Waypoint's Step iii One Helluva Ride S, NTD, ADC, AGDC
"Rees"
Date of birth: 2017-01-13
Betterbred: .15 OI, -.01 IR, 1004/2002 & 1010/2010
Rees was my first poodle as an adult, and he was made for me. In the late winter of 2017 I had lost my reactive rescue dog, and had planned to wait awhile before getting a poodle puppy.
I was pretty certain I wanted a poodle, but was concerned because of my family's personal experience with iffy health in the standard variety. I'd begun my exploration of diversity-bred intervariety poodles, and I loved the idea of a more moderate, traditional sized standard. But I still didn't fully understand the science (no one really did at that point, outside of the UC Davis team led by Dr. Pederson).
And then, through the power of social media, Rees appeared on my radar. Born on Friday the 13th (a day I consider very lucky), he seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I knew of his father, a genetically diverse, high drive, truly medium-sized "small standard" who lives in Ontario (and continues to thrive and remain active at the incredible age of 15).
Although Rees's breeder, Nancy Borga, lives further away than I'd imagined traveling for a pet, her program felt like a breath of fresh air. She focuses on agility -- a sport I was aching to explore. Speaking to Nancy, it became very clear how much she puts into her puppies and how honest and authentic she is as a person.
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At the time, "Green Bean" was nearly 12 weeks old, and he needed to come home as soon as possible before border restrictions relating to the rabies vaccine would complicate the import process. It was a dramatic process but it inspired his name -- One Helluva Ride. His name also alluded to the adventures we would have together.
I will never forget the bliss of our first summer together. Since then, he's matured into an absolutely incredible dog. Today he is the most bombproof and well-rounded of my dogs, and he's pretty darn close to a perfect family dog.
Rees is a medium energy, medium drive dog who stands about 21" tall and at maturity weighs about 40lbs. He is solid in body with loads of muscle, but still has elements of refinement, including the prettiest feet in the house.
He adores humans and has a natural love of children, despite not being raised around them. He is very dog social without being socially preoccupied.
At first, Rees was a fun and active but also careful and quiet puppy. Soon, his confidence blossomed. He became incredibly outgoing and joyful, as well as delightfully vocal. To this day, his happy barks, soulful moans, and various groans, grumbles and sighs clearly convey his every emotion. Rees wears his heart on his sleeve and we always know exactly how he feels.
With Rees, I was finally able to dip my toe into agility. It was the blind leading the blind for the poor guy. In fact, As first dogs often do, Rees bore the brunt of many of my newbie training mis-steps. Thankfully, he still adores me and holds no grudges for the pressure I unconsciouly applied to my soft-hearted mama's boy. Today, he's a happy, beloved, neutered pet who enjoys the biggest crate in the car and the best spot (the one right beside me) on the bed,
Rees is titled in CKC Sprinter, which he absolutely loves. He also worked his way through most of the starter and advanced titles in the Agility Association of Canada (AAC). While he loves playing with me, I struggled to keep agility fun for him at the higher levels of the sport, which I blame in part on our spotty shared foundations. Ultimately I decided to retire him to a life of fetch, hiking and hanging out -- which fortunately he thrives on.
Health: While I never pursued advanced health testing for Rees, he has overall maintained excellent health. Although he is genetically a very typical standard poodle (not a genetic "outlier"), he is not at all inbred.
Rees has given me a few scares, which fortunately did not amount to anything. He can be prone to over-drinking when stressed, and he's generally fairly soft when it comes to tolerating stress -- and in the past this has led to a very notable incident of polydipsia/polyuria which fortunately resolved completely without medical intervention (although not before we pursued a great deal of diagnostic testing and imaging!).
However Rees has never had any issues with eating, allergies or any other physical sensitivity. Mentally, while Rees is a soft touch, he's a very stable dog without any fear issues or sound sensitivities. He's easy to live with in virtually every way.
Rees has the healthiest ears I've seen in a standard poodle. He has a healthy coat and healthy skin. Even at seven years old, he has a perfect, full set of clean, white teeth, and always had a perfect bite. He has never reacted to a vaccine or any flea/tick medication. He has routinely received rabies, leptospirosis and Simparica.
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