The Poodle Bent Down for a Sniff. The Ducklings Were Waiting in Line.
On the green lawn, an apricot Poodle lowers his curly head to say hello to the first in a long line of yellow ducklings. The leader stands at the front, one little foot raised, with a row of nine or ten ducklings fanning out behind it, each one lined up like a train. Behind them a blue watering can, a garden boot and a wooden fence fill the late afternoon yard.
Poodles are bright, athletic dogs that are often gentle and highly trainable. They come in three sizes and have curly, low-shedding coats that require regular grooming. When a dog meets a new animal for the first time, a calm approach is best: let them sniff from a distance, keep the dog on a leash, and watch the body language closely. Ducklings can be easily frightened or hurt, so these early meetings should be short and always supervised. Never push animals together. If you are bringing ducklings home to a dog household, a vet can advise on what to expect.
The Poodle seems careful and curious, dipping his nose just a little toward the first duckling and holding his breath. The ducklings, for their part, do not look afraid at all. They stand in a perfect line, looking about, as if inspecting a stranger with unusually fancy hair. It is the first hello, and so far it is going very politely. Whatever happens next, it has started with good manners.
