Standard Poodle board and train in Gloucester, MA

Standards stand more than 15 inches at the shoulder, the AKC says, with males around 60 to 70 pounds and females 40 to 50, and the Standard is the best all-around athlete of the poodle family. The breed was developed as a water retriever. The training notes call poodles extremely intelligent and easily trained, very people-oriented, and quick to please when routines are fun and positive, with one condition: be consistent with what you ask.

The other ratings matter too. Energy scores 4 out of 5, barking 4, openness to strangers 5 and good with other dogs 3. The exercise notes describe very active dogs that need good exercise every day, love to swim and retrieve, and enjoy keeping busy. A dog with that profile notices everything, including what you do inconsistently, and a day with nothing to think about is a long day for it.

Foundation covers basic obedience and leash skills, place, stay and recall, impulse control, and crate and household manners. A young standard poodle often picks up the cues within days, so the week's value lies in the household side: counter manners, doorway waits, a settle while people eat and a crate it accepts. A daily update tracks the progress, and the go-home lesson hands you the same cues and reward timing.

Advanced suits the adolescent poodle that knows everything and does it when it likes. The second week adds advanced obedience and distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality and impulse control, with two scheduled go-home coaching lessons. Poodles excel in obedience, agility and other canine sports, the AKC notes, and a dog that finishes Advanced keen for more can work toward the AKC Canine Good Citizen test in our Canine Citizen Academy.

Write the house rules down and stick them on the fridge, so every family member answers the dog the same way. Use the reward timing from the go-home lesson, and keep sessions short. The AKC notes that swimming is great exercise for poodles and that most love the water, so on the legal days a beach morning doubles as recall practice. At the time of writing, Wingaersheek is open to dogs on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30.

On the days between, a puzzle game or the sniff room, $7 each, can be added to a daycare day, and Dogtown Academy, $89 full or $69 half, puts a trainer session into the day. Canine Campus Dean's List runs four weeks of advanced skills with nights at home. Owners who do not clip at home take a poodle to a groomer every four to six weeks, the AKC notes, and our groomers do a full service for $85 or $110 by weight, which keeps the handling practice going too.