Poodle Breeding Program

At Above the Standard Dogs, we are dedicated to breeding exceptional Standard Poodles specifically for service work.

Our commitment to excellence sets us “above the standard,” ensuring that each of our breeding dogs possesses the ideal temperament, intelligence, and health necessary to produce puppies capable of a fulfilling and successful career as a service dog.

We understand the profound impact a well-trained service dog can have on an individual’s life! Our poodles are raised in a home environment with our team of trainers where they receive extensive socialization and early training to help us choose the best puppy for each specific role.

We work closely with our clients to match them with the perfect service dog, providing ongoing support and training to ensure a seamless transition. Our dedication to our dogs and their future handlers is unwavering, and we take great pride in the positive difference our service dogs make in the lives of those they assist.

While our primary focus is on breeding and training service dogs, we recognize that not every puppy is cut out for this demanding work. Those that do not meet the criteria for service work are available as family pets. These poodles make loving, loyal, and intelligent companions, bringing joy to any family. We are Above the Standard where quality, care, and compassion come together to create life-changing partnerships!

Let’s talk puppy curriculums!

Between days 3 and 16, the puppies do daily Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) as well as Early Scent Introduction (ESI).

ENS was created by Dr. Carmen Battaglia and consists of 5 exercises that are performed for 3-5 seconds each.

  1. Tactical stimulation (between toes)

  2. Head held erect

  3. Head pointed down

  4. Supine position

  5. Thermal stimulation

The benefits of ENS include:

  1. Improved cardiovascular performance (heart rate)

  2. Stronger heart beats

  3. Stronger adrenal glands

  4. More tolerance to stress

  5. Greater resistance to disease

Each puppy’s response is recorded daily as either mild protest, moderate protest, or forceful protest. We then look for patterns over the 14 day curriculum which helps us with matching puppies to homes later on!

ESI was created by Dr. Gayle Watkins and exposes the puppy to a different pungent smell each day. We then chart their reactions and again look for patterns:

  1. Positive - puppy actively engaged with the scent

  2. Neutral - no reaction noted

  3. Negative - puppy moved away from scent

Benefits include nose awareness and confidence! This is great for people looking for service dog tasks related to scent, hunting dogs, tracking dogs, and more! The only sense that puppies are born with is their smell and we can teach them to capitalize on that right away by exposing them to a scent and then giving them back to their mom for food - as Bill would say, “odor pays”!