"Mother Nature" tends to breed for sturdiness, intelligence, playfulness, ability to co-exist with other pets and people and longevity, so we can expect Coach & Ditka to be healthy and sturdy. The typical mixed-breed dog weighs around 40-60 pounds at full growth. A lot depends on the size and structure of the ancestors of your particular dog. Mixes of small dogs should result in smaller dogs, and mixes of larger dogs should result in larger offspring. It should be remembered that all "full-bred" dogs were once mixes of other breeds.
The Poodle is commonly thought to have come from France, although it is descended from several different rough-coated water dogs that were distributed in Hungary, Russia, Asia and France. These early dogs were used for herding. It is the version of the Poodle that originated in Germany that we most think of today as a Poodle. The word even comes from the German "pfudel", meaning "splash".
These early Poodles were prized for their duck hunting abilities, herding talents, military service and as circus performers. They eventually became popular as elegant companions for wealthy ladies. The coat was shorn off for swimming - except for the chest, which helped to keep the body warm. It’s thought that the other puffs of hair were added during its circus performing as decoration.
Although we think of these dogs as "fancy" dogs, they are rugged individualists. They love to hunt, play and swim. They are very intelligent and need to be involved in some regular, mental training regimen or they will quickly become bored.
Poodles need regular grooming to avoid mats and tangles in the long fur, which doesn’t fall out, but becomes tangled in the surrounding hair. However, it isn’t necessary to have them groomed in the fancy clip. A "puppy clip" leaves them looking very nice and is easier to maintain. For the same reason, we do not advise attempting to kennel these dogs outside.
We are pleased to welcome Coach and Ditka to our practice!
