We hope to get another from the same mother and father that produced our 3 yr. old male. Since he 'passed the two year period' with flying colors, we are opting to get another from the same breeder.

Still many white animals (including our shepherd can lead to disaster, heartbreak and disfunction). We were told not to take the white kitten, from the litter we have our tabby from... to high strung.

As my groomer told me when I brought in Beauregard for the first time, 'Miss Mary, what have you done? Do you realize Poodles are not dogs?' NO !

(I find this to be more true with each passing day, especially now that we decided to get another, and I am researching again.)

I've never owned the same throughbred breed twice, but we surely want another SP.

I noticed bloating in this site, and the little I've seen, it sounds like it is a killer. I guess it more often comes with age, but not always? I will need to research it more and hope to avoid it.

Beau isn't much of an eater, and when he knows I am going out or we have overnight guests, he skips food, and his stomach makes loud noises, which worries me gas is build (which is before I read about bloating on this line). I often give him special treats in hopes of making him thirsty and giving him nourishment.

Last fall he was 'off his feed' and having gone through it before, took his temperature which was normal, and decided he was fine. It continued off and on... he ate his food 'with special sauce'... a small amount of homemade, fat-free broth to intice him. It worked. One Friday AM, I let him out before breakfast and watched to see him 'go' and notice something hanging out of rectum. I grabbed some paper towels to wipe him when he came in and discovered he was bleeding from the rectum. I totally 'lost it'...... unlike me who 'can handle anything'. How do you stop internal bleeding when the vet isn't open for an hour or more and it would take that long to get to an ER? Fortunately it slowed down to a drip now and again. I called the vet and rush him there, leaving him for observation day. (they do not keep dogs overnight or I'd have left him, for sure!)

Blood work was done, special diet and meds, the whole nine yards. Had the blood work come back positive, we would have been sent to the U. of PA, if that is the PA vet school.

Beau had a very high fever by then, his stomach was in spasm, but showed absolutely no sign of pain. He was extremely lively, which probably is how he dealt with the pain, in my opinion.) The vet could not get over how he allowed him to palpatate, etc. The vet said he would have been lying on the floor screamming in pain.

Lots was done... it didn't show up to be a genetic disease, but we still do not know what caused it...... and can it happen again. (the only possible thing I can think of is a tie wrap..... he likes them, but we keep the house 'dog proof' as much as humanly possible.) Keeping him quiet was the hardest, most nerve wrackng problem at home. He was sooooooo happy! He gets frantic without us. Still, he gets along fine with whomever we leave him with.

Are there any specifics to a white SP male? (We were hunting for several years, for a black female SP, and ended with with the best pal dog ever, our first male of any species, except fish ......... It was hard for any dog to do to beat our wonderful miniature black, female dauchund. My husband has never gotten over losing a few years ago.

Beau needs a pal, unlike others dogs I've had. A dauchund would be great if it wouldn't be trampled/injured by Beau... we could have a lap dog and an a larger one to scare off intruders. Ha. (I personally prefer the SP for all the reason Poodle owners have expressed, and the size is just right... no bending down to reach him.) I can just see a female miniture dauschund pushing Beau around, but if he jumped on her back in rough play, it could be the end. Also, it is extremely hard to find well bred daushunds, and they are so fast it is not uncommon for them to fall and break their neck or back.

We have an old tabby which can escape our lively boy, plus Beau minds my commands when I am around. The cat teases him, so obviously she isn't very afraid of him. Still, during a wild period, as he seems to be in now (as is Whiskers.... the season perhaps?), I have to keep a closer eye on the boy.

--Mary.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002