We took obedience lessons through Fairfax County that met at Frying Pan Park. That worked out well. Right next to our beginning class was an agility class going on, and I saw a poodle or two over there. We haven't done it yet so far.

I really like Pender Vet in Fairfax too if you need a good vet. They saved my poodles life on a Friday night when he suffered from bloat and a full rotation of his stomach. So please if you get a standard poodle read up on bloat and the symptoms. If you suspect it, rush them to the emergency vet. He had surgery within an hour or so of symptoms. If he hadn't, he would have died. I could tell something was wrong when he was whining and wouldn't settle down to sleep. I am so glad I caught it and didn't just go to bed that night.

They are very smart. They need to be groomed (hair cuts) or they look shaggy. I like them a bit on the shaggy side. Mine -we had 2- were not huge barkers. They were very nice and very well-behaved.

They are lovers. They like attention and to snuggle. And, yes, in my experience they do like to "give kisses."

I had a poodle growing up. They are very, very smart dogs. They do bark, though.

Thank you all for the great info. I think that we are now pretty set on getting a Standard Poodle. Everything I have read has been pretty positive.

I will look into the breeder mentioned above. I also just spoke with my Aunt and a family friend (who was just at Westminster showing her dog) yesterday and they have given me a name to look into as well. We are willing to wait for a dog that comes from a good breeder. We did not do the research when we got our Miniature Schnauzer and she was a sick little girl. Lesson learned.

Has anyone done agility/obedience training with their poodle? That is something that I may be interested in as well. I have heard that they can excel at that. Though, the Border Collies dominate! It's amazing watching them!

I have a standard poodle, my third poodle. One of mine was a miniature. The other two lived long lives but are gone now. They are wonderful dogs. Smart, sweet, non-shedding, and great with kids. All three of mine have been gentle, and especially intuitive around babies, calm and watchful. We're mindful of people who don't like dogs, especially our children's friends, but overall our poodles have all been such good dogs that we have never had to worry about taking them places or having people over.

They did need exercise as puppies, either a yard or plenty of walks. They also require grooming, which can be expensive. Two of mine have been kissers like a PP mentioned.

I'll never have another breed.

I personally don't have one (my DH is very, very allergic to all dogs) but I was instrumental in my good friend getting one. The dog is fantastic. Super-smart. Great personality. No drool. Athletic.

Only thing I don't like about them is every one I've met is a licker (kisses).

We bought a standard poodle almost 3 years ago in March. This is the breeder we used.

http://www.lawpdoodlekennel.com/index.html

Try not to be put off by the confusing website, we did get a great dog. He is big about 70 lbs and very much an alpha male, but also great with kids, tolerant, smart, fun loving, energetic. I think I would get one again, but he is our first dog, so we had a lot of learning to do. The issue for us is also that we have two little kids and a house full of stuffed animals and other toys. He loves to chew on things and eat baby wipes, gum, etc. That is hard to deal with. We also got a poodle because I am allergic to dogs, and I have been fine with him. We groom him about 4 times a year and bathe him ourselves as well with a trim of his hair around his eyes.

Thank you! I work from home and I plan on walking whatever dog we get 1-2 times a day. We also have 3 acres and a pool, so the dog will be well exercised. My Aunt recommended the poodle and I was kind of like, eh. After some research, I have been warming up to the idea more than I thought I would.

We had a incredibly smart Standard Poodle that came into our lives 18 years ago (he has since passed). I cannot recall the name of the breeder, but she was in VA in Loudon Cty. He was a wonderful dog; but had a lot of energy! I would only recommend a standard poodle if you have time to exercise him as they have as much energy as a border collie. And similar to a border collie, they are incredibly smart. Housebreaking was a breeze - he only had 2 pee accidents and one bm in the house and he was completely house trained within that first week we got him ... I took that week off work so I could focus on him and get a headstart on housebreaking him as I anticipated it taking longer. His favorite game was "find it", where we would show him an object and then would hide the object and he would have to locate it. the only "negative" was he was a barker. That was his one bad habit that we were unable to break.

Regarding allergies. We chose a poodle as my DH and DD are both allergic to dogs (and cats, and gerbils, and on and on). Neither of them had any allergic reaction to Doug. We have recently discussed getting another poodle; however, we may get a minature (not a toy) next time as Doug was pretty large (65 lbs). They need to be groomed and that can add up.

My 2 cents is that there is a reason why so many dogs get crossed with a poodle when creating the new specialty breeds. They are smart and friendly and all around good dogs. Before marrying a man with dog allergies, I was convinced that shepherd mixes were the best dogs and would never consider a poodle. I am a convert! I don't think I would ever buy another breed.

If you have either of these, I would love to know more about them! I have just started researching these dogs as one of the possibilities for our family. We have allergies and are limited to certain breeds. I am not at all interested in the toy poodle. Mostly the standard, but possibly the miniature. In the spring we have found a breeder who will let us meet her adult dogs to see if DS is allergic. Where did you get your poodle from? Was it a breeder? Rescue? My only issue with rescue/petfinder is that a lot of the time they are mixes and/or a total guess as to what the breed is.

I have owned a Cairn Terrier, Lhasa Apso, and Miniature Schnauzer, so I have experience with dogs. Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!