Posted: 4/28/2025 7:44:54 AM EDT
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Sorry in advance, this may be a long post. Please bear with me. Earlier this year, we had to put down our 8-1/2 year old Miniature Schnauzer Ares. He had an unexpected ruptured disk in his back, which caused his back half to get paralyzed, and the vet hospital did not have confidence that surgery would work, and gave very low chances of him leading a normal life afterwards. So we made the difficult decision to put him down. We had gotten Ares from an Amish breeder in Pennsylvania, he was a pure-bred (from what we were told) with AKC papers. We had no interest in showing or breeding him, so that didnt really matter to us. We met his litter and he seemed to bond with us best, so we picked him. He did have some minor issues with his eyes (they were a little cloudy, but did not affect his vision). We did not care about this though, and bought him anyways. He was one of the larger pups in his litter, and was about 20 pounds of muscle fully grown. It's been a few months now, and my wife and daughter (turning 8 in May), are looking at mini-poodles. We liked that Ares was a hypoalergenitc dog, as it led to less furr around the house, and did not mess with my wifes allergies (they get kinda bad in the spring / fall with pollen). They like the mini-poodles, partially due to the hypoalergenic nature, as well as their size. They seem to be a little smaller than our last dog Ares, which my daughter likes. Shes not a fan of bigger dogs, not becuase of a bad experience, just due to their size. They have picked out and fallen in love with a merle puppy mini-poodle. I will admit, he looks adorable and I have no issues with the poodle breed. And here's where I'm torn. Personally, I would prefer going up a little in size from Ares, to the Standard Poodle size. I would prefer a smaller Standard Poodle (about 40-50 lbs). However, I think this is going to spell disaster for our family, for the following reasons: 1.) We live in a smaller house, about 1,600 Sq. Ft single story ranch 2.) Have a small-ish yard. We have about an acre of land, all flat. about 1/3 in the back is woods, about 1/3 is the back yard, and about 1/3 is the front yard, which butts up to a road 3.) Size may be an issue with my daughter, since she doesnt seem to like big dogs Now, I think #3 can be overcome if we get a puppy and she helps raise it (whish she seems very excited to do). However I am not sure if #1 and #2 can be overcome easily. With Ares, we could keep him in the back yard and play, and that was plenty big for him. Though, he was half the size of a Standard Poodle. If we could use the whole yard, we would probably be pretty good, but I'd have to look into some kind of fence system (either solid fance, or some kind of electric one). Our back yard is fenced in, but the front 1/3 is not. We do live within 5 minutes drive of my parents house (with 9 open acres), as well as the local town park, who allows dogs as long as they are on a leash (though I've seen other dogs off leashes). Now there's a second piece to this. The breeder I'm loooking into basically breeds dogs that have show-dog pedigree, so they have great, tracable blood lines to prevent in-breeding and help prevent health issues (yes, I'm aware that nothing is guaranteed). While I'm not planning on showing or breeding this dog, it is nice to know the lineage. The merle mini-poodle my wife has picked, is NOT AKC certified. From what the breeder says, it cannot be, as the father is a merle coloring, which AKC does not recognize. From what I'm finding (which nothing seems definitive), some claim the merle coloring is not a natural color to the poodle, and that it is a result of impure breeding with other dog breeds, like the Australian Shepherd. And others think that the Merle was selectively bred out, due to demand and favor of solid colors vs the merle. Now that in itself is not a deal breaker for me. I personally love the merle coloring on a poodle (or just about any dog for that matter). In addition, since we are not showing or breeding the dog, the AKC papers dont really mean much to me other than the peace of mind for the health reasons mentions prior. What is a little worrysome though, for me, is that some claim the merle colored dogs seem to have higher risk of hearing and vision issues as they get older. Obviously I want to have a healthy dog, and want to lessen the risk of issues down the road. So I'm a little torn. Part of me does want the merle mini-poodle that my wife picked out, as he is adorable, and I think the mini-size may be a better suit for my family. However, part of me does want a standard poodle, with proven lineage and higher chance of being healthy, for longer. Though the size may be a bit of an issue for reasons mentioned. Yes, I know I am over-thinking this to a degree, but this is a long-term investment in our family and time, and want to make sure I make the right decision. |
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Holy wall of text. #2 isn't an issue. You realize people keep German shepherds in little 800 sq ft apartments, right? A little shit dog like you're talking in a 1/3 acre backyard is like a human on 40 acres. #3 is fine, most likely. She'll love the dog..... rat .... whatever size you buy. |
Numbers 1 and 2 are non-issues IMHO. No. 3....I think that if your daughter doesn't really want the dog she gets from day 1 it may be a hard issue to overcome. Would she end up liking a bigger dog, probably. But if the dog is going to mainly be hers, then I would get what she wants, within reason of course. You know it's 2 women against one man don't you? I'm pretty sure the battle is probably already lost. Good luck on whichever pup y'all decide on.
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To clarify, this dog will be a family dog. I am not getting the dog "for my daughter". I want her input obviously since she is going to be around it literally any time she is home. With Ares, I took care of him primarily. I took him out morning & night, fed him, etc. Family played with him and snuggled with him, but all the lame stuff I did. Daughter would prefer a smaller dog because Ares, though small, could give a good pull when he wanted to on the leash (since he was pretty much solid muscle). Didnt do it often, but he was capable. My daughter did not like that, so she wants a smaller dog so she feels more comfortable walking it on the leash. Another option I had considered, is to bring my daughter to my dads friends house (who I've known almost my whole life as well). He has had standard poodles as far back as I can remember, and currently has 3 of them. I think they are on the larger side of the scale though. Could see if we could visit so my daughter can see them full grown and see how she interacts with them. EDIT: I did warn my daughter though about handling a mini-poodle. Smaller dog with smaller bones will be more easily hurt. Ares never got hurt from handling him, but my daughter didnt really do that as he was too big and heavy. The merle mini-poodle they are looking as is estimated to be about 10-15 lbs based on the parents. |
| Poodles are fantastic dogs. We had two, one about 25 lbs and the other about 15. They both lived 17 years. The little one was a stray puppy that was brought to us, and though small he was tough, he even took a couple of car hits over the years. They are not fragile at that size. I'd love to have another poodle someday. |
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Originally Posted By Phillbilly: Whichever one they have at the shelter. ^^^^This. Rescues are the best dogs. They are appreciative of what you did for them. Health issues are a roll of the dice on any dog, any breed, any size. Yes, certain breeds have greater percentages of certain ailments, but no guarantees. |
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Just wanted to update this thread. Went over to my dads friends house. His 3 standard poddles are all girls, on the smaller side (upper 30's to low 40's pounds). I personally loved the size. Not too big, but bigger than Ares was. Daughter liked them... once they calmed down. But when they were being playful, you could tell she wasnt comfortable. Once they calmed down and they were just enjoying the attention / petting, then she was okay. After we left, she said she liked the dogs, and the size isnt too bad (she thought they would be bigger), but she would still prefer the Miniature Poodle. Wife was the same way, liked them once calm, but was a little nervous once they got riled up. She said she would be okay with a standard if thats the route we wanted to go, but would prefer the Miniature Poodle as well. So we all agreed that the Miniature was the way to go. I was out voted, but there was no way I was going to "pull rank" and get a standard poodle knowing my daughter would not be comfortable around it. |
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Originally Posted By BlindFaith429: Personally, I would prefer going up a little in size from Ares, to the Standard Poodle size. I would prefer a smaller Standard Poodle (about 40-50 lbs). However, I think this is going to spell disaster for our family, for the following reasons: 1.) We live in a smaller house, about 1,600 Sq. Ft single story ranch 2.) Have a small-ish yard. We have about an acre of land, all flat. about 1/3 in the back is woods, about 1/3 is the back yard, and about 1/3 is the front yard, which butts up to a road 3.) Size may be an issue with my daughter, since she doesnt seem to like big dogs My yard and house are a good bit smaller than yours and I have zero problems keeping a pair of Dobermans happy with what we have. Go for the standard poodle and don't think twice about it... :) |
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Originally Posted By BlindFaith429: So we all agreed that the Miniature was the way to go. I was out voted, but there was no way I was going to "pull rank" and get a standard poodle knowing my daughter would not be comfortable around it. Those mini things are not Standard Poodles and will not be as smart as Standard Poodles generally are. In the same way Min Pins are NOT miniature Dobermans... You chose poorly brother. :) |
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Originally Posted By Aaron56: Those mini things are not Standard Poodles and will not be as smart as Standard Poodles generally are. In the same way Min Pins are NOT miniature Dobermans... You chose poorly brother. :) I've known several people with miniature poodles. He didn't choose poorly, he chose best for his family, although I really hope you meant that as a joke. Good luck BF429, I bet your family will have many happy years with the new pup. 
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Originally Posted By SixpackinOk: I've known several people with miniature poodles. He didn't choose poorly, he chose best for his family, although I really hope you meant that as a joke. Good luck BF429, I bet your family will have many happy years with the new pup. Originally Posted By SixpackinOk: Originally Posted By Aaron56: Those mini things are not Standard Poodles and will not be as smart as Standard Poodles generally are. In the same way Min Pins are NOT miniature Dobermans... You chose poorly brother. :) I've known several people with miniature poodles. He didn't choose poorly, he chose best for his family, although I really hope you meant that as a joke. Good luck BF429, I bet your family will have many happy years with the new pup. I took it as a joke since it had a smiley face at the end. Figured it was a half sarcasm, half not, but it's fine. Yes, I know a miniature is not the same as a standard. Heck, even the 3 dogs we saw, who came from the same breeder, had totally different personalities. But as I said, have to pick my battles and I dont want to have my daughter be uncomfotable around a dog every time shes home. |
When choosing a dog there is only one answer. The Rottweiler, the gentle giant of the K9 family will quickly become your daughters best friend and fiercest protector. No harm would come to that child until that dogs last breath. Mine sleeps with the cat and loves to play with out 2 little rescue dogs as well. They really are the worlds greatest dogs. I mean how could you not fall in love with a face like this. I raised 5 kids with these dogs.     |
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If you're not stuck on Poodles, I'd suggest a Havanese. https://marketplace.akc.org/puppies/havanese/connecticut https://www.pawrade.com/puppies-for-sale/connecticut/havanese/ Great dogs, non shedding, super smart and friendly and cute, about 12-16lbs weight. My Mom introduced me to the breed. She was living in NYC years ago, and she would randomly stop and ask these professional dog walkers which small dog they recommended the most. They almost all suggested a Havanese. Now my Mom and best friend both have one, and they are wonderful dogs. 
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