The Parisian Poodle

Since it might be awhile before I make it to Paris, I thought I would bring a little piece of it to me. My husband and I had hoped to get a dog once we settled into a larger home of our own. Since that happened recently, we started thinking about what kind to get. I had wanted a Standard Poodle for quite some time, but unfortunately, our backyard is pretty small. We didn't think a large dog would be very comfortable.

We both loved all the poodle qualities still, and since they don't shed (great for Chris's allergies), we decided to go for the smaller version. We just got our apricot toy poodle puppy a few weeks ago and it has been quite an adventure. We are very lucky in that he has been relatively easy. He slept through the night the first night home, and every night since. It took just about a week for him to catch on to the potty training. He has the occasional accident here and there, but it's only if we're not doing our job and watching him carefully. Overall, I am very impressed with the work the breeder did with him to get him ready. You can read all about her and her breeding program here.

Now, when you think poodles, you think France: the world capital of fashion and style. I definitely wanted a French name for him. I like my pets' names to be different, so I steered clear of the usual names. We finally agreed on Gusteau, the French chef from the movie Ratatouille. How great is it that I got to incorporate cooking into it?! His nickname is Gus Gus or Gusti (or Goosapotamus or Mr. Lubber Lubber, or Buddy Boo-well you get the idea) and he is a lover. He bullies my cat Cavalli (named after Italian designer Roberto Cavalli), but they seem to like the rough housing because they always come back for more.

For some chic toys for our Parisian Poodle, we bought him the I Love Paris! toy set from upscalepup.com. It includes a plush Eiffel Tower, baguette, and cappuccino. We also got him his own loofah chef dog that he loves from PetSmart (on clearance too!). Now if I can only find a tiny beret for Gusteau, we'll be set!

I Love Paris! toy set

Photo from upscalepup.com