Dogmatique Standard Poodles

Week Eight

The past two weeks have flown by. The boys have had their first grooming of tails, feet and faces, and they all did great. The girls will be groomed this week. Because standard poodles will spend so much time being clipped and brushed over their lifetimes, it's important that they get used to the process and comfortable with it early on. Ideally, a poodle should look forward to being groomed like we would look forward to a massage or a manicure, and all these pups are well on their way.

Yellow quietly watches the world go by.

We've completed the temperament testing on all the pups, which we do at 49 days old. As with previous litters, there are no real surprises, with all the pups all demonstrating consistent "middle scores". This means a pup that strikes the best possible balance — not too timid but not too dominant; loving and cuddly without being too dependent; and so on.

A pup snag's mama Gwyn's favorite tennis ball for a chew.

As they have been in previous weeks, the pups are still sleeping soundly through the night, and are already partially house broken. The instinct to not soil its "den" is what allows a pup to learn that outside is the place to go. We have a late run around 9:00 p.m., then are up and outside early by 6:30 or 7:00, and have fewer late-night messes on the pups' newspaper each day. The weather has been cooler this week with some rain, but we're still managing to spend our days outside. In addition to playing nonstop, the pups are also being exposed to their first basic commands, as a way of getting them warmed up for going to their new homes.

The pups still can't resist a quick nurse from Gwyn when she comes to play.

The first pups are leaving us starting this week, and it's very hard to see them go. However, knowing how happy they'll make their new families is what makes the last eight weeks of caring for them so worthwhile. Standard poodles make excellent companions, and our previous placements have included families with children, active adults, and retired couples. One of the things that makes standards so suitable for a wide range of families is their adaptability. Standards enjoy a wide range of activities, from light walks to distance running and swimming, and our dogs from previous litters can be found camping, boating, hunting, and even accompanying their owners to work!

The hardest part of taking puppy pictures at this age is trying to catch them while they're standing still.

On Monday, our big trip to the vet was memorable to everyone who watched us moving the pups from the van to the vet's office and back again one at a time. (This was a four-person job, so big thanks to our girls Shvaugn and Caitlin for helping out as always!) The pups travelled well and got rave reviews from our vet when he gave them their full check-up and first vaccinations, along with a last round of deworming and their microchips. Back home, they had a late breakfast and a big sleep before heading outside again for a full afternoon's romp.

When they were first born, ten puppies fit in one laundry basket with room to spare. Eight weeks later, it's three baskets and standing room only to make the drive to the vet's. (Two people in the back seat to lean over and give ear rubs makes the ride go smoothly.)

The pups are getting so independent now, and it's fun to watch them interact with each other. Because this was a big litter, we still have a great selection of boys available to place, and it's nice to know that some of them will be sticking around with us for a little while longer. As each pup goes to its new home, you can see its brothers and sisters look around for the first little while like they know something has changed. Things get back to normal fairly quickly, though, and we've always believed that each pup instinctively understands that it's getting close to the time when it will move on to the next great stage in its life.

More at Week Eleven!

Dogmatique's summer 2010 litter (from our dogs Danté and Gwyn) is here! From a healthy, happy litter of ten, we have pups available and ready to go to their new homes now. Our family-raised puppies are vet checked, microchipped, and will have had their first vaccinations. They are registered with the Canadian Kennel Club and have a lifetime of support from Dogmatique.