Understanding your Poodle’s behavior

What defines them

Under the clip, the poodle is a water and retrieving dog, among the most intelligent and most sensitive there are. He learns a trick in a few tries, reads your moods instantly and gets discouraged fast under a harsh voice. His coat, which grows without shedding, demands regular grooming, which becomes the friction point for many poodles: sessions endured build a dog who flees hands. In all sizes, from toy to standard, the character is the same: quick, attached, a little nervous.

What matters when you read them

• He dodges when you bring out the brush or collar: a bad memory. Start over gently, not harder.
• He barks at building noises: a fine alert, not a snappy dog. Work on the “thank you”.
• He hides or trembles under a loud voice: the breed’s sensitivity. Lower the tone, he already understands.
• He circles or paces: an under-occupied mind. He needs to learn, not just to walk.

Three things that help

Grooming without drama. Often, short, with a flat voice and treats. Stop before he has had enough. The poodle remembers rough hands.

One trick a day. A tiny trick, an object to name, a puzzle. The mind feeds as much as the leash.

Hands that announce themselves. Show the hand, let him sniff, touch. Never over the head or by surprise.

Young, adult, senior

As a puppy, get him used to hands, the grooming table and the clipper noise through play: the most rewarding investment of his life. As an adult he stays playful and easily trains his family to his habits. As a senior, eyes, teeth (in the small ones) and knees need watching. A poodle who suddenly refuses hands on one area is probably in pain.