Genia you struck a cord with me on this one! I have had four poodles, the last one being a black standard. The others were toys (2) and a miniature. Can't praise standard poodles enough although I loved all of mine dearly!! Standards are just so elegant!!! There is one area that must be kept clean in poodles of all sizes and that is their ears. They grow fuzzy little hairs down in their ear canals which can mix with wax and then have a not-so-nice smell. Most poodle owners merely pluck those hairs at the time of their grooming (which is usually every 6 weeks or so) so it doesn't become an issue.

[This message has been edited by Pam (edited December 03, 2000).]