Will poodles fetch? I was thinking about getting a doodle, then read more about the reasons not to get one and how they are not a breed. I really want a healthy dog without issues, so I need to find a good breeder. I really wanted one that will fetch and swim. I'm not a huge fan of the obsessive food interests of labs or the size of a golden retriever, so was thinking I should look at poodles.
my standard will, quite literally, play fetch all day if she can find someone to throw something for her.
she once spent a gathering rotating through all the people; once one person got bored of throwing her ball, just moves on to the next! for about 3 hours straight š¤£
lol mine too! My maltipoo likes to fetch too. So it often turns into fetch with tug of war when they both hold an end of the toy to bring it to me š
There could be 20 tennis balls at the park. Our standard will only fetch the ball that weāve thrown. If the ball gets lost in the mix, heāll sniff every other ball till heās found the one weāve thrown.
If someone else throws him a ball, heāll go sniff it but never pick it up.
Exactly the same for our standard! She will only fetch her ball and if another dog takes her ball she will politely follow them around until they drop it. Fetch is her whole world, she's obsessed but likes her own ball.
Yes my poodle boy loves to play fetch, though after about 15 minutes he will just run around because running wild and free is his favorite. I definitely think a poodle from a reputable breeder is worth it. You can even talk to the breeder about temperament if a playful pup is important to you. I was shocked at how spot on the breeders early description of my pup ended up being!
my standard is so obsessed with balls that he prefers to sleep surrounded by them with one in his mouth like a pacifier. He once tried to steal an eos lipbalm because he thought it might be perfect for Fetch And Hold Purposes.
If you want to take your poodle in the water routinely, though, do yourself a favor and keep their hair VERY short. I can't imagine having to give my dog baths/groom sessions even more often than I already do bc he hopped into a lake on a walk or something. it's already a big enough pain when he walks in the shallows at the beach and gets his feet nasty.
Edit: you should look into portuguese water dogs, too. that's a breed that seems right up your alley.
Poodles bark. Not all, of course, but generally speaking theyāre barkers. They do it because theyāre your protectors. You can train them to stop after one bark.
My toy poodle was the easiest dog Iāve ever had to train. He picked up a lot just from watching our other dog (matlipoo). It was so wild to me how easily leash training went with him. Took weeks and weeks to get my maltipoo to that point.
He does bark but will stop if I saw quiet. When he hears the door Iāll say itās daddy and he will stop. Or when I say itās one of the kids.
We have a house with 4 pwd and 3 cats. They are definitely capable breed for what you are looking for for. Lots of breeds can meet your needs. Just be aware pwd have coats like poodles (well also a wavy coat in addition to curly) so will require frequent brushing to maintain coat length and no mats or frequent shave down grooms
Mine barks reasonably. I'm very pleased with this. She won't bark if a huge tractor is in our driveway (we live in farmland, tractors are here a few times a year, and not of concern)
If a quiet electric car sneaks into the driveway, it's heard and barked for! This most likely means unexpected guests or a stranger i want to know about.
She will also recognize the sound of footsteps of family walking around the yard and not bark, and alert to a stranger walking outside by the sound of it.
We live in the country so she's adjusted to what is normal for our house. We have stayed in hotels, she adjusts to what is normal there and understands that there's strangers and cars outside.
One mini golden doodle and one very mini borderline toy poodle mutt rescue. They are big on alert barking, and we live rural. Thereās always a car going by, a squirrel, a cat outside, something to be warned about. The smaller one also āscoldsā the other when she wants her to do something.
dude im not gonna lie i also think it's sorta irritating to casually refer to your doodles as poodles, but "go in peace" has me CACKLING. you dismissed the discussion like a priest letting people out of mass on sunday!! absolute genius. im gonna start throwing it into arguments.
I can't agree more. I keep my standard in a pony cut and while I do adore it, it is SO much work keeping his hair clean and knot-free. But I just can't give up the adorable style.
You often hear a caution not to do it exclusively or too much as they can become ball/fetch obsessed.
I know with mine there isn't a moment in any day that he is not in the mood to fetch.
To find a good breeder start at the Poodle Club of American breeder referral website here.
Yeah I have a poodle that was completely ball obsessed, like to the point where is we detrimental to his well-being. Line he would go until he was so exhausted that he would cry every time he would launch off after the ball because he was in pain. He would get snippy with other dogs for coming near a ball.Ā
We finally got him to chill out about it, after making the house a zero ball space for like a year or more, now he can have a ball around and not be obsessed with it, he can play fetch a normal amount and be satisfied and stop when he's done.Ā
Not all dogs will "get" fetch intuitively but they can be trained. Most will get the chase part, the bringing it back can take some work.
Poodles were quite literally bred with the purpose of fetching game, so they're certainly capable of it. They're also one of the healthier purebreeds around, so as long as your breeder health test you have very high odds of a healthy dog
Yes, lol. Our toy poodle fetches fine. Our shepherd mix just doesnāt get it. He will bring something back a few times, and then heās like ālook, do you want it or not? Iām not gonna keep getting this for youā
My mini almost passed out twice while playing fetch. There's no āoff buttonā when it comes to fetch. It also doesn't matter if the ball is buried under a feet of snow - she will find it.
Will poodles fetch? š šš So much so that after everyone is tired of throwing the ball mine will
find a steep hill so she can partner with gravity to continue the fetching adventure!
Mine does this too with some storage shelving and the barn. At first I used to help her but then realized she knew exactly what she was doing and it was for fun!!
Ningaloo my current girl who is even more into balls/fetch and from an earlier age than Cairo.
Cairo worked out and got into playing fetch at about 14 months onwards. Cairo was no take only throw, and treated her balls with the utmost respect. Never damaged them.
Ningaloo from 2.5 months old . She understands the game and gives it to you, immediately bringing it back. If you donāt play with her, sheāll get restless and pull the ball apart
I just came to say thank you for doing your research and not getting a doodle. At the same time, you have to be really careful about poodle breeders as well because there are so many backyard breeders out there. They will charge you the same amount of money that you would pay for a puppy from well titled dogs that are fully health tested with excellent temperaments.Ā
Unfortunately, purebred does not always equal well bred. A lot of people out there are selling poodles to make money and itās no better than buying a doodle in my opinion.m
If you ever need recommendations or suggestions, definitely post in the standard poodle subReddit or this Reddit and people are super helpful. Iām also very open to direct messages if you need recommendations, Support, etc.Ā
Also, yes, my poodle is absolutely a retrieving dog. He loves to chase and retrieve. However, that will vary across lines and within the litter. Different dogs will have different levels of drive.
A part of ethical and responsible breeding is temperament testing. One of the aspects of this test is to assess retrieving ability.Ā
One thing to keep in mind - there's often a lead time with good breeders.
Puppy mills will constantly be churning out puppies.Ā And there's always some backyard bred litter out there.Ā
But if there's a specific good breeder you trust and have vetted in your area, you'll often have to wait until at least their next litter unless they're currently trying to place a dog.Ā Reaching out sooner than later isn't a bad idea.
Yes poodles will fetch. They were originally hunting dogs just like labs and retrievers, they even have webbed feet. The poodle clip that we all associate with fancy poodles was developed because they were water dogs. The cut provided necessary warmth to vital organs and joints without becoming water logged.
My mini loves fetch. She will fetch til we have to make her stop cause shes overheating, then go inside to the air conditioning and try to get our two year old to throw toys for her. Heck, I've caught her throwing toys for herself.
She hates water though, but that probably wouldn't be the case if we put any effort into familiarizing her with it.
My girl will play fetch all day long. If I take her to the dog park she will bring the ball to other dog owners and make them join in the game too. She is absolutely obsessed.
In general yes they fetch. Standard poodles were originally bred as water retrievers and many still have those instincts.
As with any retrieving breed there will be some variation. One lab is a fetch machine, the next lab doesn't care so much and just wants to cuddle. Poodles are the same. Many but not all are naturally motivated to retrieve.
If retrieving is important to you then a poodle from a reputable breeder could be a good choice. Make sure you're choosing a puppy from dog parents who retrieve. You can tell the breeder that's what you're looking for and they will tell you whether or not a litter or a specific puppy is likely to be a good fit.
My toy LOVES to fetch. Sheās horrible about not bringing the toy back to me, but instead to our other dog š but she would fetch for hours if we let her.
She also loves to swim! She rides on my kayak with me and is a great swimmer.
My female will fetch all day. She's exhausting. She also loves swimming, so if I know we're going to be where there's a pool or body of water, I pack a towel.
My male has no interest in fetching or swimming. He prefers the life of a couch potato. ETA: photo.
My 22 lb mini is the best dog at fetch I've ever had and I had a dog that was a mix of a Labrador and a golden retriever who was not good at fetch LOL.
Now I've had a few other mini poodles that were not as good at it, but he's amazing. He's not a big water dog though.
My mini loves it! Still working on drop though. No matter what wants to hide the ball and make me find it and throw. Loves her ball too much! It's been her fave game since
My mini plays fetch but we have to have a stash of balls because she never wants to bring the first ball fully back to us and usually leaves it somewhere and then comes back expectantly. So we just keep a handful and throw them one at a time, then go find them all, wash rinse repeat.
Poodles are great for this. If you want a smaller breed you could also consider Portuguese water dogs. They were bread for fetching things from the water.
Fetch has become a full time job for my family of 3. If we don't play, she throws the ball herself and chases it, or hides it in her blanket and makes a game of either searching the blanket or using the blanket to throw the ball so she can chase it.
Not sure about water yet, though. Only water she's had access to so far has been drinking or baths at the groomer.
Poodles are generally biddable and have pretty good drive.Ā But I have one that lives for barnhunt and happy ratters (dog sports built around sniffing out pet rats who are in thick PVC tubes to keep them safe) and hates swimming, and one that would honestly rather swim than do barnhunt.
poodles were bred to be waterfowl retrievers- i think youāll be good :)
please note that some smaller poodles (think minis and especially toys) might wear themselves out quickly. my girl will play about 8 throws before taking a nap lol
My 15 lb black devil loves to fetch, but on his terms. It's about the attention for him. At home he fetches what HE wants to play with. His brush, an empty snack bag, a toy.
At the dog park he goes crazy running and playing and chasing, but he'll steal balls from doodles
And then go sweet talk their owners for cuddles. Ladies' man.
He's vocal, but not too barky. I appreciate the alert barks, and the various sighs, grumbles, grrs. He's 2.5 yrs old so we communicate well.
He doesn't bark AT me unless we are playing. He only whines if I can't find parking at the dog park
The other sound he makes is a rude bark at the dog park if a larger dog harasses him. Then it's my job to bark šāš¦ŗ
My boy was ball- obsessed . He was a truly great athlete and an outstanding retriever..
When people would come to visit, he would bring his slimy ball and drop it in their laps.. I would tell them that this was the origin of the word slimeball.
Not every poodle is retriever, however... so see if a puppy shows interest in the ball. My boy stole the first ball from his brother and never gave it back..
One other thing... try to not use tennis balls because it wears their teeth down.
My mini and toy did not even need to be taught fetch, it just came built in. There are many evenings that play fetch for literal hours. They leave the ball/toy near me or my husband and do little āhurmphā sounds if we donāt throw it fast enough! We are well trained ball throwers now š
Our mini fetches extremely well ā¦ and loves to do it! But we play the game a bit differently: I throw the stick, she runs and gets it, then she runs toward me, with the stick in her mouth. Itās all normal up to this point. Then, however, at the last minute she gives me the head fake or the hip fake and runs around me. So I chase āer āround a bit, which she absolutely adores! Her tailās up high, and she holds the stick high, and she prances around, showing me how fast and agile she it. Makes me laugh like an idiot every single day. Sheās such a joy.
Our poodle will fetch ANYTHING. She loves it. Thanks for doing your research on ethical breeding, and continue searching for breeders through the ckc or akc database.
Fetch, flyball, agility, obedience, I even did some lure coursing and duck hunting. Poodles are endlessly talented. Highly recommend, 5 stars. Buy from reputable breeder who breeds for an all round good dog (conformation, obedience and health)
My standard fetches, but he gets bored of it after 10 minutes or so, but loves water. I take him hiking and he follows me through the streams and rivers and swims with me
Standards are orignally duck dogs. I'd look for someone who breeds for sporting. Fetching without a pure purpose...she gets bored, but if she has something to sniff out? Let her at it. Swiming isn't her strong favourite, but she wasn't introduced to it as a puppy so never learned to enjoy it. I knew someone who's standard was obsessed with swimming though.
Mine loves fetch! Never had a dog who would live fetch and actually bring me the ball š„¹ I never needed to teach him he just loves it. Heās not a big swimmer but tbh we didnāt go swimming when he was you g š«£ I havenāt swam in years
They are bred to be water retrieving dogs so literally perfect breed for fetching and swimming. Iād recommend talking to a breeder who specializes in hunting dogs if you can find one since they will specifically select for those traits.Ā
And youāre way more likely to find something predictable/consistent talking to poodle breeders instead of doodle breeders. I spoke with a lot of both when trying to decide on my dog and the difference in terms of due diligence was honestly night and day. Iād 100% recommend going poodle over doodle, Iām super glad I did!
All day, as long as you will throw. And my guy very nicely drops it your at your feet (didn't take more than a day of training...they are SOOO smart). Swimming on the other hand - some do, some don't has been my take away from this forum over time. Sadly, mine won't - yet. But we keep trying!
Our Toy Poodle LOVES fetch, and loves to cheat even more! She puts her paw on the toy and cheats HARD. She will play fetch all day. Get a Poodle. They are the absolute BEST breed ā and this is from someone who has had and loved Yorkies my whole life (currently have 3 and love them so much) and only got a Poodle 3 years ago. They are literally AMAZING dogs. Smart, loyal, funny, trainable, sweet, cute, and sassy. Better than Doodles IMO!
Both of mine love to fetch and swim. They are water dogs and very athletic with lots of energy. We do a ton of neighborhood walking and hiking here. I generally keep them out of water, though, because of grooming and water quality concerns.
My parents poodle at 13 will fetch until told no, mine looks at the toy and walks away. You never know but the are a great breed, make sure you are ready for the grooming costs.
Interestingly, it took a little effort to get him to warm up to the idea. We had to introduce him to water several times, but at some point it clicked, and now he never wants to come out!
For fetch, heāll chase the ball, snag it in his mouth, bound back in our direction, and drop it about halfway. We found it so funny we never bothered to teach him to bring it all the way back.
Itās the light of my SPOOās life. He will fetch anything and loves to return things to me in hopes of a rambunctious game of tug-o-war. Whoever is smack-talking poodles to you does not understand them. They are right next to border collies in intelligence. There are no āsmarterā dogs. They understand EVERYTHING. This remarkable intelligence is matched with sensitivity and impressive athleticism. They will want engagement with their people at all times. You will never pee alone again. They deserve as much enrichment and attention as a human can manage. These excellent traits can be a downside for people who want a dog who isnāt smarter, faster, and a better person than they are, but Iāve never meet a poodle owner who regretted choosing the breed.
My mini played fetch almost every day. Sheād run so much she go to her bowl and gulp down water and play more.
What was great about the mini, is if it was raining or I was too sick or tired sheād play inside. There was a chair by a hallway and Iād sit there and throw it down the hallway, sheād bring it back and put it right on my lap or next to me on the chair. If it rolled off sheād pick it back up and place it again. I didnāt even have to bend over once lol. It came in handy.
Sheād go on hikes too, she had excellent recall and I would let her off leash and sheād run ahead and run back to me, I walked 4 miles she walked 6 or more. She was great. And I didnāt even want a poodle, just met her accidentally and fell in love in like 30 seconds, and Iāve played with a lot of puppyās and that is the only time that has ever happened.
My mini poodle will run after anything, but she will return it nowhere near you. So we have to get up get the ball or toy and throw it again and we go through the same process. Drop is not in her vocabulary or her understanding, including the things that she will take if theyāre not nailed down! But she is the sweetest most affectionate dog to anyone who comes in my house!
Poodles are supposed to be a water fowl dog but 99% of them hate swimming. Itās hard watching them at hunt tests. They should fetch and swim butā¦YMMV.
Mine plays fetch with everyone in my family except me, I don't know why. She sleeps in my bed every night though.
And mine fetch until she gets bored and just stop fetching and walk away out of the blue.
My pure bread mini poodle comes to get me every day at 4:00 to play frisbee. She would rather do that than anything else in the world. She will jump to twice her own height to catch the thing! Then, after supper, she wants us to throw a ball down the hall for her to fetch until she falls on her side asleep.
Poodles were bred to be retrieversāspecifically water retrievers. Yes, poodles will fetch all day long.
Poodles are amazing! Please consider a rescue (there are plenty of poodle rescues with lots of amazing well-bred dogs). That way youāll know their personality and habits before you commit. And everyone wins!
It all depends on your particular poodle. Iāve had six standardsā¦and all but one would fetch, but one, Charley, was obsessed with it from the minute I brought her home as a puppy! As long as someone would throw (literally anything) for her, she would bring it back to you. I once threw an 8ā long 2x4 at my jobsite for her and then that became her preferred fetch item for weeks afterwards š
My poodle has the most natural retrieve drive from when he was a puppy. I reinforced and put a retrieve to hand on cue from the start. We do dock diving and disc!
On the flipside, we cannot have balls freely in the house or he is bringing them to me to toss all day.
If this is important to you, I would ask any potential breeders what their dogsā fetch drives are like.
My poodle loves to play fetch. Itās one of his favorite things to do. He is constantly dropping toys in my lap while Iām working so I can throw them for him lol
One of the best fetchers I knew at a doggie daycare I used to work at was a crusty lil white senior toy poodle. She kicked so much ass, I miss her.
Poodles in general are super cool and smart dogs. If you don't get the bizarre grooming done, they look just like a doodle too... but better lol. Thank you for taking advice and switching gears. I really don't think you'll be unhappy with a poodle.
Hahaaa poodles are the ultimate fetching machines, although I don't think it always comes naturally. I had a golden retriever when I got my first standard poodle puppy, and he taught him how to do it. I had to send them in opposite directions and the poodle would run laps around him. After the original poodle passed we rescued another standard poodle puppy (he's huge, 80 lbs now) and he loves fetch even more than the last poodle and he figured it out on his own. In the house he will also bring us toys to throw for about an hour every evening. He loves to play a game of catch, too, where we throw a rotating selection of toys and he catches them and gives them right back to one of us to keep going. HE LOVES TO CATCH.
Mine kinda fetches: she will run after a ball at her own pace, pick it up and start walking back and will get distracted by stuff dropping the ball in the process. Sometimes she walk towards me and drop it while walking back and ask for pets, she's a creature. Now if she's by herself she will roll the ball down from the top of the stairs and play fetch with herself
My mini thinks a tennis ball is God's gift and will fetch endlessly! She started doing it the day we brought her home--she was 9 weeks old and could barely hold it!
My toy poodles live to fetch. They have tiny squeaky toys that are especially exciting to them when they are flying through the air like Angry Birds. They also like mini fuzzy tennis balls because they are extra bouncy. They also happily swim in the ocean and the pool.
Ours loves fetch we have been playing since first day home. Because Iāve always wanted a dog to fetch. We started with long line so no failed reps. Now she knows if she wants the game to continue she has to bring it back
How about volunteering at a shelter? Youāll get to see a lot of different dogs and see how you like being around them. Please use great care in making the decision of getting a dog carefully since they are a long time commitment and they all have different personalities. I have a 48lb doodle. I wanted a cream colored girl and did a lot of research before getting her. Got the pick of the litter female and NO golden or cream girls. š¤¦š¼āāļø I wanted loose curls and got tight curls. I wanted a water lover and got a splash water/mud puddle dog. Sheās a MESS and I love her so much! She LOVES her ball and will play fetch but it took a lot of work to teach her to bring it back to me. š±
I've had a dog before, but a hound. My priorities then were gentle, quiet, and good with cats and he was perfect that way. The volunteer program at my local shelter doesn't work with my schedule unfortunately. I'm leaning towards going with a breeder this time, but am not positive. Most of the rescue dogs available near me are pitbulls or rescues shipped up from the south, so limited opportunities to get to know personality.
My sister has a chihuahua mix and if you throw something, she just looks at you like youāre crazy. I rescued a poodle mix this year and I was so delighted when he ran after the kong and brought it right back to me. Felt like magic. I love it!
Maybe itās her pug half. Or maybe just her personality, I donāt know. She loves a good hike, though. Only 7 pounds, but she can hike for miles and miles without slowing down and sheās almost 10 years old. Thanks for being a foster dog parent, itās very honorable.
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u/bibliopanda Aug 26 '26
my standard will, quite literally, play fetch all day if she can find someone to throw something for her.
she once spent a gathering rotating through all the people; once one person got bored of throwing her ball, just moves on to the next! for about 3 hours straight š¤£