Over the years I always had rescue dogs, mostly mixes. For about 3 years I tried to convince my husband that a Great Dane would be a great addition. He finally said yes, provided I could find one in rescue (secretly he figured he was safe & I would be unsuccessful). Well, I called the local shelter that same day & they had just picked up a purebred dane as a stray & if no one claimed him he would be available.
On the day he was available we were there 1 hr b4 the doors were unlocked to insure we'd be the first there & he came home with us. I then had a few more rescues, the last of which was Rufus who was a samoyed/collie. After we lost him to cancer at 8 yo I wanted another furpal. However, with all the shedding Rufus did I decided I wanted a non-shedding breed. After alot of research I decided a standard poodle would be a perfect fit. It was important that we have a dog that was great with kids as I had a new grandson. Farley then joined us as a 9 wk old pup and he was such a joy 1 1/2 yrs later we got Chloe to join us. I absolutely love this breed and will always have at least one. They are a pleasure to train, they don't shed, they love to cuddle, they are super with the boys and are ready to participate in any activity from swimming, to retrieving, to chasing the squirrels, etc. They always (well almost always
) keep a smile on my face.