Bringing A Poodle Home: Learn the Best Way to Care for It
Getting a poodle as the newest member of your family is undoubtedly a joyous and special day. A dog is always a loyal member of the family, providing years of unconditional love and security. And all it expects in return is that you provide it with a safe shelter, food and care, and lots of love.
Caring for a poodle will not come easily to someone new to the concept. So you need to be clued into the basics of how to care for your poodle because proper care is essential for its healthy and happy life. We have put together a list of essential care tips for you to follow when you are the new parent of a poodle.
Take Care of Their Dietary and Exercise Needs
The most important care for any poodle begins with their dietary needs. You must ensure that you provide them with high-quality foods. You will need to monitor the dog’s diet and make sure that it gets ample exercise each day as poodles are prone to obesity if they overeat or don’t get the required exercise. You must also ensure that your dog gets enough water every day as water helps them to digest their food properly.
You should provide your poodle enough room so it can run and play to get the exercise it needs. If you don’t want to let your dog off the leash, you can always take it for a walk, or let it run around in an enclosed area. Poodles are energetic animals so they require being taken on walks at least once every day. In the summer, you have to be conscious not to overheat your dog, so keep the walks to times when the scorching sun won’t cause any dehydration.
Keep Your Poodle’s Nails Trimmed
Many people don’t give this step enough importance, but you need to keep your dog’s nails clipped regularly. If the nails get too long, they don’t just look bad, it causes joint issues for your poodle if they have to walk on big nails for long periods.
You can find some really good quality Dog Clippers for Poodles online, and you will need these as your poodle’s nails should be trimmed regularly to avoid them getting overgrown. If your dog is going to be running around a lot, playing fetch with your kids, or going on a run with you, having long nails will be very painful for them.
Brush the Coat Daily
The shedding cycle of a poodle takes longer than most dog breeds. Poodles usually shed their coats every three weeks, while the other dog breeds shed every few days. Poodles may have curly hair trapped in their coats, giving the impression that they did not shed at all. Although poodles have usually been classified as a breed that doesn’t shed, the main thing that sets them apart from other breeds is the fact that poodles need to be groomed more regularly to remove the shedding hair.
Much of the hair will fall out on its own, and the best part is, poodle hair is very soft, making it easily removable from furniture or clothes. You can keep the shedding under control by brushing your poodle’s coat every day. You need to brush them right after they come in so that the loose hair isn’t spread all over the house.
The good news is that your allergies are not going to be affected much by the poodle as they are considered to be hypoallergenic dogs. It’s a good idea to have a lint roller handy so you can easily remove the hair right after every walk.
Keep Mats and Tangling at Bay
The curly coat of your poodle needs regular grooming, and you must provide it, although you may be tempted to cut back on the grooming sessions when you see that the shedding has decreased. A poodle’s hair should be kept tangle-free or it runs the risk of getting matted. If your poodle’s hair gets matted, it can develop skin irritations or sores, requiring you to visit the vet, so be cautious in keeping matted hair away.
Your poodle might chew on its coat or skin if you neglect your grooming duties for long enough. This can be a direct cause of matted or tangled hair and can lead to the skin underneath the dog’s coat getting torn or scratched. Hence, you must groom and trim your poodle regularly, no matter what type of poodle it is. How frequently the hair needs to be groomed largely depends on its length.
Keep Its Brain Stimulated
Poodles are bright dogs, hence they enjoy activities that help keep their brains stimulated, such as obedience training, agility classes, and swimming. Poodles can be trained fairly easily as they are known to be one of the most intelligent dog breeds. Due to their intelligence, poodles have been used as hunting dogs throughout history.
You can also train poodles very easily as they have a higher ability to learn. You don’t need to repeat a command many times before they learn it perfectly. Poodles love the praise you give to them, so you can easily train them without using food as a reward. Once a poodle learns a command or trick, it can remember it for years.
Wrapping Up
No wonder poodles are one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the USA. It might be fairly simple taking care of a poodle, but the first-time owner should be aware of some basic poodle care tips.
If you are planning to bring a poodle home, be sure that you are well versed with these care tips in advance. Poodles will protect your property from intruders with their sharp teeth, and they also make amazing companions. So follow the tips we mentioned in this article and have the perfect experience with all the joy this particular dog breed can bring to your life.
