POODLE TEMPERAMENT
Poodles - one of the most placid and friendliest breeds of dog to own. If you want a lifelong companion that is devoted to you and loves being a member of your family, then choose a poodle. They're fun, great friends and have a very placid temperament.
As well as being a loving pet poodles also have a reputation for being well-behaved. This depends on how well they are trained, but as with any dog training is an important part of their care. Poodles are known to be intelligent dogs, which is why it is thought they are easy to train. The toy version is considered to be especially easy to train. This links with the poodle's origins of being trained to do tricks in circuses.
House training should begin as soon as you bring your poodle puppy home. The sooner there are no ‘little accidents' on the floor the sooner both you and your puppy will feel comfortable. But be patient and give it time. All dogs are different, and all will eventually become house-trained.
As with house-training, social training should also start at a young age. The poodle puppy should get used to sounds, places and new people as soon as possible, to help turn him into a confident dog.
Poodles are well known for being good pets to have around children. What better choice for a child to grow up with than a loyal and loving poodle? A child should be taught how to care for their poodle, and that they are a pet not a toy. They can help with feeding, training, walking and grooming, and in return the child should receive a valuable life enhancing experience of having a poodle as a pet. As with any dog, there is no guarantee that if provoked they will not bite, so never leave a young child unsupervised with a dog.
Poodles can be shy and are known to be wary of strangers, which makes them good guard dogs. But with people they are familiar with they love to please and be the centre of attention, making them the ideal family pet.
Poodles don't like to be left alone for long periods of time as they get lonely and bored. This can lead to excessive barking and destruction of your prized possesions. They do require a lot of loving and attention, which if you're a dog lover you'll be willing to give. Giving your poodle attention is important for their mental stimulation and will help avoid behaviour problems.
One thing to be aware of when out walking - your poodle's love of water! With its origins as a water dog it just can't resist the temptation of a quick dip!