Brains, Beauty and a Sweet Disposition
"Pomeranians speak only to Poodles, and Poodles speak only
to God" -- Charles Kuralt
We are told there is no perfect breed. However if there was one my vote would go to the Standard Poodle. They don't shed. They have no doggie odor. They have a wonderful disposition and they are very intelligent. They do have to be professionally groomed however, but that can be done every 2 months.
The dog we have now is a Standard Poodle, apricot in color and 8 years old. We drove from Vermont to Rhode Island to get him from a rescue group 3 years ago. His name is " Bristol's Bookmaker " and he's a fine representative of the breed with an English pedigree. He was bought as a young pup from a bookmaker in the city of Bristol, Rhode Island who did not want the dog. Hence the name. He was loved and cared for in his new home. However, several years later, the man developed medical problems and the couple could no longer keep the dog. They contacted the rescue service and that's how we found the dog.
As soon as we brought him home Bristol decided I was his. Wherever I am there's Bristol. He follows me from room to room all day long. He is never more that 5 feet from me. My husband has given him the name of " Velcro ".
Bristol and Oskar
He is a good size dog weighing about 70 lbs. has a lot of energy and loves to play. He is very affectionate and will sometimes just lay his head in your lap waiting to be petted. He is a good watchdog and being very smart he seems to sense who is a friend and who is not. I once told the people who run the boarding kennel where he is groomed that I didn't think he would deter any burglars. The kennelman who had standards at one time told me never to underestimate the poodle who thinks his people are being threatened. Apparently they do a good job as guard dogs.
Epilogue
Bristol was a devoted companion. He never let me out of his sight if he could help it. If we left to go out he would lay in the entry hall at the foot of the stairs leading up to the living room until I returned no matter how long it would take. He followed me all over the house and in the last months he posed quite a hazard in the kitchen when I was cooking insisting on placing himself in the narrowest part.
We saw him through heartworm and skin cancer, which he had when we got him, and then through an infection that robbed him of most of the power in his hind legs. The skin cancer came back and he also came down with a throat problem that didn't let him breath normally. He was on one medication for arthritis and another to help open his breathing passages. These worked for a time but as he was approaching 13 years of age we could see he was failing.
We had him put down on March 15, 2001.
Good-bye my friend, sleep well.
We have come to the end of the story of our dogs. But no story would be complete without mentioning the felines who shared the lives and the home of our dogs.
And so let's look at the kitties.
Links to rescue services, breeders and more.