International Parti Poodle Gazette

POODLES ON THE GO

This whole new way of living began when I first started showing my Standard girl in AKC (American Kennel Club) conformation. I was told she was FAT! I was horrified because I know *I* am fat. However, as I’ve always been very careful with my dog’s diets, I just ignored the “fat” comment. I’ve been feeding raw for the past five years with human-quality foods, supplementing with those great dried veggies (by SoJo Europa) and adding Missing Link Plus, and giving the dogs bones and organ meats on a regular basis. I really thought I was doing all the right things.

Then, several months later, my handler had Dee Dee (Dacun’s Dazzling Diva) for ten days for a show circuit and made a very pointed comment about how Dee Dee was muscling up because she was running outside all the time with his Poodles. It finally hit home. My poor girl WAS fat and out of shape, and I was not being kind by letting her stay that way. It was time to make a change!

The problem I faced was that I am disabled. Not because I’m overweight, but because multiple surgeries to both my feet have left me with limited mobility. Walking my dogs is out of the question – much less running or getting any distance or consistency. With Dee Dee being in a full continental show clip, swimming would have caused a grooming nightmare – so that was out too.

My next great idea was to take her bicycling. Being out of shape myself, I thought this would kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. It worked well . . . until the cat incident. After I untangled myself and Dee Dee from the bike and we limped home, I decided it wasn’t such a great idea after all. I obviously did not have enough control on a bike. Enter my husband who offered to take her out with his bike. He was about as successful as I had been . . . but his incident was with crazy squirrels.

I was beginning to realize that all three Poodles would benefit greatly from some form of real exercise. My two boys, Gus (U-CH Tiara Gallant) and Linas (U-Ch Tiara IwantMoreChocolate), were not really overweight. Okay, Linas was a bit of a chunk, but all the dogs had become very soft living here in Central Florida. It’s so doggone hot most of the time (or wet) that they just don’t spend time playing outdoors like they did in Southern California. That’s when I thought about using the golf cart.

At first I made two trips, one with Dee Dee and one with both boys on a tandem leash. That was okay when we were just getting started and only going a quarter to half a mile; however, the ones left at home threw such a hissy fit at the others being gone that it seemed cruel to split up their outings. Besides, we were starting to go further and faster and staying out for longer periods of time.

I finally bit the bullet and off we went on our first group outing, the dogs (Dee Dee on one leash and the boys on a tandem hitch with only one leash) at a good clip next to the golf cart and me holding the leashes in my left hand while driving with my right. The Poodles very quickly picked up on golf cart etiquette – no one got bumped – and they loved it (they even learned how to set up for inward turns). We kept going further and further until over the course of two and a half months, we increased our distance to four miles and were going out every third day. So, I guess this qualifies as a sort of strange urban mushing!!

The reason we go every third day instead of every other day is because of wear and tear on their pads. I’ve thought of getting them booties but am afraid that would wreck their fabulous Poodle gait. If anyone has experience with booties, I would love to hear about them!

During normal outings, we usually travel at a steady seven mph. On rare occasions when the weather is right and the golf course is clear, I run them on the side of the fairway: they love doing that. I don’t like them running on asphalt for more than about half a block even though they would take off at a full run if I let them! I actually have to keep slowing them down for the first two miles or so: they act as if they could pull the golf cart all by themselves! They are frantic to go from the minute the garage door opens and I pick up their collars. While I’m settling the leashes and organizing to start our jaunt, they are bouncing up and down next to me yipping – clearly telling me to HURRY UP!!

People come outside their houses to watch us go by, and they wave to us from their cars. We’ve even had our picture taken by people driving by. On the way home, I have stopped our outings to let people visit with the Poodles. I love letting people meet the dogs so I can tell them about the “real” Poodle. Many people have commented that they never knew Poodles could be like this; a couple of people have even asked for breeder recommendations to get their own. My neighbors say they can’t wait until the holidays because I have promised to deck the Poodles out as reindeer with antlers and Christmas scarves and put lights on the golf cart. After all, we’ve already been told that we look like a “weird Santa” coming down the road!

I had one person who slowed down to question me about whether or not I was concerned about overheating the Poodles (she meant well). I was proud to tell her that my dogs are athletes and very well-conditioned for this form of exercise, but that I am also extremely careful about when we go outside to exercise and I always carry fresh water, a collapsible bowl, and my phone. During the warm months, I will only take the dogs out to exercise when it’s 82 degrees or less which is usually early morning or in the evening. It’s just too hot here in Orlando otherwise. Thank goodness, we first started this exercise routine when the weather was much cooler and very nice.

The two boys are currently shaved down, but my girl is in a continental clip as she is still being shown. While exercising them, I keep one eye on the road and one on the Poodles to monitor them for any signs of stress, over-heating, or “off-movement” that would indicate a foot problem. During these dog-days of summer, we have to wait for rain or early morning for the streets to cool down enough for me to feel comfortable taking the dogs out. If it’s too hot for me, then I don’t feel right asking them to deal with it either.

As I said, we took our time building up the distance we traveled; first, going to the end of the block and back, then one-half mile, etc. It took almost two months before they did their first three-mile jaunt and another three weeks after that for their first four-mile trip. We also incorporate one block of slow trotting to warm up and a block and a half for cool-down – going from normal speed to slow trotting down to a walk. I figure what works for humans who work out (getting rid of lactic acid in muscles) would also apply to Poodles.

My dogs love to take turns on the couch for some much loved Poodle massage. Their muscle definition is amazing now – and their energy and stamina are off the chart. They are even more playful – if that’s possible! I certainly do not claim to be an expert on conditioning or diet: I’ve only learned from others and by trail and error. However, I can say with all humility that this lifestyle has worked wonders for my own Poodle pack. I also fully support raw feeding, limited vaccinations, and health testing for all dogs with genetic factors – but, especially for Poodles.

Because of these lifestyle changes, I can honestly say that I don’t have frou-frou Poodles: they are athletes, well-conditioned, eating a well-thought-out raw diet, and they are loved, respected family members in our home. From the conformation show ring to obedience, agility, rally, hunting, herding, weight pulling, service work, rescue work, dancing, entertaining, and even dock diving, I truly believe that Poodles are limited only by what their people are willing to participate in.

People often wonder why Dee Dee is in pigtails (banded) but they understand after I explain the “show coat” to them. Our two boys have both been trained in obedience and agility, and are now beginning to train in rally. Dee Dee will follow in their footsteps after she finishes in the show ring (only four points to go). All three Poodles will be tested for their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title and hopefully will be accepted into the role of visiting animals at the local children’s hospitals and nursing homes.

I am also looking forward to the fourth and final addition to our Poodle pack – a future cream or white girl. Imagine – two blacks, a brown, and a cream!! Can you say MPS (Multiple Poodle Syndrome)?!

So, from the Orlando/Windermere, Florida Poodles and the Sterns family to yours – happy Poodle trekking!!

FOR THE LOVE OF PARTI POODLES AROUND THE WORLD

~International Parti Poodle Gazette
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