yummi puppy playing around

HISTORY

Its thought that the Poodle originally derived from the German name 'Pudel', meaning water dog. Despite the 'clown like' stigma attached to poodles due to their variety of unusual haircuts, traditionally the Standard Poodle was used for retrieving fowl from water. A working dog renowned for it's intelligence, speed and agility. Its French name 'Caniche' also refers to its water dog origins.

Poodles are very playful, active dogs that love exercise and companionship with other dogs or people and thrive on attention. Highly intelligent and easy to train this athletic breed is eager to please and keen to learn.
It's non molting, dense curly coat traditionally helped keep it warm in the cold waters but became heavy when wet, so to assist its swimming technique the coat was clipped from where it wasn't needed but grown on its chest, joints and vital organs to protect it from the cold. A colored ribbon was placed in the poodles hair to identify it in the water from a distance. Distinctive adaptations of these traditional methods can still be seen today. Poodles are now more commonly seen on the show circuit with stylish haircuts cut to precision or speeding around the agility ring. Their gracious style, speed and enthusiasm makes them successful at both.

The Little Apricot Poodle from a Puppy Mill

By Ashley Schlyer, Assistant Shelter Manager

The little apricot poodle never had a name, but I will call her Halley. Halley was one of 70 dogs rescued from a puppy mill. She and three other dogs were brought to our shelter by one of the Kansas Animal Health Department inspectors.

Most of the dogs that came into our care would need dental work, but otherwise would be healthy enough to be adopted into a forever home.

Halley never knew what it was like to have a warm bed to sleep on or a space all her own. It was the least I could do but to give her fresh food, water and a soft blanket to lay on that night. Halley didn’t know what treats or toys were, and even though she had never known what it was like to be loved, she would look up lovingly hoping to be noticed.

The conditions Halley was living in were so poor that she had no use of her back legs. She struggled to pull herself around on her two front paws while dragging her whole backside behind her. It was a pitiful and saddening site to witness.

When she was taken to the vet the next morning, it was evident she had been forced to breed over and over even without the use of her back legs. This would have been extremely difficult and painful for an animal in this condition.

The next time you think about buying a cute little poodle puppy from a pet store or a breeder, think of Halley. She, too, was once a cute little puppy that was given a death sentence by the puppy mill that bought her and used her to make profit until she was seemingly worthless to them.
Even in the short time we got to know Halley, we could see they may have broken her body, but her loving spirit lived on. The job we do isn't always easy and often times is thankless, but giving Halley one day of knowing what it's like to be loved was truly worth it.

Apricot Poodles

Apricot poodles are among the most beautiful of the breed. Their coats are a sunny, gleaming color, as implied by the name. Apricot poodles may have some variation in their color, such as a slightly darker feathering on their ears and/or tipping on their ruff. This variation is not considered a fault under the breed standards.

Apricots most often have black noses, eye-rims and lips, black-or self-colored toenails and very dark eyes. They may, however, have dark amber eyes, liver nose leather, eye-rims and lips. This, too, is permissible, but not the preferred coloration.

caring for your poodle's coat

No matter what the color, your poodle will have a beautiful, curly coat. Poodles do not shed, which makes them perfect for people with allergies. However, they do need regular grooming to keep them looking their best.

You should brush your puppy at least every other day to keep the coat from becoming tangled and matted. Here at Homestead Poodles, we raise our puppies in our home. They are handled, groomed and lavished with affection, so when they come to you they are well-groomed and completely socialized. Because of their initial upbringing, grooming them will be a much easier process for you.

It is important to note that your puppy should be bathed regularly, ideally twice a month. The toenails must be clipped, ears cleaned, and coat clipped in one of several different patterns. It's generally best to let a groomer take care of the clipping at first, though many owners enjoy learning to do it themselves. Don't expose your puppy to the grooming shop until after 16 weeks, when he/she will have had his/her shots for distemper.