Poodles are woven through the fabric of every aspect of my life...this poodle family is inseparable from the life I have led.

The story of Charis Standard Poodles began when I attended my very first Poodle Club of America national in 1983. I finished my first standard poodle in conformation, titled in obedience, qualified and showed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club in Juniors as a young girl.

I apprenticed with several of the top handlers of the time, who are in fact the top poodle experts of the modern era. This exposed me to standard poodles from many different pedigrees across the country and subsequently the world.

My first mentor in poodles was Frances Rubanich of Hell’s A Blazen Toy Poodles fame. My second mentor in poodles upon the passing of Frances Rubanich was Doris Lilienthal of Lake Cove Standard poodles. Doris was the breeder of the top winning poodle of all time, who was also the top non-sporting dog of all time, the #5 top winning dog in the history of the American Kennel Club since it’s inception in 1884 and the only coated dog in the top 5. The final dog Doris Lilienthal showed was bred by and given to her as a gift, by me. He was by her sire.

The trifecta of poodle breeding is health, beauty, temperament. Achieving one or two of the elements of the trifecta is fairly common amongst conscientious poodle breeders. Consistently producing the trifecta is rare, the 1%. Over the last 4 decades, I have consistently produced the trifecta and I have had to varying degrees more or less of each of the components of the trifecta in every dog. My goal is always the trifecta.

Health is the selection of genetic components, some that you have control over through genetic testing, most that you have no control over. Beauty is, as it always is, subjective. An understanding, appreciation and adherence to the breed standard is the most effective route to the beauty goal. Temperament is the intelligence, the biddability, the sensitivity, the humor that only this breed of dog possesses. It is the reason that once one has had a standard poodle all other dogs are just dogs. Lovable and wonderful, but not standard poodles. Neither health nor beauty nor temperament is more important than the other in what makes a standard poodle a great standard poodle.

Without health you will have a broken heart, exorbitant vet bills and an innocent creature that undeservedly will suffer. Without beauty you will have some ham bone headed clod or physically crippled animal. A standard poodle is a strong, graceful, athletic, eye catching dog. Without proper poodle temperament you would be missing out on the best of what standard poodles have to offer.