About

Welcome to All About Poodles Dog Care Blog

My name is Susan Vickers and I have three dogs, two toy poodles and a poodle/chihuahua mix. I started my first website (mypoodles.com) in 1999 because my oldest poodle, Cleo has separation anxiety. I searched for answers about how to help her overcome separation anxiety issues. As I was searching the internet, I realized there were many websites selling puppies and about showing poodles, but none about caring for a pet poodle.

Cleo

Cleo was seized from a puppy mill and had been living in deplorable conditions. She was kept in a cage so small, she could barely turn around. Cleo had worms, skin problems and her feet were inflamed from being on wire all the time. Cleo also had psychological issues and suffers from separation anxiety. I’ve had Cleo since she was about 2 years old, she still has issues and most likely, she always will.

She worries all the time, constantly watches every move I make and follows me continuously. It can be annoying at times, I have to stop and realize she cannot control this obsession. Cleo has been with me for over 8 years and although her obsessive behaviors are not as bad, they are never going to go away. It seems like she has this fear that I’m going to abandon her or disappear right before her eyes.

Nyka, The Middle Child

Nyka, a Phantom Poodle, is Cleo’s daughter. She was the fourth and smallest pup. Nyka’s brother was born so soon after Nyka, I had to massage her and get her breathing for Cleo. I knew right away I could not part with Nyka -neither could my husband- he still thinks it was his decision to keep her.

Nyka was born black and started changing colors when she was two weeks old. She continued to turn colors for the first year. As a puppy, her body was a mixture of silver, blue, black, and apricot. Her face was blue, black, and cream. Her legs and chest were apricot, and her ears are orange.

As an adult, Nyka’s body is a blue silver. Her face is still blue, black and cream. Her legs and chest are cream. The front half of her ears are black, and the back half of her ears are cream, with just a slight bit of apricot in the middle.

Nyka, now 7 years old is confident, self-assured, sassy, and has a zest for life. She also likes to pout when things don’t go her way. Every time I groom her, she pouts for a few days after, she’s done this since she was a puppy.

Piper – Stubborn and Feisty

Piper is a Toy Poodle/Chihuahua mix, she’s almost 2 years old. Piper belonged to my step-daughter, a single working mother who has 3 children. Piper came to live with us when she was about 6 months old, an untrained completely out-of-control puppy.

Piper is very sweet and loving, she is also pretty stubborn at times. I’ve never had a Chihuahua so I can only assume this is where the stubbornness came from. Sorry if I am offending Chihuahua owners but I have never known a Poodle that was this stubborn.

Piper came in with the attitude she owned the place and me, which didn’t sit too well with Nyka and Cleo. There have been a few scuffles, mostly intense growling and no one has been hurt. The problem is Piper thinks she’s a Rotweiller and will not back down no matter what.

Cleo is accepting of all other animals, Nyka on the other hand is stand-offish. They have a very deep bond with each other and over-time have accepted Piper into their fold, and for-the-most-part Piper has accepted her role in the pecking-order.

Related Posts:

• Poodle Hereditary Health Problems
• Indoor Confinement Area
• Set Rules for your Poodle
• Crate Training Your Poodle
• Treating Canine Separation Anxiety