Please look into reading some books specifically on poodles before getting one. They sure look cute but they can be a handful because they are very intelligent.
PLEASE look into rescue groups before buying from a breeder. Unless you are looking specifically for a show dog, please rescue a dog that is in need of a home. Many of these dogs are wonderful with great temperment and may already be house trained. They are often surrendered due to owner issues, not dog issues.
I have lived with 5 mini/toy poodles and we've never once had a pet sitter. They were all either house trained (i.e. having the run of the house) or crate trained.
Poodles can be expensive due to grooming and health issues. Grooming often costs $35 or more for a mini/toy and needs to be done every 8 weeks or so. You can try to groom them yourself but be warned that they are often squirmy and it becomes an exercise in patience. It takes us about 1 1/2 hours to groom and clip the nails of our 8 lber and that's only do a pretty rough job just to get us through until we can get him an appointment with the professionals.
The best way to find a good vet is to find people with similar ideals as you and ask them who their pets see. It will become obvious fairly quickly who the best vets in the area are.
PLEASE look into rescue groups before buying from a breeder. Unless you are looking specifically for a show dog, please rescue a dog that is in need of a home. Many of these dogs are wonderful with great temperment and may already be house trained. They are often surrendered due to owner issues, not dog issues.
I have lived with 5 mini/toy poodles and we've never once had a pet sitter. They were all either house trained (i.e. having the run of the house) or crate trained.
Poodles can be expensive due to grooming and health issues. Grooming often costs $35 or more for a mini/toy and needs to be done every 8 weeks or so. You can try to groom them yourself but be warned that they are often squirmy and it becomes an exercise in patience. It takes us about 1 1/2 hours to groom and clip the nails of our 8 lber and that's only do a pretty rough job just to get us through until we can get him an appointment with the professionals.
The best way to find a good vet is to find people with similar ideals as you and ask them who their pets see. It will become obvious fairly quickly who the best vets in the area are.
