Some people take one look at the fluffy, immaculately groomed Standard Poodles in the show ring and discount them as silly, shallow dogs. However, the Standard Poodle is considered by many people to be the most intelligent breed in the world, with the reasoning ability of a three year old child.

These dogs may look like lightweights in the show ring, but they were originally bred to work hard in the water. The Standard Poodle spent hours retrieving water fowl for hunters and the breed’s dense coat helped protect it from the cold, damp working conditions.

Because the breed is not commonly used as a working dog today, The American Kennel Club classifies the Standard Poodle as part of the Non-Sporting Group. These dogs weigh 45 to 70 pounds and stand over 15 inches tall.

The Standard Poodle has a muscular body under all of that hair. Its ears are long and fold over close to the head and its eyes are dark brown and filled with intelligence. This dog’s tail is docked and stands erect. The tail should not curve over the dog’s back.

The Standard Poodle comes in a wide range of colors, including apricot, black, cream, red, blue, gray, silver, brown, parti-color, and white. Overall, the white and cream colored Standard Poodles seem to be a bit more high strung and nervous than other colors, while black Standard Poodles seem calmer.

The Standard Poodle does best in family settings and is extremely devoted to its family’s children. This breed also is an excellent choice for families with more than one dog, as the Standard Poodle rarely meets a dog it doesn’t like. If you have a cat, be prepared for your dog to rampage through the house as he gives chase, although when he finally catches up to the cat, he will just want to play.

If you live in an apartment, your dog will need to take a long walk or go for a romp in the park every day. These dogs can live in apartments, but do much better in a home with a fenced yard.

Because of its high intelligence, this breed enjoys learning and should attend puppy obedience classes. In addition, Standard Poodles need to be socialized as puppies, or their natural aloofness with strangers can turn to fear.

Your puppy will work hard during classes, because he will want to please you. If he can’t figure out what you want him to do, he will wrinkle his brow and try again. If he still can’t figure it out, he may start to get depressed and frustrated.

If this happens, give him a command that he already knows and after he joyously obeys he will be ready to try to learn the new command again. Many Standard Poodles and their owners go on to take advanced classes so that they can compete in obedience and agility trials.

The Standard Poodle breed has several common health problems. Addison’s disease, hip dysplasia, and epilepsy problems are prevalent enough that many breeders actually screen their parent dogs to be sure they don’t carry these genetic faults. Your dog could also suffer from renal disease, bloat, and skin problems.

Standard Poodles are big dogs and have big appetites. If you’ve never had a big dog before, be prepared for a noticeable increase in the grocery budget.

These dogs also should receive a daily vitamin. In addition, ask your veterinarian about giving your poodle a daily vitamin C tablet, which many veterinarians say can help decrease the chance of hip dysplasia.

If you do not want to spend time grooming a dog, don’t buy a Standard Poodle. These dogs need to be brushed daily, and, with their large size, it can take an hour or more to thoroughly brush out a Standard Poodle’s coat. Also, you will have to learn to cut your poodle’s hair or you will need to take him to a professional groomer every six weeks.

The Standard Poodle is a fun loving, intelligent dog. If you don’t mind brushing your dog instead of watching the news, this may be the breed for you.

Some more facts about the Standard Poodle:

Energy level - 3 (out of 5)

Exercise requirements - 4

Playfullness - 4

Friendliness towards other pets - 4

Ease of training - 5

Watchdog ability - 5

Protection ability - 4

Miniature and Standard Poodles need a lot of interaction with people. Like herding dogs, they also need mental challenges. They really enjoy a daily walk and a daily brief, but challenging, obedience or play session.

Poodles, both miniature and standard, are ranked 8th favorite dog breed in the United States (as of 2003), and are good with children.

If you love the sleek, muscled appearance of the Doberman Pinscher, but you don’t want a big dog, you may want to consider a Miniature Pinscher. These dogs are very similar in appearance to Dobermans, but are almost one hundred pounds lighter.

The Miniature Pinscher may look like a miniature Doberman, but these dogs are not actually directly related. In fact, the Miniature Pinscher was developed long before the Doberman. The Miniature Pinscher was created by breeding the German Pinscher to a smaller breed.

The American Kennel Club classifies the Miniature Pinscher as a part of the Toy Group, but these dogs are not cute little lapdogs. The Miniature Pinscher was bred to be a tough, aggressive ratter. The Min Pin weighs in at 8 to 10 pounds and stands 10 to 12 inches high.

Miniature Pinschers have a compact, muscular frame. Their intelligent eyes are so dark brown that they look black. The Min Pin’s short coat can be red, stag red, black and rust, or chocolate and rust.

This breed’s tails are docked. In addition, some people crop their Miniature Pinscher’s ears, but this is not necessary. Most of these dogs develop pricked ears as they mature.

The high energy Miniature Pinscher does well in apartment settings, as long as you are willing to go for a long walk once a day. Of course, the Min Pin also enjoys the freedom of a fenced yard.

These dogs have a tendency to roam and they will search for ways to escape, so be sure your yard has a securely fenced exercise area. If you live in an area with busy streets, your dog’s escape could prove fatal, since the Miniature Pinscher is too small to be easily seen from a moving car.

Miniature Pinschers are very loyal dogs, and are deeply devoted to their owners, but that loyalty does not always extend to small children. This breed has a tendency to be nippy with babies and toddlers.

If you have family members with children who visit frequently, you may want to crate your dog while your guests are there to avoid problems. In addition, some of these dogs are quite high strung and will become aggressive to adults, especially mail carriers and deliverymen.

While Miniature Pinschers are small, most of them are a bit stubborn and hard to control. Your puppy should attend obedience classes and you should be careful to follow up on every command.

These dogs enjoy agility training and attending competitions gives them a chance to shine. The Min Pin was bred to work and takes vermin seriously. If a mouse gets into your house, your dog will not rest until it is caught.

Miniature Pinschers can have several serious health problems, such as heart conditions, thyroid conditions, and epilepsy. In addition, these dogs are prone to hip dysplasia, which is a rare thing in small breeds.

Miniature Pinschers do not consume huge quantities of food, but they have a tendency to be a bit gluttonous. You may need to switch to a food that controls weight gain if you notice your sleek Miniature Pinscher is starting to resemble a blowfish with legs.

Min Pins require little grooming, but they do have problems with overgrown nails. Be sure to check your dog’s nails frequently.

The Miniature Pinscher is not for everyone, but if you want a dog who is completely loyal to you, you may want to consider this breed.
Some more interesting facts about Miniature Pinschers:

Energy level - 5 (out of 5)

Exercise requirement - 2

Playfulness - 5

Friendliness towards other pets and strangers - 1

Watchdog ability - 5

Protection ability - 1

Cold tolerance - 1

Heat tolerance - 3

Ease of training - 1

The Miniature Pinscher is not easy to train, and cannot tolerate cold temperatures. But they are a fun dog in 2003 were the 19th favorite dog in the United States.

More than one traveler stranded in the snowy Swiss Alps owes the ponderous Saint Bernard his life. Monks in the Alps actually developed this massive dog to be used as a rescue dog. The Saint Bernard breed is quite an old one, going back as far as the 1700s.

The American Kennel Club places the Saint Bernard in the Working Group. These big dogs weigh from one hundred twenty to two hundred pounds and stand twenty six to twenty eight inches tall. This breed can be short haired or it can have a long haired coat.

Originally, all Saint Bernards had a short haired coat, since snow did not stick to the short hair easily. However, when these dogs became popular as pets in Victorian England, Saint Bernard fanciers bred them to have longer hair. They also worked to make them bigger and bigger.

Unfortunately, some breeders today still are more concerned with appearance than they are with personality. Before buying a puppy, make sure that your prospective Saint Bernard’s parents are outgoing and sweet tempered dogs.

Otherwise, you may end up with a fearful or aggressive dog. Please don’t underestimate the importance of choosing a puppy with a good temperament.

The Saint Bernard is usually a gentle giant and plays well with children and other dogs. However, a young Saint Bernard and small children is usually a bad combination, since these dogs make awkward, clumsy puppies.

More than one toddler has been accidentally knocked down and injured when trying to play with a Saint Bernard puppy. Older dogs are usually more graceful and are careful not to knock children down.

The Saint Bernard does not do well in apartments or town homes. These dogs need a lot of room and are not happy without a home that has a fenced yard. If they do not have enough exercise, Saint Bernards tend to get into a lot of trouble. A bored puppy of this size can sure make a lot of damage.

Saint Bernards are loyal, loving dogs with a strong desire to please. However, their enormous size means that they can be hard to control.

You may want to consider enrolling your puppy in obedience classes while you still outweigh him. These classes will help you train him, but they also play another important role, socializing your puppy. He will meet plenty of strangers and their dogs in the classes.

Saint Bernards eat a sizable amount of food, so it is no surprise that feeding a Saint Bernard increases the grocery bill. Since this breed suffers from hip dysplasia, you may want to use a food that is formulated to help large breed puppies grow healthy and strong. Saint Bernards are also prone to heart disease and tumors.

Short haired Saint Bernards need very little grooming. Even long haired dogs don’t require too much work, since they are not heavy matters. Just be sure you brush through your dog’s hair once a week.

The Saint Bernard is a wonderful companion dog and a good family dog. As long as you don’t mind having a dog who is bigger than most people, a Saint Bernard may be the right choice for you.

Some more facts:

Energy level - 2 (out of 5)

Affection level - 4

Friendliness towards other pets - 4

Ease of training - 3

Protection ability - 1

Cold tolerance - 5

Heat tolerance - 1

The Saint Bernard cannot tolerate heat, so if you live in a warm climate it would be better to get another kind of dog. They also cannot handle living in an apartment or townhome. They need lots of space, and a houes with a yard.

We have a Rottweiler that lives across the street. He is huge, but we have never feared him as he is well trained and very gentle. He wanders around his front yard much of the time. He gets along great with all the neighborhood dogs and with his owners’ grandkids.

I’ve never had any fear that he would attack any child. He doesn’t even attack the mail carrier.

This dog can be trusted because he was consistently trained and socialized as a puppy. That’s the only way you can have a Rottweiler in the family. If you do not have the time or the temperment to train a large dog, this is not the dog for you.

The Rottweiler is by nature a watchdog and protector of his family. They guard their homes and families, excel in agility training, and think that they are tiny lapdogs when they are with their owners.

In the 1800s they were a popular breed with cattlemen who used them to drove and guard the cattle. Around the middle of the 19th century, however, cattle driving was outlawed and by the end of the century Rottweilers were close to extinction.

Just in time, some dog fanciers got together and worked to resurrect the breed. Happily, they succeeded and today the Rottweiler is among the top 20 favorite dog breeds in the United States.

The Rottweiler is fairly large and very muscular. These powerful dogs weigh between 85 to 130 pounds and stand 22 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder. A Rottweiler has a sleek black and brown coat and deep, soulful brown eyes.

The Rottweiler is a part of the American Kennel Club’s Working Group. These powerful dogs are often used as guard dogs.

Unfortunately, some Rottweiler owners have mistreated their dogs in an attempt to make them more aggressive. These abused Rottweilers have given the breed an undeserved reputation as a dangerous breed.

Rottweilers that are bred and raised properly actually make a good family dog. They can be extremely loving family pets.

Rottweilers are not the best breed for an apartment. These dogs are big and powerful and they need room to run. Ideally, Rottweiler owners should own a home with a fenced yard. If you do not have a fenced yard, you should be prepared to take your dog for frequent runs in the park to burn off excess energy.

The Rottweiler is an extremely intelligent dog and this breed does best when it has something to do. Give your Rottweiler a job, such as keeping pests out of the garden, and you will have a happy dog.

It is important to begin training a Rottweiler puppy at a young age, as these dogs quickly grow into large, powerful animals. Also, puppy obedience classes are a wonderful opportunity for you to provide your Rottweiler with plenty of socialization at a young age.

Luckily, this breed enjoys learning, as long as the trainer uses love and patience. These dogs respond eagerly to new challenges, which is why the Rottweiler does well in agility trials.

Because of their size and strength, Rottweilers may not be the best choice for a family with a toddler. A six month old puppy may not realize his own strength and could accidentally injure small children while he is romping around. If your heart is set on a Rottweiler puppy, you may want to wait until your children are old enough to walk well.

Of course, a dog with the size and energy of a Rottweiler can burn up quite a few calories. You should be prepared to buy quite a lot of food for your puppy. Also, it is important to make sure that your puppy’s nutritional needs are being met, since Rottweilers can develop joint problems when they are older.

Since a Rottweiler has such a short coat, grooming one of these dogs is not very time consuming. Brush your dog once a week with a slicker brush to keep his coat looking shiny and glossy. Also, be sure you take the time to check his nails to be sure they become not too long. When your dog is a puppy, you may also want to accustom him to having his teeth brushed.

If the thought of having a hundred pound dog attempt to crawl into your lap as though he weighs ten pounds horrifies you, then a Rottweiler may not be the breed for you. After all, not everyone wants a dog who has the appearance of a killer and the heart of a marshmallow.

Some more facts about Rottweilers:

Energy level - 3

Exercise requirements - 3

Affection level - 2

Friendliness towards other pets - 2

Friendliness towards strangers - 1

Watchdog ability - 5

Protection ability - 5

Heat tolerance - 2

These dogs do not do too good in hot weather. They can become overheated quit easily. It is better to have them indoors with their family, anyways, for correct socialization with the family. Rottweilers need three things to do well in society: socialization, consistent training, and daily exercise.
They enjoy cold weather, but you must provide them with a shelter.

In the 1990s the Rottweiler was the second most popular dog in the United States. It has since dropped in favor and in 2003 was the 15th most favorite dog. Pretty good for a dog that almost became extinct at the end of the 19th century.