What Is With Thais And Poodles?

[girlx]

the mama dog next door to me just had 9 puppies. granted they are all mutts, but in the next few weeks they will either die off or be poisoned by the thais. what do my neighbors do? they go out and buy a poodle and ignore the 9 babies under their house. i hate poodles, they are the ugliest, yappiest dogs ever, and thais coddle them to death. how can they treat those things with worship and ignore the dogs that really need help?

[bkkmadness]

I don't like poodles either. Surprised to find out the other day though that they are one of the most intelligent dog breeds.

I'm sure the 9 puppies will be cared for by the parent dogs, survival of the fittest at the end of the day, you can't save them all Girlx.

[endure]

Poodles are very bright. They were originally bred to be 'water dogs' the same as the retriever.

[November Rain]

Fraid I'm with you, girlx. I really don't get the Thai fixation with "designer dogs" (purebreds, esp small breeds) when there are so many Thai dogs needing a home. IMO, though I could be wrong, it's more about being seen with a status symbol ("I can afford a purebred dog") than any great love for dogs in general. Either that, or they treat them like teddy bears; clothes, hair accessories, one woman here actually dyes her poodle different colours (shocking pink & blue are the most common). And why do they carry them everywhere? Surely, the reason that they have legs is so they can walk?

[Thaddeus]

Never underestimate Poodle Power.

I never used to be a lover of small dogs, but wifey was very insistent that we got this one (meemee) a couple of years ago.

She is probably the most intelligent and loyal dogs that I have ever owned. Fine guard dog too, not yappy all the time, but makes a hel_l of a racket when strangers come near. (no sarky comments about my step-daugher either please)

[Jingthing]

Poodles are usually better for people with dog allergies; their hair has a different quality. And they are scary smart. The one major flaw I can think of is that they are so smart that they pick up the emotional situation of the family they live in, so if a family is neurotic or dysfunctional, they can mirror that.

[leisurely]

I like the standard ones, tall and lean. Don't like the little ones though. Particularly the blondy coloured ones with tear mark like stains around their eyes. That makes me feel sick

[bina]

my parents just adopted a two yr old male toy blond with tear mark like stains... he is portable, companionable, a couch potatoe and licks toes well... and hyperallergenic.... but they have to watch out for the desert cats and owls as he would be a tasty snack (arizona )

he's great for two older people as a companion for walks, tv watching etc and he can travel with them in a carrier box when they visit grandkids etc..

my father had always liked JRT's and bullterriers etc... who would have thought...

standards/royal giants are great (i used to breed poodles in the states) with natural rasta coats... the are true sports dogs, run, jump, swim, attentative, alert and pleasant to be around...

we have two toy reds living next door in natural coat... they are total outdoor poodles, hike, swim, work in orchards with their boss; my arab worker has a toy poodle that lives with the goats, he, the poodle that is, even suckled from them... hardy little beast...but in the houe a total spoiled beast.

its the people that make them those awful yappy spoiled brat type creatures, rather like ponies and other 'small' animals...

Edited December 14, 2006 by bina

[Nienke]

I like the standard ones, tall and lean. Don't like the little ones though. Particularly the blondy coloured ones with tear mark like stains around their eyes. That makes me feel sick

Actually I like poodles, although naturally they are nothing compared with a boxer

And I like the hand-bag size as well, it's easy: you put them in your pocket and 'off you go' Try that with your rottie or boxer ....

Yappy, snappy and other yekky behavior is made. When poodles no matter the size (and all the other small breeds) are handled as normal dogs then you can have real nice companions.

Poodles are highly trainable and understand tricks very quick. Meaning that they learn undesired behavior very quick as well, which is often the case as many small dogs lack proper education and are over-protected by the owners.

[mijan24]

Poodle for me add to all the points raised so far - Very Very Clea n and they do not shed their coat all over the house. Will take a "Toy" Poodle over all other makes and models.

Must also add currently housesitting for a friend which includes the two Labs one is 7 the other is 3 they certainly reinforce the addage " A Dog is a Mans Best Friend" Although the older of the two snores rather loudly and the younger has either picked up the gene or is a great impersonator. They nearly drown out the wife (nearly I said)

Edited December 14, 2006 by mijan24

[Boatabike]

I believe the Thai fixation with Poodles stems from the fact they fit in the front basket on the Honda dream. Ever tried getting a Bulldog into a basket?

[Old Man River]

Never underestimate Poodle Power.

I never used to be a lover of small dogs, but wifey was very insistent that we got this one (meemee) a couple of years ago.

She is probably the most intelligent and loyal dogs that I have ever owned. Fine guard dog too, not yappy all the time, but makes a hel_l of a racket when strangers come near. (no sarky comments about my step-daugher either please)

I couldn't agree with you more about poodles. I used to hate them, but now that I have one I see they are wonderful little dogs. If someone ever broke into our compound, my golden may knock them over while yelling let's play, let's play, let's play ... However, my poodle alarm dog would make such a racket that everyone would take notice.

They are great dogs. I do hate it though when I see people putting clothes and ribbons on their poodles.

[Little Black Duck]

I always thought Poodles were for Little Old Ladies and they were Stupid...

Boy was I wrong..The Most Loyal, Intelligent, Tenacious little dog you will ever know..

My Little Guy was the Best mate I ever Had..Pity I had to give him up but he is well loved and looked after in his new home..

I miss him more than life itself..

[BlackArtemis]

What is with the poodle hate? And they are the most intelligent breed by many standard. I have a standard (run) back in the states, and he has been in many scraps with other dogs including a rotti. They were used to finish big game kills like lions, thus the reason they are cut so funny, to look like a lion. They are also one of the few breeds that will finish off a kill when hunting.

I would like to know where I can get a black standard poodle in Chiang Mai...

[bina]

wrong, those wierd pompom hair cuts were for when retrieving as they are water retrievers... the fur on the chest and joints to protect from cold; the rest of the hair off to help in drying off and not being water loaded down when swimming. they are 'soft' mouth retrievers, i.e. they carry their game, not kill it...

back when i was 16 yrs old i trained and showed royal standard black and a small mini also black

bina

[tutsiwarrior]

I posted on another thread that on return from my last assignment I found that my wife had acquired a dog...a scruffy little mutt that tried repeatedly to bite me. The dog annoyed me and I reckon like a lot of thai dogs, it didn't like falangs. It's fur has since grown out an lo...it is a poodle...looks just like the photo that was posted on this thread.

I've been home now for a few months and the little dog has actually become affectionate...it had a litter of pups and the surviving one follows me around wanting attention in the way that small dogs do. So...I can say that poodles aren't bad at all...really good with the kids who are always manhandling them.

I try not to get too attached to animals as I was devastated when my cat was killed 20 years ago. But this little dog is all right...

[MTW]

Well, I am adding to a post that is old so maybe nobody will read it, but I have to defend the poodle as others here are doing.

My first dog was a white small poodle, that my parents got when I was 3, and he lived for 18 years. I have had several others since then, and they have all been extremely long lived. They are one of the smartest breeds, some say the number 1 smartest, and their hair doesn't shed because some dog breeds have the same type of hair humans have, and those breeds are the least likely to cause allergy to people who have animal allergies.

However, I dont' have dog allergies, and have owned many types of dogs and must say that poodles are my absolute favorite! They are smart, sweet, affectionate, as well as killer guard dogs and usually the leader of the pack no matter what size your other dogs are. I know that some can become very yappy but that is usually the owner's fault . Because they are so smart, they learn some bad habits. Dog trainers commonly say that the smartest dogs are the most difficult to train, because they learn the ways to get what they want. Dumb dogs are the easiest to train because they want to please you (as do all dogs) and are not so smart to find the ways around you.

I have had a total of 7 poodles in my life. They make great companions, are easy to care for, as long as you can afford 4 haircuts a year min, or do by yourself ... they don't care what they look like. But their hair never stops growing, much like human hair. And the reason I believe that they are so popular in Thailand is due to the Thai's liking small dogs, and the fact that they are smart enough to survive well here, and that the King has some ... who he dresses up in clothes, the reason I think Thai people like to dress them up as well.

I really don't know what to say to truly explain them, other than to know a poodle is to love a poodle, as others on this posting are claiming even though they really aren't dog people or didn't like them before they owned one. If you are only going to have one dog in life, a poodle is an excellent choice. But take good care of him/her. Do things you don't think are important, like get his teeth cleaned. Because these folks are one of the longest living breeds, although they get some health problems when old, they can survive happily for much longer than people expect. They probably will get blind, deaf, arthritic, and congestive heart failure is one of the main killers. But these things can be managed with meds and decent vet care. They are hardy little animals and should be treated with respect.

I once saw a poodle come into the hospital that I owned, who had been attacked, and in my view, partially eaten by some coyotes. When he arrived at my emergency clinic, he had his throat ripped out, and he was 75% skinned, as in, the other wild dogs had ripped the skin off of him getting ready to eat him. His owner heard the cries as he was in their backyard, and when the owner went forward looking for him the coyotes dropped him. But let me say again, they had ripped off 75% of his skin. He was like a medical book photo, with only muscle showing, and had some skin only on his head, and his belly.

He survived and went through a very long painful period. There was not enough skin to sew him up. He was awake and aware of everything when he arrived at my emergency hospital. He let us work on him, never made a sound, just looked at everything with big eyes. He let us change his bandages and clean his muscle tissue, without compaint (of course we shot him up with morphine at the time but I am talking also about the several weeks that followed) and he grew back some skin, without hair, and made it back to his homelife. We suggested skin grafts but the owner didn't want to pay that much. He went through a long painful period of having his bandages changed a few times a day, he never had to be muzzled, and never bit anyone or even threatened.

I can honestly say that I have never seen tougher dogs than poodles as a general rule. And even the ones I had that lived to 18, had to be put to sleep because of chronic problems that were making their lives unbearable, at least in our opinions. But even though I did put them to sleep, I can say that I never felt 100% sure that this was really the time. I did my best and sometimes feel that I let them suffer something like serious arthritis too long, but on the other hand, they would continue to eat well and always show a spark for life that I could not deny.

I really could write a book for several of the poodles I had and how their lives went. So many totally against all odds.

So, if you are lucky enough to have a poodle, treasure him like one of your closest family members. They will pay you back more than any human can ever do!