Finnesse Rock You Like A Hurricane CGN, RN, RI, NS, SGDC, ADC, ATD, CHIC
"Helix"
Date of birth: 2020-10-27
Betterbred: .70 OI, .14 IR, 1002/2001 & 1012/2003
Helix is a medium energy, medium drive dog with a brilliantly intelligent mind, an optimistic and happy personality, and a clownish sense of humour. A true medium-sized poodle standing just 19” tall, Helix is a solid, rustic, masculine fellow weighing a strapping 37lbs.
Helix is absolutely fun-loving, non-aggressive and non-status-seeking. He is the king of the head tilt, and you can often see the wheels turning as he tries to solve the mysteries of humankind.
He learns incredibly quickly (beware), and his favourite games involve problem solving in partnership with you -- preferably with food and personal play as his payment.
Helix is titled in CKC Sprinter and Canine Good Neighbour, has earned his Advanced Tricks title with DMWYD, and recently earned his 6th and final qualifying score to achieve his Starter Games title in AAC agility. He will continue to dabble in AAC jumpers, but his heart is set on finishing his CKC rally novice title and continuing to pursue more advanced rally and obedience titles. He may also continue to train and eventually title in nosework, which he enjoys immensely,
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Thanks to a slow, low-pressure approach to water, Helix is an excellent swimmer with steady entries. He particularly enjoys swimming with his favourite people!
Health: Helix is the most supple and flexible dog I own and yet his hips are incredibly tight and healthy. His outstanding genetic diversity means he is unrelated to the vast majority of standard poodles, and reduces his risk of developing (or producing puppies who develop) autoimmune disease.
Helix is an enthusiastic eater who has no food sensitivities and has never reacted to a vaccine or any flea/tick medication. He has routinely received rabies, leptospirosis and Simparica.
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More about Helix
Structure & Type: Helix was blessed with outstanding functional structure, gorgeous carriage and movement, and a wonderfully dense, harsh coat. He has a long neck, excellent shoulder layback, and an unusually deep, full chest paired with a beautifully tucked up waist.
Even though he has a lot of bone, he is a very handsome dog who moves cleanly, with elegance and grace. His front angulation is matched by his beautiful rear, and his stride is long, powerful and ground-covering. He has good feet and the most beautiful, straight, thick tail, which he carries at 12 o’clock.
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He is somewhat courser than I prefer with a somewhat short muzzle, shorter-than-ideal leg length, more loin than ideal (in a poodle) and less underjaw than ideal.
Temperament: Helix can be pushy, and presents as rather brash, outgoing and sometimes rude. He is environmentally brave, curious and stable. Despite this, he is at heart a sensitive and even slightly reserved dog. We’ve gotten great results through a gentle and low-pressure approach to training and handling.
Helix is deeply gratified by strong relationships with his humans, which tend to be somewhat selective and very deep. He is friendly with relaxed children and strangers. He responds to pressure in social situations or training by seeking space. In contrast, he is enthusiastically dog-social and does not discriminate between sexes or hormonal status.
Overall, Helix is a quiet dog who barks quite rarely. He crates quietly, travels happily, and is unbothered by sirens, engines, barking, loud speakers, thunder, etc. Although he hates being “left out” of any fun (often yelling for a few seconds when left behind), he settles quickly. And while he doesn't enjoy being "dressed," he tolerates wearing clothing and harnesses, and happily hops up on the grooming table for nail grinding.
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Helix has excellent agility skills, however his very favourite pursuits are problem-solving games (like trick training and nosework), rally obedience and hiking. While he gets bored with fast reps in an agility context, I’ve marveled at his ability to drill seemingly endless reps in our trick-training and rally obedience.
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More than anything, Helix values working in close partnership with his person. The key to his heart is to invest time and attention in building a relationship through play and shared games. While he enjoys chasing toys (especially when they have food hidden inside), he only tugs occasionally. He’s delighted to work for food, personal play and praise.
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