September 2008

In general, poodles are dogs that love fun and have a nice reserved temperament, if you need to have a pet that your family will love, then you might want to consider getting a miniature poodle. Read on and find out more information on the miniature poodle and use these as guides for making your decision in addition to knowing what you can expect when you bring the miniature poodle home.

Concerns

One of the things you may be concerned about when it comes to your miniature poodle is grooming. Poodle hair tends to be thick and curly, so you’ll need to make sure that your puppy is groomed as often as possible. The standard grooming cut for puppies is relatively short hair all over the body, and you may need to do this about once a month or so to keep your pet looking great. Colors of miniature poodles include brown, cafe-au-lait, white or black varieties will be featured in pet stores across the country, and you can also have your pet grooming professional apply temporary dye to your poodle’s coat for a special occasion; red, apricot, blue, silver, or gray are acceptable colors, and won’t damage your dog’s coat.

Learning about your dog’s temperament is also ideal before you buy your miniature poodle. You may have to socialize your dog as a puppy, since poodles tend to be very reserved when dealing with strangers. Miniature poodles tend to bark a lot as well, which means that will do a good job of alerting you if something goes wrong in the home. In most cases, your dog will like to play with children, but some poodle varieties can be a little high-strung, so try to see the parents or even grandparents of the puppies you are considering before taking them home. Your miniature poodle will also be great at learning tricks in most cases, which means you can entertain family and friends.

The miniature poodle generally has a pretty long life span as well, but you’ll need to watch out for certain genetic problems that can arise. Cataracts is common in all poodle varieties, and retinal atrophy could cause blindness, so you’ll need to take your poodle to the vet often for vision and nervous system checkups. Your poodle should also be checked for runny eyes and ear infections often. And, poodle skin tends to be sensitive; allergies and skin rashes can occur when certain types of dog shampoo or dyes are used, and clippers could cause skin conditions in poodles as well. Make sure that your grooming facility uses sanitized and hypo-allergenic materials when grooming your poodle.

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If you use an outside source to clip your pet’s nails then you’ll know how costly this can be. For example, depending on the animal or it’s size, a clipping job can cost anywhere between $10-$30 or even more and considering you should clip your pet’s nails regularly then this can amount to a cost of hundreds of dollars each year.

That’s not to say your pet isn’t worth it but investing in a set of pet nail clippers could be one of the most sensible investments you can make in keeping down the maintenance costs of looking after your pride and joy.

The problem is of course having the skill to be able to use pet nail clippers without traumatizing your valuable pet. This happens frequently and we’ll explain how in a moment. Firstly though, consider the cost of not clipping your pet’s nails especially dogs and cats.

Many pet lovers like to keep their animals inside which is great but they can cause unnecessary damage to furniture and floors. The truth is, they are simply doing what comes naturally especially cats who seem to take a fancy to sharpening their claws on furniture.

An animal with neatly trimmed nails will continue to do what they do but the chances of damage to valuable furniture will be lessened considerably. The other problem with leaving nails unclipped is they can curl back and actually grow back into the animal’s skin. This can mean expensive vet bills to correct the damage done.

What we’re suggesting is overcome the fear of clipping nails yourself and invest in a set of pet nail clippers for just a fraction of this cost.

How To Clip Your Pet’s Nails

Before you attempt to clip your pet’s nails for the first time you need to understand the mechanics of an animals nails.

The biggest concern is causing your pet any pain. Done right this will not be an issue. Pain is caused when you cut back too far and cause damage to the quick. The quick is a blood vessel within the animals nail which will bleed when cut and cause the pet some distress.

This then leads to what is known as a “punch drunk” phase which basically means anytime the animal sees you produce a pair of pet nail clippers they are going to associate it with pain and be more reluctant to have their nails trimmed.

It’s similar to going to the dentist and having regular work performed on your teeth and experiencing pain. After awhile, you’re going to approach each trip to the dentist with a little trepidation because you’ll associate it with pain.

However, you can avoid this by using some commonsense and approaching each session with care. The best way to understand how to use pet nail clippers is visiting your vet and asking them to show you how the process is done.

They are usually very accommodating in this area because it’s a chore they could easily do without and most will be happy to show you how. And the best part is, it’s not very hard to do.

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If you have thought that you might like to get into dogs, but have not yet purchased your first one, allow us to give you a word of advice.  There are so many wonderful breeds, each with its own particular charm, that I’m sure you can find just the right breed for you.  However, decide on one whose size and temperament fit into your life.  Don’t get a Great Dane if you live in a tiny apartment, and don’t get a tiny dog if a high-pitched bark grates on your nerves.

Once you have decided which breed you want, please do some studying about what is right and what is wrong for a dog of that particular breed.  Read a book on your chosen breed, go to shows, watch the judging, talk to the breeders.  Be sure you don’t buy a dog which has a disqualification for his breed and, you will be ever so much happier in the show game if you at least start out with a dog which has no serious faults.  I cannot tell you here what the disqualifications or faults are, as there are more than one hundred breeds for you to choose from and each breed has its own particular faults.

When you are ready to buy, go to a reliable breeder and tell him that you intend to show.  A sincere breeder would not sell you an inferior animal if he knows it is to be shown.  Many people when they are buying a dog ask for “just a pet,” thinking they will get the animal cheaper. 

A good breeder wants his stock shown and does not want to be embarrassed by having a dog of his breeding with a serious fault show up at a show, and by the same token he does not want to sell a top dog to someone who will never show it, as for all practical purposes the dog would be lost to the show and breeding world.  He would rather sell you a good dog for less money if you promised it would be shown.  If he is a big breeder, he cannot possibly get all the dogs he raises to the shows under his own name, and he is always looking for someone to come along who is interested in showing.  He will not give the dog away, because experience has taught him that the dog receives better care if he has been purchased and he has a much better chance of actually getting into the show ring when the new owner has paid something for the dog.

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Letting a dog get over-heated, as the owner is awaiting to show his dog ringside, is one of the big mistakes the novice exhibitor makes when he is attending a dog show.  He is never aware of it until it has been pointed out to him, and then it may be too late.  There have been novice exhibitors that stand at the ringside for an hour waiting to go into the ring, and in their efforts to keep the dog clean and dry they won’t allow the animal to curl up under a chair or in his own shadow, and before you know it the dog’s tongue is hanging out a mile.  He is panting and getting very restless, and by the time he goes into the ring, the poor dog “has had it.”  Notice the old-timers and the professionals in this respect.  Unless it is a cool day or at an indoor show, you will never see them standing in the hot sun with a dog about to go into the ring.  Just remember that in no breed is the expression of the dog enhanced when he is panting.

Now let’s get back to the big day.  You are ready to go to your first show.  Let us assume you have chosen one fairly close to home and will be starting out early the morning of the show.  You will have given the dog a bath either the day before or, with some breeds, a few days before the show.  Many exhibitors believe a very recent bath takes the natural oils and sheen out of the coat and makes it appear dull.  This is particularly true of black dogs.  Of course a white dog will have to be bathed just before a show in order to have him really clean.  Remember you may not have the best dog in the show, but you can always have the cleanest!  Nothing discourages a judge more in his examination of a dog than to have to touch or smell a dirty dog.  Incidentally, if you are showing a flat coated dog, pin a large towel around him after his bath and notice how it helps to lay the coat.

The night before the show you should get together all of the things you are taking with you.  While you are still a novice it won’t hurt to make out a written list and check it before you leave.  If the show is an outdoor one, regardless of weather reports or how the morning looks to you, take along a raincoat and rubbers or boots.  The show goes on regardless of the weather.  Even though the judging will be under a tent, you will have to go from either the benching tent or your car to the judging tent, and you may have to do it during rain.  If your dog is too big to pick up and carry under your raincoat, it would help if you took along something to throw over him on his way to the judging ring.

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Assuming that you have entered your dog for a show, let’s hope you have investigated carefully, and that your dog has no disqualifications.  In certain breeds the Standard of the Breed (by which all judges are supposed to judge) lists certain faults as complete disqualifications.  In all breeds, cryptorchidism (male with no testicles) or monorchidism (males with one testicle) is cause for disqualification.  In some breeds an undershot mouth (under jaw protruding) will disqualify.  In some breeds an excess of the color white will disqualify.  As well as having no disqualification, it would be well if your dog had no faults listed as serious in the Standard of the Breed.  These are the reasons why you should so strongly know your breed before you buy the dog and before you start to show him.

It is also wise (almost necessary) that you have had your dog inoculated by a competent veterinarian, not only against distemper and hepatitis, but for any other diseases for which vaccines are available at the time you are ready to show.

One very necessary subject that you must learn something about but which I will not go into in this book is trimming.  Since practically every breed is trimmed differently - and of course some require no trimming - it is necessary that you know exactly what is done for your particular breed.

If you have studied your breed as carefully as you should have, you will begin to see that trimming may help conceal certain faults in your dog, or it may be used to emphasize his good points.  Watch other people in your breed trim their dogs.  Beg, if you must, permission to visit them when they are trimming.  If you own a long-haired but flat-coated dog, such as a Cocker or Setter, who is just a shade wide in the shoulders, you could be of much help with a very judicious use of thinning shears.  By removing some hair from underneath without interfering with the top hair, you will improve your dog at this faulty spot.  If your breed should be well-chiseled between the eyes, a few hairs plucked out with the fingers or stripping knife may help him a great deal.  The better you know your breed, the better you. will be able to trim your dog for the show ring.

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