacement puppy at no charge or at a reduced price?   If yes, will you be allowed to keep the original dog or would they expect it to be returned to them?  No one wants to return a beloved canine companion to the breeder a year after they have purchased it, so make sure if a replacement is offered, that you will still have the option of keeping your original pet.  Of course all companion Poodles should be spayed or neutered, so the contract you sign with the breeder will also be likely to specify a date by which you should have this done.

When purchasing a Poodle puppy as a companion, make sure that good health and good temperament are your priorities.  All Poodles are pretty, so don't choose your puppy based on the colors a breeder might have, choose based on the soundness of that breeder's breeding stock. It is human nature to be drawn to certain colors of dogs, so I am not saying give up the desire of your heart, just don’t agree to buying a certain pup too quickly simply because of color. Wait until you can have an apricot colored puppy who comes from an ethical breeder. 

Health screening tests have been developed to help Poodle breeders screen for certain problems in hopes of eradicating genetic diseases.  

Here are some of the health issues commonly encountered in Poodles:

Addison's Disease, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Gastric Torsion (Bloat), Cushings Disease, Epilepsy, Hip Dysplasia, Hypothyroidism, Legg-Calve-Perthes, Neonatal Encephalopathy, Patellar Luxation, PRA, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, Juvenile Cataracts, Sebaceous Adentis (SA) and Von Willebrand's Disease (vWD).

So get ready to do your research, and have fun looking for that new curly addition to your family!  Here are a few places to start you on your search:

Poodle Club of America Breeder Referral:  http://www.poodleclubofamerica.org/breeders.htm

Mutli-Colored Poodle Club of America: http://www.multicoloredpoodleclubofamerica.org/multi-colored-poodles.html

But in regards to ethics, a breeder does NOT have to be a member of PCA or MCPCA to be ethical!  Some people simply don’t enjoy being members of organizations, plus, all dog people (people who have been “in dogs” for a number of years) can tell you stories about people who were even board members of national breed clubs, who in their dealings with unethical.

This article is primarily to give you an idea about health problems, so you can ask the right questions when you call a breeder. Expect that they will ask you a good many questions as well, because ethical breeders want to make sure their dogs go to good homes.

Last but certainly not least, ask how the puppies are being kept. Ethical breeders may have any number of set-ups, from an exercise-pen with potty pads down in the bedroom or kitchen, to indoor/outdoor runs in a fancy kennel building, to a stall in a stable. Sadly, so can unethical breeders and puppy millers!  Ask how many dogs they keep, and if they keep more than a dozen or so, ask if they have kennel help.  Ask if you can come visit, even if you live so far away that you know you will need to buy a puppy and have it shipped to you---because if the breeder never allows anyone to visit, they may have something to hide.

Most of the tips are simple common sense. But…Poodles and Poodles mixes are both so endearing, especially as fluffy puppies, that sometimes we allow our heart to rule instead of our head!!  So before you take that leap, read back over this article and sit on things a day or two. If you are a praying person, pray about it.  If not, at least think about it in your quiet moments.

Best wishes for a long and happy life with your new pup! 

Thank you, Rick Miles, for use of photograph, and to Melanie Schlaginhaufen, who wrote the original version of this article.

Paint Me Politically Incorrect

Parti-colored Poodles have been around since the very beginning of the breed.  The most complete information we have found on the history of the parti-colored Poodle has been compiled by Poodle trainer and film maker Charlene Dunlap:
http://caninehorizons.com/_Parti_Color_Poodles.html

For many years, it was almost impossible to find a quality parti-colored Poodle. For whatever reason, the Poodle Club of America, in putting together the AKC Standard, decided against allowing anything other than solid colors to be shown in the conformation ring (towards AKC championship titles). Parti-colored Poodles have always been registerable by AKC and could be shown in performance events, such as agility, obedience and rally, but could not be shown towards conformation championships.

Standard Poodles Anyone?

Standard Poodles...not really dogs, but people in a curly body?

I confess. I love Standard Poodles. I mean I really, really adore them. When people ask me what type of dog might be best for their family, I almost always start with mentioning Standard Poodles. 9 times out of 10, they confess that they are "not Poodle people".

That's okay. Crazy, totally unbelievable, but okay.

And why do I think it is crazy not to love Standard Poodles? Because they can be anything you want in a dog. Get them groomed by the best groomer in town and they will look like an elegant aristocrat. Buzz them down and they are happy to masquerade as a "real dog". A Standard Poodle from working lines can even impress you with what the breed was originally bred to do--be a water retriever. A Standard Poodle is capable of learning all types of tricks to entertain your friends, as he is a true "clown at heart". Excellent therapy dogs, they love to bring happiness to nursing home residents, or help you educate special needs children. Standard Poodles are pure gold in the agility, rally or obedience ring, and tons of fun for those interested in dog sports. It sounds a bit silly, but the truth is...Poodles are really, truly FUN.