Poodle Breeders
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.
Whatever puppy you select, finding a quality poodle breeder is vital to your success with your new pet.
