SPFL Earns Top Honors:
UKC Breed Top Ten 2020 and 2021
Conformation…therapy work…performance sports….these poodles do it ALL!
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The Standard Poodle
LEARN ABOUT THE BREED
SPFL Poodle slideshow:
Reserve Best In Show
Puppy (RBISP):
What we do
Our Specialties
Breeding
Utilizing experience, education and science to create healthier generations of standard poodles
Training
Puppies may remain with us for additional training (house/crate/leash/basic training) and we provide support for SPFL puppies for their lifetime
Rehoming
Rehabilitation and rehoming of poodles retired from the show ring and/or rescued from the community
Showing
Proving our dogs meet the standards published by the national parent breed club in terms of structure and temperament and demonstrating the versatility of the breed
What Drives Us
Our Mission
The mission of Standard Poodles of Forest Lakes is to improve the standard poodle breed; providing the best possible outcome in terms of health and quality of life. This is accomplished through:
- Proving our dogs in the conformation ring for correct structure and temperament
- Demonstrating the versatility of the poodle in performance sports and other activities
- Continuously participating in breed and breeder education
- Completing extensive health testing
- Pairing genetically diverse dams and sires
- Raising well-balanced and resilient puppies
- Uniting families with puppies who are matched for success
- Providing life-long support for SPFL puppies and their families
- Sharing our knowledge and experience with the next generation of pet owners, handlers and/or breeders
BEST PRACTICES
AKC publishes a variety of helpful documents for new puppy and dog owners. Click HERE to navigate to a page full of information about preparing for your new puppy.
Two other great resources are the Poodle Club of America Website and VIPoodle.
We’ve assembled a resource for Grooming your pet poodle at home.
Poodle Clipping and Grooming: The International Reference by Shirlee Kalstone is one of the most comprehensive grooming books for the breed.
For new puppy owners, we recommend the book Train Your Puppy Positively by Victoria Stillwell.
Puppy Culture (PC) provides structure for early puppy development (first 12 weeks). Be sure to visit the “Learn” page on the Puppy Culture website. Visit your puppy and observe Puppy Culture at work. We are happy to provide detailed records of our PC activities with your puppy.
We are available for all of your questions for the life of your Forest Lakes puppy! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
If you take one of our puppies home, he or she will come with a detailed record sheet, several days worth of food and treats, a collar and leash, a blanket, a toy, travel items, and a puppy handbook.
FAQ
Health
Standard Poodles live long, happy, healthy lives thanks to the efforts of dedicated, responsible breeders who routinely test all breeding stock. As with all breeds, however, some health issues can occur including hip dysplasia and several eye disorders.
Sebaceous Adenitis and Addison’s Disease are also seen in the breed on occasion. Although scientists have not yet identified the exact genes for these disorders, they have identified certain markers that relate to higher risk. With this information and our dogs’ DNA results, we can be sure to breed away from those risky genetic markers.
Visit our Health Info page for more information and links.
Grooming
Unless you plan to keep your Poodle clipped in a short trim, you will need to learn how to brush how to brush him daily to keep his coat from matting. If you do not brush and comb a full-coated Poodle completely to the skin, the hair will mat near the roots and will have to be shaved off to start all over with new growth. Most pet owners opt to keep the Poodle in a shorter trim. Some owners learn to do this clipping and trimming themselves, while others choose to take their dog to a professional dog groomer every four to six weeks for a bath, grooming, and nail trim. The breed’s relatively non-shedding coat makes the breed a good choice for people with allergies.
Exercise
Poodles of any size are very active dogs who require good exercise every day to suit their high energy level. Poodles are eager for all kinds of activity, and they enjoy keeping busy. Swimming is great exercise for them, and most Poodles love to get in the water. Bred as hunting dogs, their impulse is to retrieve, so tossing toys, sticks, or balls for them will exercise both their mind and body. They also thrive on going for jogs or long walks with their human..
Training
Poodles are extremely intelligent and are easily trained. They are agile and graceful as well as smart, and they enjoy and excel in a variety of canine sports, including agility, obedience, and tracking. They are excellent water-retrievers and also compete in dock diving and retriever hunt tests. Poodles are very people-oriented, and if your training routines are fun and positive, they are quick to please you. Just be sure that you are being consistent with what you ask.
Nutrition
If you are feeding your Poodle a commercial food, follow the suggested feeding guidelines. These are usually pretty spot-on. Since these are based on both age and weight, do not estimate how much your Poodle weighs but rather know what this is within a pound or two.
