In one of my previous blogs, I promised to tell you a story about our dogs. We’ve owned Standard Poodles for many years. In fact, when my daughters were young, we even showed them. So, we’re talking about more than 35 years of Standard Poodles.
They’ve brought us so much joy over the years and broken our hearts each time we’ve had to say goodbye, but the memories they’ve left are so worth it. I’m one of those people that believes in the Rainbow Bridge and I’m certain I’ll see all our dogs again one day in heaven. I realize not everyone believes that and I respect your right not to. In exchange, I appreciate your willingness to allow me to keep right on believing.
I could tell you all kinds of stories about our dogs, but today I want to tell you what I’ve learned from our two current Standard Poodles, Oakley and Teeter. First, let me tell you how we got Oakley. It was the summer of 2021. We were down to only one poodle left. Paige seemed lonely and I’ve always felt it’s much easier with two dogs than it is with only one. Two dogs keep each other exercised while playing together. In addition, when you’re away from the house, the dogs don’t feel alone because they have each other. I know that may sound crazy to some, but separation anxiety in dogs is real, and many dogs stress when their owner leaves them alone in the house.
We decided to get Paige a companion, so we contacted Carolina Poodle Rescue and shared our interest in adopting a rescue. They informed us they had a 4-month-old puppy coming that needed a good home. We drove down the next weekend to get him. His name was Oakley. He was a brown bundle of hair that looked like a little bear. Paige took one look at him and showed her teeth. We were alarmed, but the people at the rescue were not. They informed us Paige was just letting Oakley know she had boundaries that he dare not cross. We brought Oakley home and Paige tolerated him at first, but eventually warmed up to him. She would play with him to a point, but always let him know when he had gone too far. The truth was, Paige enjoyed playing “mother” and having Oakley around.
Oakley had one little problem. We’re not sure if he had an injury or what happened to him, but his tail was only a stub of about 2 inches in length. As I will explain later, a Standard Poodle’s tail is very distinct from other breeds. Oakley’s tail actually looked like a bear’s tail. There were times when I was actually embarrassed of it and had to explain to people he was indeed a Standard Poodle.
We lost Paige last December. She was elderly and let us know it was time. As much as it broke our hearts, we had to say goodbye. Oakley was devastated. He would wander around the house looking for her. I tried to exercise him by taking him for walks, but with the heat and my MG, I wasn’t able to go too far. We played a little in the yard, but even that wasn’t enough. He began to put on weight and started becoming lethargic. He needed another dog.
Two weeks ago, we once again reached out to Carolina Poodle Rescue and soon we were on our way to pick up a companion for Oakley. We found Teeter, an 11-month-old cafe au lait Standard Poodle with an uncropped tail. This was no ordinary poodle tail. It was 3 feet long with a tuft of long hair at the tip. She looked like a lion. That’s when the Poodle Snob in me came out. How were we ever going to put up with this outlandish tail?
As I had mentioned, we previously showed Standard Poodles, so I was very used to their prim and proper appearance. A Standard Poodle’s tail is cropped by 1/3 at birth, so in adulthood it only grows to a length of 8 to 10 inches at the most. Some people keep a ball of hair at the tip, but we preferred the more common “Swifter” look where there was hair the entire length except for a 1 inch portion that was shaved at the base of the tail. By the way, here’s a fun fact to know and tell: Most dogs have fur, but poodles have hair. That’s why they don’t shed and you have to get them groomed because their hair never stops growing.
Fast forward to the current day. We’ve only had Teeter for a short time, but I’ve learned you can tell so much about her attitude by how she displays her tail. When she’s scared, it’s down. When she’s cautious, it’s straight out. And when she’s happy, that tail just wags and wags. There’s even a cute little curl at the end. It’s functional, it’s cute and it’s actually pretty fun to watch.
So, I’ve got one poodle with almost no tail and another poodle with an outrageously long tail. Neither one of them look exactly like you’d expect a Standard Poodle to look. I’ve come to understand Oakley’s short little stubby tail. That wasn’t his fault. He can’t show expression with it, but he’s still my best friend. And I’ve come to not only love, but adore Teeter’s tail. That’s the way all Standard Poodles should look, in my newly formed updated opinion. In fact, in Europe, cropping a Standard Poodle’s tail is no longer acceptable. And guess what? Both Oakley with his little stub of a tail and Teeter with her long lion tail are my best friends. I’ve learned to love them for what’s inside of them and in the process fell in love with their unique and unconventional tails, too!
Best of all, Oakley and Teeter have become best friends. They play almost non-stop and when they lay down to rest, they’re right beside each other. She’s exactly what he needed.
So, what does any of this have to do with Myasthenia Gravis? Have you ever been around someone who looks weird because their eyelids are drooping? They certainly can’t help it. Have you ever been around someone you thought was strange because they were slurring their words or had a hoarse, raspy voice? They certainly can’t help it. Have you ever seen someone dragging their foot when they walk? They certainly can’t help it. Have you ever seen someone in a wheelchair and shied away from them? They certainly can’t help it.
What’s my point? DON’T BE A POODLE SNOB! That person with MG might appear a little different, but they just might be a wonderful person and given the chance, perhaps your next best friend. Don’t look at us because we have something about us that is different and especially don’t pity us. Look at us as unique and appreciate us for who we are inside. Who knows, you might grow to love us!