For General Enquiries Please Contact Rose McCabe
Secretary of the Poodle Club of Ireland
 
Or Phone: 01 843 5478

AVAILABLE April 2020

  

Two Male Standard Poodle Puppies for Sale contact Aine stack for details 087 180 9624

Buying a Poodle Puppy

So you have decided a poodle puppy would be wonderful in your life, and how true it is, but before you purchase or home a puppy
there are a few simple guide lines you should follow

 Would a poodle suit you and your lifestyle?

Many people see pictures of a poodle pup in a magazine or on TV and its love at first sight; yes they are wonderful dogs, great family pets, and companions.

Read up on poodles, go to your local library or look up the internet, is this the breed for you.

You need to take into consideration will the dog fit in with your family lifestyle, do you have time to exercise you dog, do you have the money to pay for getting your poodle groomed, they need grooming at home by the owner and by a professional groomer on a regular basis, if you do not know how to clip them yourself. This can be anything from every 4 to 8 weeks. You will need to groom your dog at home, to keep its coat healthy and matt free and is not something that can be left to its own devices.

All dogs need veterinary attention at some time in their lives, Yearly vaccinations, worm tablets, flea treatment, and hopefully not much more, but it can happen that you dog may need surgery somewhere along the path, Can you afford this outlay.

 Poodles are working gundogs and for this reason they need regular, daily exercise, they become bored and unfit. Like most dogs they can become destructive, eat your slippers, dig up plants, if they become bored, all this can be avoided by simple daily exercise.

It is not always possible to bring your poodle with you on holidays, some places are dog friendly, other are not, in that case you will need to have a very reliable friend or relative that will mind your dog, when you are on vacation, or a reliable kennels, that will be able to take care of your dog and the coat of your dog (two or more weeks of no grooming and you could come home to a ball of knots and tangles)

Is your garden large enough for a dog and do you have a secure walled or fenced garden. Sometime you will have to let you dog out in the garden to play in the sun or to go toilet. It is law in Ireland that your dog has to be on a lead at all times outside your own private property, there are a few exceptions on some beaches and in dog parks, but you will have to check with you local county council to be sure.

Training you pup is also necessary as it is with all breeds, It is important that your dog comes when you call it for its own safety. You may also like to teach your dog other things like sit and stay. There are training classes available around the country. 

Finding a Puppy

When you have done your research and decided, a poodle is the dog for you, you need to find a healthy happy puppy, you need to decide on the size which would suit your needs best, Toy, Miniature, Medium or Standard, What about colour, there are some beautiful colours, Black, White, Red, Apricot, Silver and Brown, there are also party colours, these are two colours on the one dog i.e. black and white, also phantom, which have the marking of a Doberman. If you decide to show your dog, please be aware that phantom and parti poodles cannot be shown in Ireland.

Do go to a recognised breeder, contact the club secretary, and ask for information on people that may be breeding poodles of the size you would like. Check for health testing, that parents have been tested for Hips and Eyes at least.

Do not buy a dog from someone that will meet you on the road side, it is very important that you do not buy a dog from a puppy farm, The majority of these poor dogs have severe health issues, if you do not buy from a reputable breeder you are not sure what you are getting.

What Is A Reputable Breeder?

You will find that a serious breeder has had health tests done on both the mother (Dam) and father (sire) of the pups in question.

They will usually have shown their dogs at dog shows and are known within the club and show circle. They will have the breed’s best intentions at heart

They will offer you advice and support on rearing your new pup, should also have a very good knowledge of the breed, its wonderful traits and possible illness. Last but not least, a love for the breed. A good breeder will stand over their pups, should you have any problems you will be able to contact them for advice.

DON’T go to a puppy farmer, no matter how cute you think the pup is, Puppy farming and its ill treatment of all dogs and cats will not be stopped unless people do not purchase an animal from these people, they are not in it for the goodness of the dog or its breed, simply for the money, Often the dogs are ill treated and have many illness that will in the long run cost the new owner lots of money.

Hobby breeders are usually people that have a pet poodle, and obviously love their dog so much, that they think it is a good idea to have puppies, sometimes they do not research into the breed, the genetics and the possible side effects from mismatching the mother and father. They usually do have the dog’s health at heart, but simply do not know what is involved, check pedigrees to see that there are no diseases, or that the parents are not closely related.     

How Can You Tell If A Breeder Is Reputable?

There are some guidelines that should help you see if the breeder you are going to is indeed reputable. Contact the breeder and ask some questions about where the dogs live, are they house trained, do they live outside, do they have any older dogs, are the members of any clubs or organisations and how long have they had an interest in the breed, also ask them about the breed standard, which they should know. Do some research on the breed, you should also know the breed standard if you are going to purchase a dog.  Mostly people that only breed for money will not have older poodles, but this is not always the case. They will not be breeding all the time. Ask if they have any other breeds of dog, and if so how many different breeds. Puppy farmers usually have more than one breed and usually the popular breeds at the time. You can ask for references, i.e. clubs they may be a member of and a Veterinary reference.

A good breeder will ask questions about you, where you live, if you have a garden, and how you’re going to care for the dog; they will talk to you about the breed to see if you understand what you are taking on.

They may even ask to see your house and garden and ask for a reference from a Veterinary surgeon. Most reputable breeders only breed when they are looking for a pup for themselves, and not on a regular basis.

Reputable poodle breeders do not sell cross breeds, for example schnoodles which are cross breeds between schnauzers and poodles, and these are expensive cross breeds and can have health issues too, just like other dogs. If you want to get a cross breed, please contact your local pet shelter, DSPCA, Dogs trust etc and rescue a dog.

The breeder should be more than happy for you to see the mother and the pups together, the brothers, and sisters, if some of the pups have been chosen that is fine. Do the pups look lively, do they play together, are they with their mother, the father is not always available if they have used a stud dog from another breeder. Ask to see photos and the pedigree, the pedigree should be to hand, the pups should have their first vaccine and worming, with a card from the vet. Will they welcome to into the house, poodles are house dog, and as such the breeder should have the dogs in the house. If the breeder brings the dog to you, ask to see the rest of the litter with the mother, they should not have anything to hide, if you are not totally happy, do not take the dog, and go on a gut feeling.

Pups should be outgoing, happy, healthy, no coughs or runny noses, pups are usually ready to go to their new homes between 8-12 weeks, you may be able to purchase an older pup as some breeders keep a pup till it is a little older to see if it is suitable for a show dog, these dogs are lovely family pets, just some of them do not like showing.

 
Pedigree. The puppies should have a written pedigree, listing the parent’s names and the grandparent’s names, a registered litter name. They should also have an Irish Kennel Club registration certificate; check that the parents are registered with the Irish Kennel Club. Pedigrees may be hand-written or produced on the computer. They may show three, four or five generations. Three is a minimum, and five is preferred. You can check the pedigree before you purchase the puppy by contacting the kennel club and asking if this litter is in fact registered, it has been know that puppy farmers make up kennel names

Transfer of Ownership Form. The puppy must come with a Transfer of Ownership form, signed by the breeder. You must complete the form and post it back to the Irish kennel club with the required fee. Make sure that the microchip number on the form is the correct one for your puppy, you can ask your vet to scan your pup and check the number as its first check up, which should be done within a couple of days of you bringing your puppy home. If you pup is unhealthy, return it to the breeder immediately and get a refund. The breeder must also inform you if there are any endorsements or restrictions on the dog. Some breeders choose to put endorsements on a dog, for example, to prevent it being bred from. Endorsements can only be lifted in the future with the signed agreement of the breeder.

Microchip Registration Certificate. Dogs registered with the IKC must be micro chipped. You should receive the microchip registration details with your puppy. Make sure that you register your contact details with the microchip data base. In the event of your dog going missing, and your dog being found, if they scan the microchip they will not be able to contact you if you have not changed the ownership to your own details. For more details on micro chipping, please check the IKC website’s page on Micro chipping. 

Vaccination Certificate. When vets vaccinate a dog the details are recorded on a small certificate. Make sure that you receive your pup’s vaccination certificate. There are details of the vaccine given to your pup and it will be signed by the vet in questions.  Most likely if you get your pup at 8 weeks it will require its second vaccine and you need to know the date of the first one for your vet. Boarding kennels will also require proof of vaccination. 

Contract. Many breeders draw up a contract of sale. Often the contract will lay down guidelines for the care of the pup. It may state that in the event of you being unable to keep your dog, it will be returned to the breeder. It may state that in the event of the puppy having a genetic illness, the breeder will take the puppy back and refund your money. All contracts are different, so read it carefully. Read your letter from the breeder carefully, do not enter into shared ownership or breeding contracts.
 
Care Notes. Breeders should supply you with a list of what you pup has been eating and a feeding schedule, hopefully some other information on your poodle, vets names in your area, of tips on training you pup.   

Please remember the poodle club of Ireland is here to help you in whatever way we can, either send an email or contact the club by phone.