We have decided our family needs a small inside dog to love. We are thinking a poodle would be a good fit for us. Where do you go about buying a poodle? What is the average price to buy the dog and then to keep up grooming/shots/etc. We are a family with 3 kids: boy-11, girl-10, girl-8. Are poodles good with kids? Our kids are very calm and loving, so there would be no threat to the pet! Any advice in this matter will be appreciated! :allears: Thanks! luvmy4kids2004@yahoo.com Jen
To BUY a pure breed poodle - (there are three varieties toy/miniature/standard - would NOT recommend a toy poodle with small children no matter how well behaved they are - even adults can easily step on them) you can expect to pay BIG BUCKS - unless you get the puppy mill variety which will cost an easy 300.00 to 700.00 (poorly bred, bad conditions, a warehouse that produces dogs, to be blunt) keep in mind that an expensively priced dog does not always mean it will be healthy and have a good head on it's shoulders. To rescue one from a shelter will cost about 125.00 To get one from a private rescue that fosters dogs, about 200.00 to 250.00 The dogs from shelters and rescues will be spayed/neutered and have shots at these fees, so they are pretty much taken care of with the exception of heartworm medication for the first year vet-wise - unless they are young pups and need booster shots. The average dog costs an owner approximately 200 - 300.00 per year for vet costs (check ups/bloodwork/vaccines/heartworm preventative) this is for a healthy dog - if you have a dog with allergies, or any other condition that requires extra visits or medications that need to be given on a regular basis - well, let me just say there are people on this board, myself included that have put veterinarians unborn grand children through college already - it can get costly. Poodles are known to be prone to cataracts and PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) can cause blindness; Diabetes; Epilepsy; Heart disease; and Hip dysplasia. The cons about poodles - they need to be groomed (and I recommend be a professional groomer) every 4-6 weeks - you might be able to stretch it to 8, but the groomer will have extra work, which may add extra $ to the total bill. Toy and miniature poodles - I'd say you can expect to pay anywhere from 35.00 to 60.00 to have them groomed - Standard Poodles - probably in the neighborhood of 45.00 - 70.00 (groomers, like hair stylists prices vary depending on location, experience etc.) If you are looking for a poodle for the no-shed reason - maybe consider a poodle mix - many have low shedding because of the poodle in them and require much less grooming depending who their daddy is :lol: (or in some cases mommy) Don't breed or buy, while those in rescue die - check out petfinder.org and local shelters (Johnston County Animal Services/Wake County Shelter/SPCA Wake) for a new pet. All of them have web sites. You can go to the SPCA and fill out an application and have it approved on file while you wait for a dog that will be a good fit for you. Their adoption counselors can put you on a list for a specific breed type or breed mix and when one comes into the shelter that's ready for adoption, they call the people on the list so they can come and meet them. It doesn't always happen quickly if it's a breed they don't see often - I was there for a year and saw only 2 pure breed poodles come in - both were miniature, but saw a number of poodle mixes that were great dogs. Johnston County Animal Services may be able to do the same thing for you. Good luck! Oh, I forgot to add that poodles are highly intelligent - they can learn very quickly, BUT because of that reason they need at least some basic obedience training - they're smart enough to learn and also smart enough to run your household their way - and believe me it's much easier when the dog heeds to your commands, rather than the latter.
We have 2 standard poodles. We adopted our last one from Carolina Poodle Rescue in April of last year. The poodle is a great breed. They are very smart, don't shed and are hypoallergenic. http://www.carolinapoodlerescue.org/ They are located near Spartanburg, SC, but it's worth the drive. Let me know if you have any questions, Steve
There is a poodle at the Wake County SPCA at the moment ... but small dogs and purebreds tend to go quickly ... definitely look in to a shelter or rescue! Shelter dogs and rescues make WONDERFUL pets!!
:iagree: www.petfinder.com as well as the dog/cat section Craigslist where they have posting from the local kill shelters about the dogs that need to get out. I truly believe that adopted animals know how lucky they are and are so loving because of it.
