Pre-Spoiled

Question
Hello. I'm buying my first poodle(a toy).In every newspaper ad I see it says there dogs are PRE-SPOILED. I don't know if I want a puppy that already thinks she's boss. Is A pre-spoiled puppy the best?

Answer
I've never heard "pre-spoiled" before.  Truthfully, the poodle is one of the brightest breeds around - they're smart li'l dickens! They learn quickly and ALSO learn their human - ergo how to manipulate.

Poodles have had most of the "pack mentality" bred out of them and are pretty much 4-legged people.  They are very definitely "people lovers" - and other dogs are okay, but not a primary focus.

One thing you will want to make sure of before you get him/her home - is where was she raised?  In a home around people? In a cage out back (a la puppy mill)? AKC papers are great, but they don't tell you how the dog first viewed the world.  

Another thing - by pre-spoiled, they may mean that these dogs were, in their miniature and toy form, lapdogs for French royalty.  The standard poodles were actually used for hunting dogs, as they were great in the water as well as on land.

I know - too much information!  But I do hope this helped a little bit.  

Truthfully, my dog of choice (obviously) is a poodle.  They don't shed. They're not stupid animals. They're very good companions.

Good luck!!!

Kathryn