Why are there no more purebred Poodles?
UPDATE: I found my perfect boy in North Carolina! Keeping this thread up for those who may need advice or suggestions!!
Hey everyone,
I'm located in the Tampa, FL area and have been on the hunt for a Standard Male Poodle to train for service dog work. I've been searching for over a month now, and I'm honestly at my wit's end. It feels like everywhere I turn, it's Doodles—Golden Doodles, Bernedoodles, Aussiepoos, Maltipoos... you name it!
I’ve been searching for reputable breeders, but the situation is frustrating. A lot of the breeders I’ve found have switched to Doodle breeding or are specializing in teacups or miniatures. I get it—there's demand for those mixes, but it's been a huge roadblock for my service dog search. The ones that do still breed Standard Poodles either seem sketchy (potentially not great for SD work) or they're high-end show dog breeders with waitlists extending into 2026 or 2027. Not an ideal situation when I need a service dog as soon as possible since it’ll take a year at minimum to train him for basic tasks.
I’m honestly considering having one shipped from out of state at this point. But is this the new norm? Are standard Poodles essentially doomed in Florida? Is anyone else struggling to find decent Poodles for service dog purposes? Would love to hear your experiences or any breeder recommendations that might still be out there.
Thanks in advance!