The best place to find a purebred poodle is to go through a poodle
breeder.
Finding the Poodle Breeder
There are several ways to find poodle breeders. Simply going
online and typing the words "poodle breeder" into your
favorite search engine can result in almost a quarter of a million
hits. You can narrow things down a little by adding your city
name, but you're still likely to come up with more hits than you
know how to handle.
Besides, you don't want to find just any poodle breeder. Face
it, any fool could breed two dogs of questionable origin that
look vaguely like poodles and call him or herself a poodle breeder.
You don't want to deal with these fly-by-night charlatans. You
want the real thing.
A better way to find a poodle breeder is to ask advice from your
veterinarian and your poodle-owning friends. Which breeder would
they recommend? If you're talking to friends, ask them what they
didn't like about the poodle breeder they selected as well as
what they did like.
If you don't have any friends with poodles, another way to find
a reputable breeder is to contact the Poodle Club of America and
ask for a recommendation. You might also consider attending dog
shows in your area and speaking with poodle owners about local
breeders with good reputations.
Choosing the Right Poodle Breeder
Ideally, you want to get the names of a few breeders to speak
to. Make contact with them and see what they have to offer before
making your final selection. It will certainly help if you knew
ahead of time the type of Poodle you were looking for. If you
have your heart set on a
Toy Poodle, then it will make sense to look specifically for
Toy Poodle Breeders.
Price is certainly one concern, but it shouldn't be the only
one.
You may also want to ask them about how long they've been in
the business. How much do they know about poodles and poodle training?
If the breeder you're speaking to breeds show dogs, how have his
or her dogs done in competition?
Certainly you should have the chance to see your puppy before
you buy it. Ideally, you will also be able to take a look at the
poodle pup's parents, at least the mother. Seeing the puppy's
mother may give you a hint of what your own dog will be like as
an adult.
Ask the poodle breeder what sort of documentation he or she is
willing to provide. Also ask if the poodle breeder places any
restrictions on purchasing the animal. Some breeders, for instance,
will only sell if the new owner promises to have the poodle spayed
or neutered. Other breeders request that if the owner can no longer
keep the dog, the poodle be returned to the breeder instead of
given away to a friend or placed in a shelter.
