Why is it so many things in life are not as they appear to be?

The Standard Poodle is no different - what you see is NOT what you get! You get what you DO NOT see... So, why not "lift the veil" and check it out before you leap into that dog pile?

Let's bust some myths!

Before we do, I want you to know that we have three Standard Poodles we love very, very much. They are all from the same litter. Izzy is white and the runt. Piper is blue and like a "runway model" - very thin with very long legs. Maico was given to us when we promised to have him fixed (he was born without a tail). Maico is black, and huge, touching on 90 pounds and he's tall enough to be a "Royal Poodle" (a subset that doesn't officially exist).

What is Myth, and what is reality?

Myth # 1:

"Poodles don't shed." Who ever started that rumor should be taken out to the wood-shed! Want proof? Just come take a look at our Dyson vacuum! How come there is always plenty of white, blue, and black curly hair in there?

Myth # 2:

"Poodles are hypoallergenic." Listen, I'm allergic. We live in the country. Poodles are actually bird dogs, and our poos are active. We walk them on 80 wild desert acres, twice a day. Every bit of pollen is trapped in those curls. When they come in and get the urge to shake, a cloud of pollen, dust and "you name it" is in my face!

Myth # 3:

"Poodles bite and are nervous." This may be true of the small members of the breed. Our dogs are very calm. I'm 56 and I have had dogs all my life. I have NEVER had a calmer dog, ever! At the same time, I don't think I have ever had a more fun dog - they simply love a good time.

Such characters, they keep us laughing.

Each of our 3 dogs have distinct personalities. Piper will sneak up on us on occasion and play like she's nipping my butt! Izzy likes to fetch. Just as much as she likes to fetch, she likes to hide the ball from us and watch us go get it Piper could care less about the ball, but she will police the area, and bring Izzy's stray balls back to the porch for her sister. Maico has the nick name: "Kung fu cowboy" because of the way he spins around to get at his sisters when they play "Poodle games."

As to biting, the Standard Poodle is rated as one of the least likely breeds to bite anyone. That's true with ours. Poodles will "gum you" by gently placing their open mouth on your hand as an expression of affection. However, don't think they are not great guard dogs because they are fantastic guard dogs, with melodic barks!

What is not a myth? How smart these dogs are - wow!

It typically takes a Bassett Hound about 80 repetitions to learn a command. It takes the Standard Poodle 5 to 10 repetitions. It's almost spooky, they will learn a new word so fast, you'll wonder if there isn't really a person in there.

Is there really a difference in what dog you get?

When I was a kid I had a German Sheppard / Collie mix. By the time I was 8 years old my dog was an adult (male) and I was standing at the bus stop in my new green jeans. My own dog came up, raised his leg and urinated on my leg.

When my kids were young, we got a Dalmatian which we ended up taking back to the breeder. He was an amazing athlete, and very friendly. Unfortunately, he was also a habitual thief and a liar.

Next, we got an American Eskimo named Sugar. She was smart. She could play dead when you shot her with your finger, she could dance, walk on her hind legs, roll over - all with "circus-like" ability. She was a good dog as long as we did as we were told - otherwise, we would have to pay a price. She lived with us until her death at age 18.

During the time we had Sugar, we had Kira, a Border Collie. Yes, they are also very smart and are ranked neck and neck with the Standard Poodle. The type of intelligence is a little different. It seems to be because all a Border Collie wants to do is work, which includes herding YOU! Standard Poodles just wanna have fun. We did love Kira. One day Kira decided to get in a car with a stranger - something our Poodles would never do!

Time flies when you're having fun.

There is no doubt that we are closer to our Standard Poodles than we have ever been to any animal. They are so much a part of our family. They are 8 years old. They only typically live 12 years, and we are not looking forward to the end. However, we have no regrets.

What should you do next?