Poodle

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Breed Details

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Poodles origin is unknown, some believe it originated in France and others think Germany. What is for certain is that they came from Europe and were bred to retrieve waterfowl and game. Their name in German: 'pudel' translates to splashing dog, where in this case is a description of the dog's purpose. Although many people consider this dog as prissy, they were in face bred to swim and get dirty!

The Poodle has 3 variations, the toy, miniature and standard. All derived from the Standard variation and were bred to be smaller in the 18th century and all have kept their specific sizes even in modern day. This breed has been known to have more elegant hair cuts that most people would think were for show purposes when in fact the dogs fur was purposely cut everywhere except their ears, chest, and leg joints to keep this dog warm when in cold water!

The Standard Poodle is a large dog with a slender muzzle and long floppy ears. They have muscular legs and an athletic body giving them a noble appearance. Their tail is naturally long but is docked for show purposes.There are 3 variations of coat cut that the Poodle could have: the Continental cut which is their entire lower half shaved and fur left on their ankles, tail, and hips. The Pet cut which is where nothing is shaved but the entire body of fur is about 1 inch in length or the English saddle cut which is similar to the Continental cut except their are rounded areas around the hips that are not shaved.

Color

The Standard Poodle will come in all colors as long as it is solid.

Coat

The Poodle has a long, soft, curly coat that will come in any colour. There are 3 different cuts they could have, which are the Continental, the Pet, or the English Saddle cut. These are specific hair cuts the Poodle will need to have if they are to be shown. They have these specific cuts to protect their vital organs and joints from the cold when on a hunt. Although this regal look is desired by many breeders and owners, the cut itself was purely for warmth!

Personality

The Poodle is an energetic joyful breed that thrives on attention from their owners. They are a well behaved, calm breed that has a charming character. These dogs are graceful and have a history of not only excellent hunting/retrieval abilities but also in the show ring for their fashionable appearance. The Poodle is of the utmost intelligent dogs in existence. They are clever, quick and responsive making them easily trained in whatever sport their owner will choose. Hunting, swimming, obedience, agility, and even guarding, the Poodle is a multipurpose dog that will make a great working companion or pet.

Care

This breed will need either an extensive amount of grooming or very minimal depending on the hair cut their owner would like for them. With the more elegant cuts (Continental or English saddle) they will need daily brushing and monthly trimming to keep their coat in its perfect state. If the owner would prefer the Pet hair cut, then brushing them about once per week will be excellent as they will have about 1 inch of fur covering their bodies and will not need major grooming. The Poodle is prone to bloat, skin allergies, hip dysplasia, eye problems such as cataracts and Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and ear infections.

Training

This breed is considered one of the easiest breeds to train! They are highly intelligent and will just need consistency and a firm owner to train them in any type of sport or for any type of trick. The Poodle has been known to not only be a great retriever but also as a guard dog which would seem unlikely as they are such friendly outgoing dogs! They will excel in obedience and agility trials if their owner keeps a repetitive method and positive manner when training.

Activity

The Poodle will need to be taken out on regular walks or to an off-leash dog park for their daily exercise. Running will tire this energetic dog out more then a long walk as they need to stretch their legs and use their muscular body to burn off their energy. These dogs will be great for people that live in apartments as long as they are getting their daily exercise. A back yard would be preferable but this is not a must.