Above — Walking Danté at ten weeks

By the time puppies are ready to go from our home to yours, they'll have been completely weaned and will have had their first vaccinations (with clear instructions for the follow-up appointments you'll be making). They'll be well-socialized and will be starting to get comfortable with being groomed, as well as having been exposed to beginning commands ('sit', 'down', 'stand', and so forth) with treat reinforcement and reward.

When you purchase a Dogmatique puppy, you get a full pedigree and all the puppy's paperwork, as well as copies of the health testing information (OFA for hip dysplasia; CERF for eyes; Histovet for sebaceous adenitis, a skin condition; and von Willebrand's disease, a blood disorder) of the puppy's parents and grandparents (where applicable).

Our pups are left with their tails undocked, and are available as pets and companions with a requirement to spay or neuter by six months of age. Our poodles are health-guaranteed purebred stock (Canadian Kennel Club registration, vaccinated, dewormed, vet checked and microchipped). Their parents are health-tested and available for viewing anytime.

If you're thinking about a standard poodle, have a look at our 'Choosing a Poodle' page, and think about some of the following questions.

• Why are you looking for a puppy?
• Which members of your family were involved in making the decision, and how are they looking forward to it?
• What is it that made you consider a standard poodle?
• What kinds of dogs have you owned or cared for before?
• What kind of home do you have? House or apartment? Urban or rural? Fenced yard or not?
• Do you have any children? If so, how old are they?