You’ve just hiked a vertical mile. You are at the crest of your favorite destination, prepared to relax and take in one of your favorite views. You settle in to rest with your hiking partner, your dog.
Can you imagine the dog you have with you?
Did you imagine yourself with a poodle?
No? Well then, I encourage you to keep reading so I can alter your imagination a bit.
Take a minute, and get yourself comfortable while I tell you what makes the standard poodle the ideal hiking partner you never even knew you needed!
There's nothing quite like a poodle puppy. They're so full of energy and life, always ready to play and have a good time. Poodles are one of the most popular dog breeds for a reason—they really are the total package. I'm fond of saying; "a poodle will adventure in the mountains with you one day, and chill on the sofa to binge Netflix the next." However, their true love for spending time outdoors with their people is truly an extra special trait in poodles.
Every poodle puppy litter raised here at Galavanting Poodles gets to go on several field trips as they learn about the world. But there is one field trip that takes the cake for these puppies! It’s the one that includes a visit to an airstrip, an airplane hangar, and many of the good and wonderful things that come along with living a pilot’s life.
Puppy socialization is getting your puppy out and about to be social with other creatures. Domestic dogs interact with all sorts of living things; other dogs, humans, cats, pet fish, urban wildlife (rabbits, raccoons, skunks, squirrels) not to mention the wildlife who stick around when our human habitats intersect with their own (moose, deer, wild cats, bears and birds of prey). In short, our puppies don’t really have much of a choice; they must be acclimated to these other forms of life. And the best way to accomplish this is through simple socialization.
First, the heat! Alaska has experienced record breaking heat all summer long. And if the records were only barely broken. If the heat index had registered only a smidgen above what is normal for Alaska summers… maybe I wouldn’t be so worried. But the records that were broken were not gently tapped with the butt of a butter knife until cracks could be seen. Nope. Instead, these records were smashed. Demolished with a massive hammer that left nothing intact. What old heat index records? There are no old records here!
Poodles are probably best known for their fancy haircuts and circus antics. But long before Poodles were performing tricks for human entertainment, they were the staple breed for the various water retrieving dog breeds we know today. It is the long history of selectively breeding the Poodle type… from water retriever to trusted human companion… that gives us a dog breed so diverse in natural talents.
