Customer Reviews

The Complete Standard Poodle

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've owned standard poodles for 50 years and have been reading about them for about that long. This book is among the intelligent and enjoyable I've seen. The sections on obedience are excellent, whether you are doing companion training, show obedience, agility, or working on water retrieving.

If you take off the cover, maybe you can trick your friends who own other breeds into reading the training sections. The advice is so intelligent, it would make training more fun for non-poodles and their owners.

I didn't particularly like the cover photo, but I did a lot of research on buying a standard poodle (do not go the "puppy mill route!!"--so sad) and one of the things I researched were the many books out there that are available to the reader concerning this breed. This seemed like one of the best. When I received it, I was really glad I chose it.

The author is English, I believe, so keep that in mind...some of her phrasing is slightly different. Also, some of her advice goes against other books I have read, in certain small aspects. For example, her dogs sleep on her bed. Most dog books recommend getting your puppy used to a crate in a very specific manner, and it is probably safer to have them sleep there from the start. What if you need to leave? Wher will you put a new puppy comfortably for an hour or two if it doesn't have a safe little den already?

Also, her dogs eat table food. This is incredibly complicated to do properly. She has bred Standards for YEARS. You can't just give a dog scraps. She has an elaborate menu but--trust me on this--I don't feed my own FAMILY this rigidly. Good, high quality dog food is available to all of us. Skip the table food.

Other than that, this is the coolest book! It had great facts, tips on trains, grooming and showing, lists of breeders, etc. I read it cover to cover! When I was done, I realized my new family pet was probaby better than all of us, with an older lineage, handsomer in musculature, and maybe even more intelligent. All at only ten weeks old. So what. I am proud to owned by a poodle!

I thought this book is informative and valuble. The information about the history of the dog is fascinating and includes a lot of facts not to be found in other books. There were informative chapters on puppy care, poodle behavior, colors and trims (including some very useful grooming and clipping instructions), showing, breeding, health care and more! I thought the confirmation diagrams would be very helpful to someone who planned to show.

Part of what I enjoyed about this book was simply how much Eileen Geeson loves her poodles. I trust the advice of an author who has been happily breeding poodles for over thirty years. I also loved all the great color pictures of dozens of different poodles (especially the sled dogs!)

The only information I wish this book contained was more on carefully choosing a puppy. Geeson certainly covers this, but a "list of questions to ask the breeder" would have been really helpful. Overall, though, I thought this was a very complete, informative book and would highly recommend!

A very good book on the standard poodle written by someone who has a long history in poodles and who obviously loves them as well. Living with standards as family pets, and not just show dogs, this book also illustrates the standards intelligence, athleticism and wacky sense of humor. They are wonderful dogs. She gives tips on training garnered from her long history in the hobby (I do disagree on the crate training issue, I am definately for it). She also advocates a home cooked diet. I heartily agree, but most do not have the time nor the patience. I supplement my dogs high quality kibble with home cooked meals and fresh fruit. His weight has not fluctuated more than 2lbs. for 6 years (he is 7 1/2). All in all a wonderful book on a wonderful breed of dog. Any single reference book should always be supplemented by others however (training manuals, overall health care and in the poodles case a complete grooming manual). A single book does not a good reference library make.

An excellent overview of the Standard Poodle that addresses the versatility of the breed from the hunting fields, to the show ring, to work as a therapy dog. It provides excellent tips on responsible ownership and care. Accompanied by beautiful photographs of the many colors available; it is visually pleasing to the eye as well as educational to the mind.

This book is full of wonderful pictures and a complete history of the standard poodle. However, the author is a former show judge in the UK and spends a considerable amount of the book discussing British standards for show. The recommended diet (raw human food) is contrary to what most American vets prescibe. The information on grooming the standard poodle is quite informative and includes pictures of finished cuts. However, it does not include enough information for a novice like me to attempt the trims.

Gorgeous book! Beautiful color pictures on almost every page. 20 pages dedicated to grooming including a variety of hair styles and all major topics are covered such as health and training. Of all the poodle books I've purchased this is by far my favorite.

Since it's the one and only book specifically about Standard Poodles, I was hoping to find something truly particular about them, since I don't think that Standards have all that much in common with the Minis and Toys (except for the hair and ease of trainability, of course). The color pictures are pretty but there really isn't anything new in this book and I was rather disappointed. Frankly, I don't care for half of the book that's designated to the international winners of "Best in Show" with their frou-frou do's... It's an old publication and some of the advice is downright outdated (i.e. "never change the food or else they get upset tummies")... I also found the snooty tone thoroughly irritating. Don't get me wrong - I love Standard Poodles (I am a proud owner of a very beautiful and incredibly smart SP myself!) - but I was really turned off by the snobbish attitude of the writer. As if Standard Poodles are FAR superior to all other breeds, not to mention those pesky peasants - gasp! - mutts! And the endless list of why one should NOT get a Standard Poodle (as if it would be anything different when thinking about the pros and cons of getting almost ANY dog)... Just shows me that the author doesn't really know or care much about dogs. I don't think this book is worth the time and money when there are so many wonderful and educational dog books and websites out there, even if not specifically about Standard Poodles.

This book is a wonderful introduction to the standard poodle and as a first time poodle buyer I found it very helpful. Eileen Geeson gives you advice about how to choose the right breeder and how to look after your poodle. But be warned, if you wanted a poodle before you'll want one even more after reading this book!

Having just acquired a standard poodle after 20 years of experiencing only toy and miniature poodles, I found this book very informative. There is not a night that goes by that some question pops into my head and I right away reach for my "bible". Obviously the care and maintenace of a standard poodle is far above the other sizes, but this book gives a detailed outline of what is involved. It has also given me the drive to pursue the show ring. The only fault I found with this book is that the actual grooming techniques are not very explicit.