Dandie Poodle

Top: Dodger Boy, who looks more like a Dandie when he has whiskers; a gray ("pepper") Dandie; Dandies are a rare terrier breed in the UK; a smiley English family with their Dandies--check out the one on the far right--he looks like Dodger after a bath; a white poodle

Obviously Dodger is part mini poodle: his long legs, nonshedding fur, curly hair, and long fluffy ears are a dead giveaway. But what else is he? He's a pound puppy, but someone cared for him before he became homeless: he was house broken, walked on a leash, played fetch, and had a docked tail.

The first night I got him, my youngest sister, then an avid readers of dog breed books, snapped her fingers and said, "He looks like a Dandie Dinmont!" Unfortunately, my parents and I sort of scoffed at her and wondered aloud how in the world she could know that. Well, a day or so later, we felt remorseful because sure enough, Dodger had many Dandie characteristics: turned-out front paws, black-lined eyes, large eyes (not almond like a poodle's), gray coloring, killer nails, a longer back, and a muzzle that's slightly shorter than a poodle's. Check out the photos and see for yourself!

Dandies aren't a common breed; I've tried finding a place that would breed them in the Middle Tennessee area and I've never found a scrap of info.