Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to your deepest Poodle wonderment,,,

Often we are asked about our breed, our kennel, and our lives in general with these amazing creatures. And so, this page is dedicated to answering those deep dark questions that have marveled the multitude for many a millennium.

What’s a “Merle” Poodle?

Merling is a marbled effect that is derived from a solid color mixed with white. Lately, this color has arisen within Poodles. The problem with merled Poodles is that over the nearly two thousand year course of the breed’s development, no reputable purebred breeder has yet to produce one. Merling is caused by a specific gene that is simply not present in the purebred Poodle genetics. Therefore, the only conclusion one can make is that merled Poodles are not purebred. In fact, they were derived from Poodles crossed with merled Australian Shepherds, and are thus they are “doodles” and not purebreds. Offering a merle as a purebred is, in our estimation and that of all reputable registries, malicious false advertising. Also note that this “color” cannot be registered with any recognized registry, such as the UKC, AKC, Canadian Kennel Club, or Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI).

What do the letters in front of and behind the names mean?

When show dogs compete, they win titles along with various trophies and ribbons. These titles acknowledge each dog’s accomplishments in competition. Each registry has their own rules regarding the competitions they host, and each is responsible to award titles as they see fit. Click on the button below to learn what titles are associated with the various initials.

Are Poodles really that smart?

Their reputation is well earned, in that Poodles are not only intelligent, but are also very creative. Generally the breed is all about fun. So if a Poodle isn’t directly having fun in any given activity, they will find a way to make it so, sometimes at the worst possible time and place. If a Poodle isn’t stimulated, they will find stimulation by creating fun for themselves. This can be something as simple as snagging a plush toy and squeaking it incessantly, all of the way up to inventing games that you may or may not be invited to play. For example, here are the rules to the game of ball: 1. The human is to throw the ball. 2. Any dog may run to fetch the ball. 3. The first one to return the ball to the human “wins”. 4. The other dogs are to try and take the ball away so as to be the one to make the return. 5. Only one ball may be “in play”, which is the one brought to the human by the first dog; all other balls are to be ignored. 6. Any dog that picks up a different ball than the one in play, is removed from the game until they drop the ball not in play. 7. If a dog wants to take a time-out and chew on the ball, they may drop and lie on the floor, and all other dogs must stand around and wait for them to rise again. 8. The other dogs may not steal the ball during a time-out, but the one with it may relinquish it by turning their head and looking away; one of the others may then steal it. 9. Once the dog with the ball has arrived at the human, they must retrieve to hand, and then everyone waits for the next throw. 10. Any dog that doesn’t follow the rules will be ostracized until the game is over! These rules were developed and enforced by the dogs and passed from one to another for over three generations of our line.

Do Poodles need a lot of grooming?

Poodles, especially the Standard variety, are the most labor intensive dogs in existence. A quality show groom actually begins four days before the show, and continues with finish scissoring and brushing right up to entering the ring. For those who are not showing, a good kennel clip or sporting trim should last about three weeks, whereby you will need to either trim them yourself or develop a great relationship with your local groomer. Poodle hair grows continually, so not grooming is not an option!

How healthy is the breed?

There is disease in all breeds, and the general pattern is that, “The bigger the dog, the shorter the lifespan.” This is not entirely so in both the Doberman and Poodle. Sadly, usually do to cardiac problems, Dobermans generally live to around age ten. Some will make it to fourteen or even sixteen years old, but you’re usually on borrowed time after age nine. The more common diseases that are associated with them are cardiomyopathy, pica behavior (eating non-food items), cancer and gastric torsion (bloat). Standard Poodles are a rather hearty bunch, and they will usually make it to between thirteen to fifteen years of age. The smaller varieties have been known to live as long as twenty years, although they too generally top- out by age fifteen. Standard Poodles are susceptible to hip dysplasia, gastric torsion, epilepsy, Addison’s. and sebaceous adenitis.

Are all of your dogs used for breeding?

Granted, we do have a lot of dogs, however, they are not all part of our breeding program. Our girls are in the program once they reach their second heat cycle, but that still doesn’t mean they will be bred. They must first undergo health and genetic testing to ensure they do not pass on any genetic diseases. Even then, we follow the policy of breeding, “Only the best to the best”. If one of our girls does not meet the standard, they are not allowed to reproduce their lesser traits. Then, except in the case of an extreme need, all bitches are removed from the program automatically by age eight for health considerations. As for our boys, we rarely use them within our own program due to inbreeding restrictions. In fact, we generally don’t keep males, but occasionally will hang on to an exceptional boy to show or as personal pets. Our males are only available at stud to the right breeders and are not actively advertised.

Do you ever sell your puppies for breeding stock?

We only sell intact puppies to approved show homes without a spay/neuter contract. All pet puppies that leave Aircastle are on contract where the pup must be altered just after their first birthday. We do ask the owner(s) to wait until then for all the growth hormones to complete the maturation process. This is for the puppy’s health. No pup has ever been, nor will ever be, sold for cross-breeding (doodling) under any circumstances whatsoever! This includes to any line where there is the potential for mereling.

Do you place ever your retired show dogs?

It’s our philosophy that these dogs are not only part of our family, but are also a family unto themselves. They don’t know about living anywhere but with us, and to send them away just because they’re not showing anymore would be akin to selling our children. And so, once a dog enters our show/breeding program, that pup lives here for the whole of their lives. Only under special circumstances, such as if needed as a service dog, will we part with our beloved pets.

How much do you sell your service dogs for?

We don’t sell them, we donate them. Therefore, if you are in need of a service dog and we have one available, we will make a donation to you on contract that if the dog doesn’t work out, it must be returned to us. If we don’t have a pup available, we generally know folks who do have them and are willing to either donate them or to sell at a reduced cost.

Do you participate in Rescue?

Yes, we support the Poodle Club of America’s rescue whenever requested. We also accept any Aircastle bred or related dog on return without question. This may include temporary lodging when the owner has adverse personal circumstances where a dog requires boarding or re-homing. And no dog is ever euthanized while in our care unless specifically advised by our veterinarian during a severe health crisis. Essentially, our philosophy is that if you’re going to breed dogs, then you also should be responsible to rescue them as well.

Are Poodles really hypoallergenic?

All dogs shed, so even Poodles must be brushed regularly to get the hair out. But that’s not to what most people are allergic. It’s the dander and detritus that give people a reaction, and Poodles have considerably less of it than other breeds. Therefore, most people who are allergic to dogs find that they are not affected by Poodles. Poodle mixes, also known as “doodles”, do not generally inherit this trait, and do tend not to be hypoallergenic. (Read the article on doodles.)

Do Poodles require a lot of attention and human interaction?

Actually, the reason Poodles have curly hair is that they’re made of Velcro and stick to your heart! This breed is all about people, and no matter the variety, they are all lapdogs. They crave human companionship, and usually don’t distinguish between you and them in regards to being human. Poodles must have daily interaction or the lack of it will harm them emotionally, making them sullen and unstable. They are also extremely sensitive to your loving opinion of them, and literally wear their hearts heavily on their proverbial shirt sleeves. If you’re going to have a happy and healthy Poodle, then you must be willing to give over a good measure of your attention to them.

Are Poodles easy to train?

Poodles think entirely different from most other breeds. Poodles are free thinkers and resemble precocious seven year old children! The breed is extremely cognitive and must be reasoned with to ensure that everything you do is their idea. They don’t respond terribly well to operant conditioning, and will work to make every activity “fun”. You must study your Poodle to find their motivation, then once discovered, they can make excellent performance dogs. They will also embarrass the heck out of you if they get bored or have an alternate opinion about the activity you’re requesting from them. So for an easy breed to train for performance competition, may I recommend a Doberman or Border Collie?

Weren’t Poodles originally hunting dogs?

They not only “were”, but “are”! The Poodle was primarily developed to retrieve water fowl. Thus, this hunting instinct is still strong in the breed, and as was shown on an episode of Duck Dynasty, makes them worthy field companions if a hunter is more interested in bagging game then being teased about the breed’s reputation. Yes, real men hunt with Poodles and you can always hunt them in a sporting clip!

Can I keep more than one dog of the same sex?

If you have two or more dogs of any breed, they will likely get along better if they’re of opposite sexes. However, having more than one Poodle of the same sex is often fine. Even when intact, they seem to get along with one another and there are usually few spats between them. This is not, however, a hard- and-fast rule, as Poodles are very individualistic and are hunting dogs at heart. We have had intact males who have bonded to the bone. We have also had one or two who couldn’t be out with the other boys for more than a minute or two without everything turning into WWE mania. And don’t count out bitch feuds. The latter can be even more serious than with the boys. You just have to watch and gage your dogs carefully to ensure everyone is one big happy family.

What’s a Chocolate Poodle?

Poodles come in all sorts of colors ... “chocolate” is not one of them. Brown Poodles are “brown” and not “chocolate”, though the latter does sound delicious when using the right no-bake recipe. Correct terminology is one way to determine if a breeder or owner is knowledgeable about the breed, and referring to a brown as “chocolate” betrays their lack of knowledge.

What is a “Teacup” or “Royal” Poodle?

There are only three sizes of Poodle throughout most of the world, the Standard, Miniature, and Toy. In Europe, there is a size recognized between the Standard and Miniature known as a “Moyen” or “Klein”, but even then, they are not considered as official varieties. The use of “Teacup” for undersized Toys or “Royals” for over-sized Standards is generally a marketing gimmick used by pet mills to sell puppies. Reputable Poodle breeders do not use such terms.

How do I know if a breeder is reputable?

The term “reputable” means having a good reputation, and that means following general breeding practices accepted within the purebred breeding community. Just because someone has a glitzy website, or gives you glowing testimonials from their clients, doesn’t mean they are a reputable breeder. There are a number of signs that will betray whether a breeder is breeding quality or not, and that begins with their reputation amongst other breeders. They will also likely be an AKC Breeder of Merit. So do your homework and make sure the person you’re researching has a good standing within the show and breeding community. You may also read How Much Is That Doggie In The Window, which will take you through the puppy buying process from start to finish. (Note the shameless self-promotion to increase book sales ...[Click Here] to purchase a copy.)

Aren’t the “rare” sizes or colors more valuable?

Just because something is “rare”, doesn’t make it treasured. Do you remember the 1975 AMC Pacer? It’s “rare”, but I certainly wouldn’t consider it valuable! So anytime you see the term applied to a color, size, variety, or any other attribute, you are about to enter the world where P. T. Barnum made his fortune. Many breeds, Poodles in particular, have been bred for thousands of years, and in that time, the oddities within the breeds have been selected out for the sake of purity, health, and conformance. In particular to our breed, there is nothing rare about Poodles. So, whenever you see an ad for a rare trait, the breeder is trying to fool you into valuing something the reputable breeding community has either avoided or done away with. It’s our recommendation to sidestep breeders who use such marketing tricks. What makes a purebred truly valuable, is its purity, health, and conformance to the written and accepted standard.

Are multi-colored Poodles purebred?

Absolutely! If you look in paintings, drawings, and other artwork over the last few centuries, it doesn’t take long to realize the multi- colored genetics have been around since the breed’s beginnings. It wasn’t until early in the last century that the Poodle Club of America shaped their standard to remove all but solid colors. So, while you don’t see them at Westminster, multi-colored Poodles have been part of our breed throughout its existence. In June of 2004, the United Kennel Club adopted a standard to allow multi- colored Poodles to show in conformation. Thus, they are just as legitimate as the solids. Having said this, we, as an AKC Breeder of Merit, must conform to the Poodle Club of America standard and all our stock are solids. We do, however, appreciate and accept the beauty and exceptional conformation produced by many of our UKC colleagues.