Taking My Poodle Target Shooting

Lots of folks consider poodles to be girly type dogs, but I take my poodle shooting with me all the time. I picked up some metal targets from Shooting Targets 7 the other day and took fluffer boo out with me for some hard core shooting.

No, poodles do not naturally have the appearance of high school pom-poms; they are groomed to have that appearance. It is true, however, that poodle grooming may also be less exotic which leaves their appearance more like a cloud-shaped snowball, the coat of which has been bred to have that appearance. But, poodles as pets demonstrate far more capability than appearing merely in formal dress more so than almost all other breeds.

The poodle is also capable of showing expert obedience, tracking and agility. Far from many victories in dog shows, in which they have proven the foregoing abilities, poodles even show an amazing ability, using that natural agility, to herd farm animals as an efficient working dog. Fluffer boo has even become an excellent gun dog and enjoys shooting targets and hunting with me.

Fluffer Boo The Gun Poodle

Surprised? Many people are when they first decide to have poodles as pets. They may find, for example, that contrary to their immediate familiarity with being French, a classic cliché, they seem to have originated further east, in Germany, where they were bred for other abilities to add to the high-society image: a hunting dog.

In this effort, their coat is naturally water-resistant, making them effective in hunting water fowl. And, owing to hunting’s added curiosity and aggressive get-it-done attitude, the poodle is also skilled in vegetable hunting. Once again, the French cliché fails in reality: they have a nose for truffles, but more in Germany, Spain and England than in France.

Poodles as pets display a level of intelligence masked by their typical groomed appearance. At the skin level, overlooking the great coat, pom-pom groomed or not (actually, referred to in kennel club circles as a lion cut), the poodle is a slim but sturdy dog. The coat is typically a solid color in white, blue-gray, brown, light orange, cream and black colors. There are examples, however, of multi-color poodles. They are bred in a variety of sizes from standard, the largest and natural breed, medium, and miniature, or toy size.

The poodle exhibits a curious ability to find its way into mischief, showing very creative ways to demonstrate its hunting ability. As a result, they do not spend much time being docile, but they are very entertaining to watch because they find docility boring and will try anything to relive the doldrums of a quiet existence. Because of the nature of their coat, poodles as pets do not shed much, but when groomed, which should be a dedicated activity, much hair will be removed. To see where I get my riffle targets visit this website.