Poodles make great companions and the fact that they don’t shed is an added bonus. So the people out there that have allergies to dogs should be able to own a Poodle with no problems. A few things to take into consideration before bringing a Poodle into your home are the amount of attention they need and grooming and maintaining can become expensive. A Professional grooming service is usually recommended when owing a Poodle every two months or so and you also need to brush them yourself often. They are known to have dental problems so having their teeth cleaned when necessary and giving them the dental chews that clean their teeth are a must.

The Poodle breed has a very classy and elegant appearance. They have a very dense and curly coat and they come in a few different sizes. There is the Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle and the Standard Poodle. The Poodle breed in general are very loving, well mannered and energetic. They take great pride in their companionship with their family which makes them very loyal and protective of the ones close to them.

Their life expectancy can be anywhere from 13 to 19 years. They have an amazing sense of humor and will keep you entertained as long as they are awake. They are more on the high maintenance side so look into them and make sure you can care for them and give them the best before you bring one home.

There are many myths flying around out there about giving your Poodle a bone.  The truth is, there are good bones and bad bones.  The bad bones you DO NOT want to give your Poodles are the cooked or dried bones with out any meat on them.  They tend to be very brittle and can break and splinter off causing a whole world of problems.  The raw bare bones are also not such a good idea especially for puppies since their teeth aren’t strong enough yet and could break.  These ones don’t have any meat on them and your dog chewing on these could possibly break their teeth.  The best bones to give your dog are raw bones with lots of meat on them. They are good for a few reasons, they help your dog build strength in the jaw and strong teeth, they help clean plaque and tartar and the meat gives them some nutritional benefits as well.

I would recommend  taking the bone away from your dog shortly after they chew off all the meat.  It’s also never really a good idea to leave a bone with your dogs when you are not around, if they swallowed a big chunk of it they could choke and no one would be around to help them.  Nylon bones are another good alternative for your dogs.  There are always options!

It’s becoming more popular year after year to dress up your dog for the holiday’s.  There are so many different types of dog clothing from sweaters and shoes to costumes.  Pet clothing has become so mainstream that high end fashion designers make their own line of clothes for pets. Not everyone dresses their dog up for the same reason.  Some do it for protection from the cold weather and some do it because it’s so cute and fun.  Our dogs are part of the family so many people begin to treat them as if they were a child and they play dress up.  Others may think this is silly or just cruel to dress up your dog… they see it as torture for the dog.

I feel that if you have a small dog that gets cold easily, providing a sweater or little rain coat for their walks isn’t a bad idea.  It’s different for bigger dog breeds, they don’t get so cold as easily.  Some dogs may not even let you put anything on them so take that as a hint, they don’t want to be dressed up.  People dress their dogs up in all sorts of clothing such as jackets, raincoats, pajamas, bathrobes and costumes for Halloween.  Many companies make life jackets for dogs and I think this is a great investment if you plan on having your dog around the water.  Not all dogs are good swimmers and it makes it so much easier to pick the little dogs up out of the water.  Little kids have to wear them, why not little dogs?

Dressing up your pet can be fun but most importantly keep the dogs feelings and comfort level in mind.  Some people really take it too far as you can see in this picture below: