Are Red Poodles Safe to Have?
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Dogs are man’s best friend, but sometimes we get picky about the breed we want due to certain reasons. For instance, designer dogs are great if you want to take advantage of specific traits that can only be obtained from breeding two different breeds. Poodles usually are the go-to dog breed, hence increasing the population of Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, Bernedoodles, among many more.
Poodles are especially praised for being the most hypoallergenic breeds, and among the many you can choose from, let’s focus on Red Poodles. As we take you back to help you learn their history, we will also let you know if they are safe to have in your home.
History of Red Poodles
Necessity will always be the mother of invention, which was the case with the creation of Red Poodles. According to Shertonah, Ilse M. Konig traveled to Germany in 1980 to attend a dog show. While there, she spotted a Miniature Red Poodle and fell in love with it, thus decided to find a Standard Red Poodle upon her return to the US. Unfortunately, she could not get any but instead of giving up on her quest, Konig, who worked for Shangri-La Poodles in New York, opted to make her own.
She sought Janet Blanin, who worked at Palmares Kennel in Oregon, and together, they decided to go ahead and take this revolutionary step. Therefore, the experimental breeding began with Konig sending a small English apricot female dog to Blanin to mate her with an oversize red Miniature Poodle.
However, the results were undesirable because the four Red Poodles born grew up to possess both the Miniature and the Standard parents’ traits. While the head was befitting the Standard Poodle size, the entire body and temperament were not; instead, the legs were shorter than those of the Miniature Poodle parent. They continued breeding until the Red Poodles were the Standard size.
Although some sources mostly pay tribute to Konig, others believe that the Standard Poodle is the handiwork of Blanin. According to Gingerbread Poodles, Blanin tirelessly worked towards getting the red color by breeding a red male Miniature Poodle with a female Apricot Poodle. As per the article, the long captivating face of the Standard Red Poodle is due to the endless efforts of Blanin.
Safety of Red Poodles in the Hands of Breeders
WHYY highlighted why Americans love designer dogs, which are mostly bred from Poodles. Poodles are intelligent, and their shaggy coat has an appealing effect on any dog lover. People want to have the perfect dog by breeding different breeds hoping to alleviate certain hereditary illnesses and bad traits, but nothing is ideal in this world. However, despite the increase in demand for designer dogs, one dog owner Jen Rhyshek could never cross her Labrador with a Poodle.
What most people do not realize is that cross-breeding has its share of disadvantages. Most dog breeders will run to the Red Poodle for the beautiful red color unique to every dog. Red Poodles are born with a distinct red color, which changes to a darker red at six weeks. At ten weeks, the coat undergoes another change, and you can observe a dark red line separating the old coat and the developing one. Usually, as Poodles grow older, the red color fades, and Red Poodles have a much darker coat than Apricot Poodles.
As breeders try to get more Red Poodles, they put their health at risk. According to Dog Time, one man’s Poodle gave birth to an eyeless Red Poodle. Unfortunately, he had to give it up to the animal association because he feared staying with it would result in breeders taking and using it to breed Red Poodles. While there is nothing wrong with that, the risk of breeding genetically mutated Red Poodles that would inherit the lack of eyes was high. Therefore, while the man may have saved the Red Poodle’s life, it would not have a fulfilling life since the possibility of being adopted was almost zero.
Having Red Poodles is great unless you are a breeder and don’t care much about the health outcomes. Genetic mutations usually result from inbreeding, which can also lead to weak immune systems and shorter lifespans. Such genetically matured Red Poodles have a great chance of dying because the breeders can put them down or throw them out in the streets after realizing they are of no use to the money-making projects.
Safety of Red Poodles in the Family
The first person to create a designer dog bred a Labrador with a Poodle. He aimed at having a companion for a woman with vision problems; thus, a Labrador would be ideal for its obedience. On the other, her husband had a dog hair allergy, and Poodles don’t trigger such allergies. The breeder later regretted his decision saying it was as if he opened a Pandora’s Box with people hating him for creating a designer dog and breeders seeing it as an opportunity to make easy cash.
However, Poodles are not just for creating designer dogs; they make great family pets on their own. According to Dog Lime, Red Poodles are extremely child-friendly and love the attention of kids of all ages. Although they are described as gentle and obedient, there is a limit to how much play they can take. Usually, too many children in a home can be overwhelming. Thus, Red Poodles are safe to have around a family comprising two kids at most.
Their temperament and personality make Red Poodles an ideal family pet because their trainability means you can easily teach them to obey your every command. Consequently, they become easy to handle, and you do not have to worry about them jumping on visitors. The only downside is that they can be destructive, especially when left alone, which could be how they cope with separation anxiety.
