Meet Charlie,
our chocolate standard poodle.
Notice the little bit of white on Charlie's chest.
The grade one children at Barrie Wilson School had some great questions. Most of the questions can be answered by clicking the PLAY button on the picture above.
Some questions that weren't answered are:
Does Charlie lick people?
Charlie sometimes licks people to greet them. Many dogs, and most poodles, use their mouths and sense of smell to get to know people. Charlie is still learning not to nip at people to say hello. Puppies need to learn this.
What is Charlie's favourite snack?
Charlie loves small treats that smell a lot.
He also likes crunchy treats.
Does he have some favourite toys?
Charlie has lots of toys. Some of his favourites are a stuffy goat, a rope with a knot, a crunchy blue toy, all his balls and anything that squeaks.
Does he protect your house?
Charlie would protect our house if he needed to but Charlie is a friendly dog when visitors come. He is not a guard dog. He lets us know when he hears noises he doesn't recognize and he is always very excited when we come home.
Does Charlie get so excited that he piddles?
When Charlie first came to our house he would piddle
when he got excited or when he met someone new. He hasn't done it for a long time but he might if he got really excited or scared.
How did you train Charlie?
We train Charlie by telling him he has done something well, giving him pats and by giving him treats. After a while he does it without treats but always try to praise him. When Charlie does something he shouldn't we tell him no and sometimes ignore him for a few minutes. It takes patience to train a puppy to live in a "people house" because when dogs live in the wild they can do things that one can't do in a house or with people. Charlie wants to please us and he tries very hard to learn people manners.
Can he do any tricks?
Charlie has learned to sit, stay, wait, come, down, finish, ring the bell, pounce, give me 5, get the ball, drop and give. He is working on learning to roll over. Charlie is learning not to jump on people, no bark, no bite and leave it. He is working on manners when greeting people.
Does he wear clothes outside when it's cold?
Charlie doesn't wear clothes when he goes outside. In the winter we will leave Charlie's hair long and that keeps him warm. In the summer his hair will be shorter so that he can stay cooler and it will make it easier for him to swim. Sometimes I put a bandana on Charlie to make him feel special. We plan to get boots for Charlie because on long winter walks through the snow Charlie builds up ice balls in his paws. When he is fully grown Charlie will go skijoring and will wear a special skijoring harness.
What do you do when he gets sick.
Charlie hasn't been sick yet but when he does we might take him to the vet. Sometimes when a dog is sick it is because he ate something he shouldn't and it helps to feed him white rice to settle his stomach. Sometimes they need to get more rest or be in a quiet place. Sometimes dogs need to drink more water. Veterinarians are doctors that know how to look after sick animals.
Click on the word unfamiliar dog above to read a story.
Even if the dog looks friendly you must always check with the dog's owner before you approach the dog.
If the dog's owner is not there it is best to leave the dog alone. If the dog's owner is there,
ask the dog owner how to approach his dog.
Charlie would like to remind you that it's important
to treat all animals
with respect
and to be responsible
around them.
Charlie found some sites that have good tips for your teachers and parents to help you learn about dog safety.
