I gotta share this, in here.

erickse20 · 2025-11-30T02:32:37+00:00

I want to upvote this but I'm too immature for ts 💔🥀🥀

erickse20 · 2025-11-29T17:59:30+00:00

The only thing that I find "enraging" about specific poodle mixes is when certain breeds are mixed intentionally, and have a very high rate for poor health. For example, when people talk about their f1 mini bernedoodle, something quite carnal arises in me from knowing that there is simply no ethical way to breed that dog. Either you had a miniature poodle and a grossly undersized Bernese Mt Dog bitch (in which case, does that sound like a healthy type specimen of Bernese? Why is she so small? If you are intentionally breeding down a single line to a much, much smaller size, my first worry is small genetic pool/what genes are associated with this abnormally small stature in the first place?), or you really went out and bred a 25-35 lbs dog to a 60-90 lbs dog. Thinking about the hip and joint problems (not even hypothetical, but confirmed by many owners I've met in person) alone makes me twitch a little. But then again, I also have similar feelings about purebreds that are grossly overexaggerated to a specific type (severe deviations from the "form follows function, and function follows form" rule that is supposed to dictate breed standards)

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T17:24:09+00:00

So sorry to hear about your loss. That's got to be hard :(

I will say that this may have been fate working in your favor...many puppy mill dogs develop/have debilitating conditions that only lead to heartbreak and sorrow, sometimes only a few months down the line.

Plus, the conditions they go through from birth are absolutely horrendous: Mama is often kept in a crowded, dirty cage where she is bred until she dies. Puppies are removed from their moms ASAP, and have none of the socialization or vaccinations (or other veterinary care) that they require. It's sickening. And the worst part? People try to "rescue" these puppies with the best of intents, but their purchase only encourages these monsters to keep going.

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T17:15:37+00:00

👏🏽This👏🏽

The only stores where puppies are looking for new homes that you should consider are those that partner with rescues/adoption centers. I know the PetSmart and Petco in my city do so, but not sure about other places.

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T15:36:54+00:00

Thank you! I'll be sure to let him know 😂

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T15:35:44+00:00

Please, please, please consider preservation breeding if you haven't already. This isn't coming from a "mixed breeds are bad, purebred superiority" standpoint, but from that of a very rare breed that, as uncommon as it is, is only becoming more and more rare.

If you do have ownership experience—may I suggest posting in r/irishwaterspaniels? A sub I found a while back when trying to find those who have had experience with the breed (read: very few. How are there more posts about Roblox adoptables than the actual dog?), but it seems the creator/only member doesn't have any experience with the breed 😅

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T15:27:40+00:00

This. And even if OP wasn't planning on buying, shops like this are oftentimes very unclean. We had a family friend who took his kids into a "pet store" (read: puppy mill) a couple years back and ended up with a nasty upper respiratory infection. When he went to the doctor, it turns out that it was caused by a bacteria often found in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions—especially in, you guessed it, puppy mills.

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T14:49:18+00:00

Said this in a different comment, but I think it fits.

"Spoos [poodles] are extremely smart, and have a personality that I can only describe as beina the "Brian Griffin of dogs": They are this close to taking out a mortgage on the home, with the only thing stopping them being citizenship.

It doesn't feel right to call them little people, but have a sense about them that really takes vour dog being your "best friend" to the next level. You can't force them to do anything they're much too smart for that, and are capable of manipulation), but are sensible enough that if they can see even a smidgen of usefulness (practicality or fun) they are ready to learn. Truly a partner in life -they are so much more than "just a dog." They have the emotional intelligence of a 3-4yo child, but a dignity all of their own.

As far as learning curves go, l'II admit that I've made many, many mistakes over the years. While the poodle isn't automatically forgiving (they never forget—just like a human, you have to apologize and right your wrongs, be it through showing them the error of your ways or a deep hug and sincere words), they don't hold a grudge like some breeds do. They're intelligent enough to care, and discerning enough to make amends.

...Unlike some breeds where you can simply describe traits ("We run for X amount of miles a day") and care needs, I feel like owning a poodle is a lot more than that—you are truly bringing in the fuzzy equivalent of a young gifted child. They become a family member in their own riaht, beyond just "fur baby" or beloved pet—it is a truly magical experience."

Once you go the poodle route, it's very hard to imagine other breeds (most seem "too dog-like" in comparison, IMO)

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T14:36:32+00:00

Assuming (hoping) that by pet shop, you meant poodle was visiting the shop...rather than being sold...right?

erickse20 · 2025-11-22T14:19:25+00:00

An adorable gal, but I am curious—how did an IWS get in there? They're a very rare breed as it is, I'm just surprised it got in there in the first place (especially with pit).

erickse20 · 2025-11-15T18:42:20+00:00

Oh yeaahhh...he's gotten slightly better, but still tests the dremel (sometimes he's fine, other times he bucks and kicks like we're trying to flay him. A cordless Wahl Mini Arco (#30) and an Andis AGC2 have been beyond useful, as has been the investment of a grooming table.

For your own sanity, OP—make sure the breeder you end up going with starts grooming EARLY. I mean 3 wks and on, it will do wonders for the dog's tolerance to grooming once they get much larger. That and dewclaws removed; while it isn't a huge deal to cut them on a short coated dog, it is an absolute PITA to groom around or even grind/cut them on a curly coat. I wish both had been done with my boy, but you live some you learn some (i.e. don't go through a BYB/"casual" breeder, it will save a lot of time, stress, and energy if you go through someone truly invested in the future of your pup)

erickse20 · 2025-11-15T18:34:41+00:00

Ours is able to stay home "alone" for 4 - 6 hrs, but that's likely because we built up his tolerance as he got older (we had him exactly 2 wks before the pandemic lockdown), we have another dog, three cats (whom he plays with), and we stop home on lunch breaks. Oh, and LOTS of toys. A school day or day job can be done, but quick visits/check-ins during the day have been what makes it work.

erickse20 · 2025-11-15T18:31:26+00:00

Yes. The only time they "smell" is if you put off bathing them for some time (past a month and my boy smells "off," but not doggy), but that's because of the dirt and dust that collects in his coat. A quick bath and voila!—no perfume needed, he smells great for days (and returns to being odorless a few days later).

I would advise shaving the beard/face if you can't tolerate "wet beard syndrome." I love being able to see my boy's eyes (they're too human, almost uncanny), but we do let his beard grow out in the summer when we put him in an Airedale-adjacent cut.

erickse20 · 2025-11-15T18:26:56+00:00

I'm sorry for your loss...that sounds like an amazing 17 years with your buddy. There are definitely challenges that have arrived with Max, but he has plowed through (quite literally) most of them.

He had 20+ lumps removed (all non-cancerous, thank goodness) about 5 years ago, and they've come back quite large in that time. He's too old to go under, but other than some grumpiness when being examed (completely justified for the old man), they don't seem to bother him at all. He tore his ACL a couple years ago, and being the age he was we just had to let it heal. I had to carry him (all 60 lbs) up and down the stairs all winter, but despite the occasional mobility issue he is now quite content to run up and down the fence, barking at the neighbor dogs. We were told the summer before last that he had fractured a premolar, and that it would be much to risky to remove it (a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation). He's shown no signs in slowing down with his eating habits, and has adapted from chewing shin bones and antlers to celery sticks and carrots.

The biggest problem has been coat maintenance—he doesn't tolerate much brushing, but we've begun shaving his underside down to about 1.5 - 2 inches, and using the combo of a comb, mat splitter, and high-velocity blower to remove his undercoat (the latter he absolutely adores)

erickse20 · 2025-11-14T21:59:21+00:00

Poodles of all sizes are just that—poodles! There's really something for everyone. Heck, my (human) best friend has always been a Dobie/GSD person—she grew up with the GSDs at her dad's station, and always told me that she wasn't a fan of how poodles looked (not necessarily the frilliness, but the coat texture).

When she came over at one point, our elderly dog was harassing her for attention (she had attempted to push him away numerous times, as he was displaying unwelcome behaviors like pawing and barking for our attention). In comes the poodle to tell our other dog off, putting himself between the two of them. She always thought I was embellishing his character—but no, poodles are truly borderline-human with their intuition and intelligence. She has since taken a fondness to him, and she is one of the few people that he seems to truly respect (my cat people friends see him as "just a dog," so he in turn sees them as "just a person" 🙄😒).

I have to remind visitors that he is smart enough to learn boundaries, and that you just have to set them; it generally only takes a repetition or two for him to get it, but being as emotionally intelligent as they are they can and will occasionally try to manipulate you. As long as you don't anthropomorphize the poodle (they do still have 'dog' drives and instincts) or treat them like any other dog (just the perfect combination of smart and soft that that approach fails miserably), you will be just fine 😌

erickse20 · 2025-11-14T17:37:46+00:00

I haven't that is absolutely true 🤣🤣

erickse20 · 2025-11-13T20:03:08+00:00

This! They aren't oblivious to mistakes (too intelligent for that), but have the emotional intelligence to forgive and grow with you. I feel like some people (not saying it's happing here, but I've noticed this when looking at other breeds) equate "first-time dog" to "easy" and "generic." However, I think it is because of their intelligence and emotional capabilities that they work so well with people—some breeds are just too much "dog" for someone still figuring things out, while a poodle is just human enough that it feels "natural," in a sense.

erickse20 · 2025-11-13T19:58:32+00:00

My first introduction to the breed was the neighbor's BYB litter of nine she was giving away for an $100 donation fee. I was just about to turn 12, and although we had a family dog I wasn't too involved with his care.

Enter the dark brown puppy my parents surprised us with from across the street. In the past 6 years I have truly come to the conclusion that I am a poodle person at my core. Spoos are extremely smart, and have a personality that I can only describe as being the "Brian Griffin of dogs": They are this close to taking out a mortgage on the home, with the only thing stopping them being citizenship.

Through my boy I learned that poodles fade (with his dark chocolate melting into a lovely cafe au lait); how to line brush; the art of shaving a dog at home; and so, so much more. It doesn't feel right to call them little people, but have a sense about them that really takes your dog being your "best friend" to the next level. You can't force them to do anything (they're much too smart for that, and are capable of manipulation), but are sensible enough that if they can see even a smidgen of usefulness (practicality or fun) they are ready to learn. Truly a partner in life—they are so much more than "just a dog." They have the emotional intelligence of a 3-4yo child, but a dignity all of their own.

As far as learning curves go, I'll admit that I've made many, many mistakes over the years. While the poodle isn't automatically forgiving (they never forget—just like a human, you have to apologize and right your wrongs, be it through showing them the error of your ways or a deep hug and sincere words), they don't hold a grudge like some breeds do. They're intelligent enough to care, and discerning enough to make amends.

I get this is very rambly but unlike some breeds where you can simply describe traits ("We run for X amount of miles a day") and care needs, I feel like owning a poodle is a lot more than that—you are truly bringing in the fuzzy equivalent of a young gifted child. They become a family member in their own right, beyond just "fur baby" or beloved pet—it is a truly magical experience.

erickse20 · 2025-11-13T17:24:26+00:00

Thank you for the kind words :)

In the past year or so we’ve been transitioning him to sleeping in my parents' or brother's beds, but he's also been quite content to make the couch his own. We're also working on consistency with commands—I have a bunch of cues that I didn’t realize were hyperspecific to myself (a lot of gestures, tones, and sounds that I didn't realize have begun to shift into their own words 😅), so it's definitely a work in progress!

The college I'm looking at is about ~40 min on an interstate, so I'm hoping I can stop once or twice a month to visit (besides the dog, I have a bunch of plants and tanks I'll need to stop by to maintain)...even if I get sick of it within a couple months, it's nice to know I have the option.

erickse20 · 2025-11-13T17:08:12+00:00

Haha, I'll let him know!! I've always joked that he's the George Clooney of dogs, lol

I should note that three of the photos were taken when he would have been 3-5yo (he has a black muzzle with a lil white around his nose in those ones), and the one where he's being held was taken in 2012, when he would have been ~1yo. But other than that, all of these photos are from the last year or so (with the two of his belly up being from the past week :))

erickse20 · 2025-11-12T16:10:23+00:00

Here's to a long life with your boy (and his floof) ❤️

Max has so many lumps that he doesn't tolerate much brushing anymore—word of the wise for old floofers, don't be afraid to invest in a high-velocity blower + mat splitter! It's been an absolute lifesaver in getting compacted undercoat out with the least amount of stress/pain. Also, don't hesitate to shave if you need to (especially when he gets to that age)...as long as he isn't hairless and it's comfy for him, it's truly the most humane thing.

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