nosmo@pyuxqq.UUCP (P Valdata) (03/30/84)
As co-owner of a standard poodle I'm certainly biased toward the breed, but I do think they are an excellent choice. First, they don't shed, which is great for dog lovers who have allergies (like me) and people who hate vacuuming. They are smart and therefore easy to train, they are natural retrievers, and they love water. Our dog actually begs for baths in the summer! Standards are much more relaxed than the smaller poodles; they are alert watchdogs with a good, deep bark but no bite at all. Hair maintenance is no problem--we keep ours clipped one length all around, which keeps her looking like a real dog instead of a pwder puff. You can learn to do that or shell out about $20 every two months or so. Standards are big but light dogs, so they don't eat you out of house and home. We're so happy with ours we've considered getting another! If anyone has questions about poodles in general you can mail them to me at pyuxqq!nosmo. Pat Valdata