Dior Wins Best in Show at 18 months

Standard Poodles of Forest Lakes 10th BIS/RBIS!!!

I couldn’t be more proud of my second generation Forest Lakes girl! Dior is a wonderful dog all-around. She is sweet and cuddly, smart and driven, and a complete joy to spend time with.

Dior was selected by my mentor as a keeper from her litter, and I am so very glad she stayed here with me!

Title Acronyms Revisited: There Is More to Those Letters Than You Might Think

by sixgun | September 30, 2026 | Poodle Pulse | 0 Comments

In June 2023, I wrote Title Acronyms 1-2-3: Avoid the Confusion to help explain some of the letters you see before and after dogs' registered names. CH, GCH, CGC, BCAT, TKN and the seemingly endless collection of other acronyms can be confusing if you aren't involved...

𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬

by sixgun | September 27, 2026 | Poodles, puppies | 0 Comments

You take your new puppy to the hardware store. Within five minutes: “Oh my gosh! A puppy!” “Can I pet her?” “Can my kids pet her?” And suddenly three adults, two children and somebody's shopping cart are descending upon your puppy while you're thinking: Look at us...

BREEDING 101: 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥, 𝗗𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗦! 🐩❤️

by sixgun | September 27, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

One of the things I enjoy most about raising a litter is watching the differences between the puppies emerge. They have the same parents, are raised in the same environment and receive the same early enrichment, yet they aren't identical in either structure or...

𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗗. 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧’𝗦 𝗢𝗞𝗔𝗬.

by sixgun | September 19, 2026 | Poodles, puppies | 0 Comments

One of the most useful things you can teach a Poodle is absolutely nothing. No puzzle toy. No training session. No walk. No game of fetch. No one entertaining them. Just...nothing. And for a breed as intelligent, people-oriented, and observant as the Poodle, learning...

Addison’s Disease in Standard Poodles: What the Latest Research Is Telling Us

by sixgun | August 14, 2026 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Last evening, I participated in a presentation on current Addison’s disease research in Standard Poodles, presented by Steven G. Friedenberg, DVM, PhD, DACVECC, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Friedenberg is both...

Breeder Corner: Which Tool(s) Should I Use?

by sixgun | July 29, 2026 | breeding | 0 Comments

If two dogs have a 0% COI, does that make them a good breeding pair? The answer is no—and that's where the art and science of responsible breeding come together. No single number, test, title, or opinion should determine whether two dogs are bred. Responsible breeding...

Canine Temperament and Cognition Evaluations

by sixgun | January 7, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Understanding Canine Temperament & Cognition: What the Tools Really Tell Us Choosing the right puppy—or developing the right training plan for a young or adult dog—is not about finding a single “perfect test.” Instead, it requires understanding what different...

Dog Owner’s Guide to Social Media: Tagging Breeders, Co-Owners, and Sharing Responsibly

by sixgun | November 22, 2025 | breeding, Poodles | 0 Comments

Showcasing Your Dog Online: Proper Etiquette for Tagging Breeders and Co-Owners In today’s world of social media, sharing photos and updates about our dogs has become second nature. Whether it’s a candid moment at home or a big win at a show, these posts help us...

Cleared by Parentage: How OFA Uses It, Why It Expires, and What It Means for Puppy Buyers

by sixgun | November 19, 2025 | breeding, Health, Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Cleared by Parentage: What It Really Means for Breeders and Puppy Buyers In the world of canine health testing, the term “cleared by parentage” (CBP) is often misunderstood. It sounds simple enough—the puppy is clear because both parents are genetically clear—but...

Stop the Confusion: What DNA Markers Really Mean for Your Dog’s Health

by sixgun | November 18, 2025 | breeding, Health | 1 Comment

DNA testing for animals has evolved from the early days of blood typing and parentage verification to today’s precision genomic sequencing capable of identifying thousands of markers in a single test. In the 1950s and 1960s, laboratories like the Veterinary Genetics...