fur clip seen on competition Poodles today has a utilitarian origin. Poodles were clipped to make them more mobile in water. Some of their heavy fur was shaved to lighten them and fur was left around joints to keep the Poodles warm in water.Poodle breeders understand Poodle breed standard characteristics. They follow the American Kennel Club's standards when preparing Poodles for AKC competitions. For example, dogs under twelve months of age can be groomed in a puppy cut, which is an all-over trim with fur of the same length. Adult dogs must be groomed in either the Continental or English Saddle styles which involve shaving the dog's back half while leaving pom-poms of fur on the hips, legs, and tail as well as styling the head fur in an intricate pompadour.The AKC defines breed standard traits for all breeds registered in its competitions. For all three sizes of Poodle (Miniature, Toy and Standard) the following traits must be evident: an energetic appearance, alert expression, elegant walk, intelligence, corded or curly fur, dark eyes, oval-shaped feet, straight muzzle and a deep, wide chest. These are just a few of the stated requirements. Poodle breeders will breed for these characteristics and breed out any irregularities in appearance, behavior and health.Before considering a purebred Poodle for a pet, potential buyers should research the breed and find out all the Poodle information and history they can. After viewing common Poodle health problems and the requirements of caring for a Poodle, buyers can decide if their home is a good match for a Poodle. Buyers can then begin contacting local Poodle breeders and rescue centers. Buyers should look for AKCuander a dispiriting quantity of money and effort before finding out that the goose does not lay golden eggs. A quick review of the FTC's regular advisories will educate you about the perils and make you a smarter consumer. Illegal or overhyped investment opportunities can do even greater damage, leading to a loss of life savings or foreclosure on a family home. You should always thoroughly research any pitch before investing, whether it involves rare coins, oil leases, breakthrough computer technology or any other investment that is promised to deliver returns. Common sense should always prevail: if it sounds too good to be true, walk away. But even if it sounds reasonable, demand a full portfolio, do background research and discuss the idea with objective friends and family members.False Credit Repair PromisesOne common pitch that quickly catches the attention of many people in financial trouble is an offer to repair a lousy credit report. The one glaring problem with these so-called "strategies": there is no silver bullet for repairing your credit except hard work and time. The smooth operator who promises you the sun will disappear behind the clouds after making a quick buck and maybe taking a few token steps on your behalf. Here are a few common scams and why you should avoid them:• They promise to explain how you can fix your credit if you call a 900 number. Operators will keep you on the phone long enough to rack up the charges per minute.• They suggest tricks to convince creditors that you don't really owe a particular debt. Scammers who file inaccurate complaints on your behalf will take your money for temporary status improvements that will then expire. • They claim that they can help you start over with clean credit. Creating a new taxpayer identification number or Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a crime, and the old debts will catch up to you because of other identifying data. • They promise to use inside contacts to get you a new mortgage or other lines of credit to clear up your record. Instead, contact a law firm that understands the full range of debt relief options to explore legitimate processes. This is the reality: if the main source of your financial troubles is a bad credit rating, you will need to take the long view toward making improvements. If your only problem is inaccurate data showing up on your credit report, it is relatively easy to contact the reporting agency yourself. If you are also saddled with a heavy debt load because you lost a