As any owner of a rare hunting dog knows, the reputation of that breed often rides on your shoulders when you show up for a hunt test or a day afield with friends. Your dog may be the only representative of the breed that your fellow hunters ever encounter, so it’s likely to leave a lasting impression—good or bad.
For Domenick Muoio and his Standard Poodle, this pressure isn’t overwhelming; on the contrary, he enjoys the chance to show what Poodles can accomplish in the field.
“I don’t think that others really expect the level of performance that she has, so they tend to be pleasantly surprised. I get a lot of really positive comments about her, especially from judges who may have seen one or two Poodles in the past and were a little underwhelmed.”