The Poodle is perhaps one of the most easily
recognized breeds of dog in the world. Known for
his unique coat (and the styles in which he is
clipped), superior intelligence and for the ease
in which he learns new tricks, it’s no wonder
why this dog has captivated people for
centuries. While commonly mistaken to be a silly
dog, due to the frou-frou styles in which his
coat is often trimmed, few who have had the
luxury of meeting a Poodle mistake him for a
frivolous pet for long.
Poddles,
Standardpoodles,
Standard-Poodles, Standard-Poddles,
Miniaturepoodles,
Minaturepoodles, Minature-Poodles,
Toypoodles, Toy-Poodles,
Toy Poddles, Teacup
Poodles, Teacup-Poodles,
Tea Cup Poodles,
Teacuppoodles, Teacup Poddles
Believed to have originated in Germany, prior
to the 15th century, the Poodle was originally
known as the Pudel, or by the name “Canis
Familiaris Aquatius.” It is believed that the
Poodle developed as a water spaniel dog and was
later mixed with Russian dogs to create the
basis of the breed. He would first become
standardized in France, where they would adopt
him as the national dog, but the name “Poodle”
is, in fact, an English term, taken from the
German term pudel or pudelin, which meant for
one to splash in the water. This was one of the
things that Poodles do best.
Well known for his skills in the water, the
Poodle was one of the ultimate water retrievers
and a very popular duck hunting dog in his time.
Despite many believing the dogs are cut in
frivolous styles, according to some strange
dog-related fashion trends, the original Poodle
cuts were designed to lighten the dog’s overall
body weight, grant him buoyancy, and protect him
from debris in the water, while still giving
protection to the dog’s joints from the cold
waters they retrieved game from.
The smaller variety of Poodles would come to be,
relatively soon after the Standard Poodle was
recognized, although the smaller varieties were
more favored as pets and truffle-hunting dogs.
Smaller and more lightly built, they would do
less damage to the delicate truffles than their
larger counterparts, and so the Miniature
poodles were employed for the purpose of
scenting out and then digging up the edible
fungus; in fact, many claim that terriers were
crossed with the Poodle, specifically in the
hopes of breeding a better truffle-hunting dog.
The smallest of the three varieties of Poodle,
the Toy Poodle or Petit Barbet, as he would
later be called, was created solely for the
purpose of being a pampered little puppy for the
royal courts of the day. Interesting to note is
that the breeding of these smaller dogs was
never documented, so it remains a mystery as to
whether or not the smaller versions were simply
bred-down versions of the Standard Poodle, or if
they were 3 separate and unique breeds with a
common ancestor - the world may never know.
An adorable white Miniature Poodle romps in the grass.
Regardless of which size variation you
choose, the Poodle is a very square, compact,
and sturdily-built dog. Designed as a
water-based retriever, he is muscular without
being bulky and streamlined without being frail.
The overall appearance of this dog is very
balanced and geometrical; attesting to his great
athletic ability.
The eyes of the Poodle are intelligent and dark
in color, somewhat oval in shape and set far
apart on his head, coupled with a gently
tapering muzzle to give these dogs a delicate
and beautiful profile that is unique to the
breed. While the dog’s straight topline is often
hidden by their abundant coat, they are very
elegant and straight-backed, with a short loin,
well sprung ribs and strong hips, which taper
off to tiny, yet efficient paws.
Poodles are only found in solid colors, such as
black, grey, brown, silver, café-au-lait,
apricot, cream and white. Any parti-colored dog
is considered mismarked, which is disqualifiable
and unregisterable.
The Poodle is a very proud and noble dog and
is well-known for carrying himself thusly. Very
active and intelligent, they are keen canines
who tend to consider themselves top dog. While
they can get along well with children and other
pets that they are raised with, they are
originally bred as hunting dogs, so should be
watched with birds and smaller animals. On the
whole, however, the Poodle is a very attentive
animal who seeks to please his human and keep
everyone happy.
A high-spirited and active dog, the Poodle is
one who likes to stay busy. While he does not
require a home in the country, he is still
perfectly at home in those surroundings and, if
confined to city life, will undoubtedly drag his
owner out for numerous walks or trips to the dog
park on a daily basis. Due to their intelligence
and activity levels, they are ideal animals for
obedience events and canine obstacle courses.
The Princess of Primp, the Poodle is perhaps
one of the most elaborately clipped dogs in the
world. Whether clipped or unclipped, they
possess a curly coat that will grow in tight
ringlets if left unattended. Of course, most
people will tell you half the fun of having a
poodle is the coiffed appearance of this
pampered pooch. What few realize, however, is
that there is more than one way to powder-puff
your Poodle:
The Puppy Clip: If under a year in age,
the Poodle is often shown in what is known as
the "puppy clip." In this clip, the face,
throat, feet, and the base of the Poodle's tail
are shaved and the rest of the coat is left
long, save for a pompon on the end of the dog's
tail.
The English Saddle: Clipping the face,
throat, forelegs, feet and base of the tail, the
Poodle is left with puffs of hair on the
forelegs and a pompon on his tail. A short
blanketing of hair is left over the
hindquarters, save for a curved shaved area on
each flank and two bands shaved into each hind
leg. The rest of the coat may be left long.
The Continental: When clipping a Poodle
in a "Continental" style, the face, throat,
feet, and the base of the Poodle's tail are
shaved, as are the hindquarters. Optional
pompons may be left on the hips, but the legs
are always shaved with puffs on the front legs
and bracelets on the hind and the dog sports a
pompon on the end of his tail, as well.
Sporting: The Poodle that is clipped in a
"Sporting" style has his face, throat, feet and
the base of his tail shaved, but the top of his
head is scissor-cut into a simple cap. The
remainder of the body is either clipped or
scissor-cut to a length of no more than an inch,
following the lines of the dog's body. As
always, the Poodle's tail sports a pompon at the
end.
The Poodle is an incredibly intelligent breed
and one that desires to please his owner. For
these reasons, he is generally very easy to
train and receptive to the praises that he
receives for good behavior. It is said that the
Poodle is the quickest breed to catch on to
verbal commands and that he is capable of
understanding short sentence commands.
Obedience classes are highly recommended if you
are inexperienced with training dogs - not only
does it teach your dog basic commands and
obedience, but it also teaches you how better to
understand your new Poodle puppy, and what
methods he bests responds to. In no time, you
two are sure to be teaching one another new
tricks.
Like any breed of dog, the Poodle is subject
to a variety of health concerns. Your best bet
is, when deciding to choose a new Poodle puppy,
check around with several breeders and ask about
the various health issues that can affect these
beautiful little dogs. A reputable breeder
should be well-versed in the health concerns and
should be able to give you more details, as well
as showing you the sire and dam of your
potential puppy. Some of the health problems
that can affect Poodles include:
Toy and Miniature Poodles:
Progressive retinal atrophy
Legg-Calve'-Perthes
Patella Sub-luxation
Epilepsy
Hypothyroidism
Cryptorchidism
Miniature Poodles are also subject to:
Hip dysplasia
The Standard Poodle:
Progressive retinal atrophy
Epilepsy
Hypothyroidism
Hip dysplasia
Von-Willebrand's Disease
Addison's Disease
Sebaceous Adenitis
The Poodle is a very intelligent and alert
individual that requires a great deal of care
and attention. Not only does his coat require
regular trips to the groomer and a daily
brushing, but he is a very social individual who
prefers to think of himself as a "people" and
entitled to the same privileges and attention.
If you don't mind a lot of exercise and you have
the time (or money) to take him to the groomer's
regularly, you may find that this wonderfully
intelligent dog is the perfect pet for you.
Now that you have decided that the Poodle is the right breed
for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible
Poodle breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized
puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad
breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first Poodle puppy
you find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a
responsible Poodle breeder, you may need to pay more and wait
longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it.
Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard
breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional
expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love
with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely
need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication -
or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible,
caring Poodle breeder who home-raises their puppies with
love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a
health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the
Poodle breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather
than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a
healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that
will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter
and companionship.
Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...
Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These
sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders
listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised German
Shepherd puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many
sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for
puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear
of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the
breeders whom they allow to advertise.
We Highly Recommend:
Choosing a name for your Poodle puppy can be a daunting
task! There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot
of thought and research to find just the right name for your
Poodle. Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a
few days or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you
decide on just the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of
humor? A serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side?
A strange love of cantaloupe? By observing your new Poodle
puppy over the first days or weeks, you should at least have a clue
about what type of name you want to give. There are a ton of dog
names and pet names web sites on the internet. Some are wonderful
information resources, while others, unfortunately, are just
"garbage" sites set up with the sole purpose of cashing in on
visitor hits for this popular subject.
We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name
for your new Poodle puppy. These sites offer inventive,
unique, original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped
thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for
their new baby!
Poodles are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at
Poodle pictures, you can usually gain more insight into
what these dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can help
you decide if you really want to become an Poodle owner.
The following sites below offer pictures of Poodle dogs,
Poodle puppy photos, funny Poodle photos and
more. Enjoy!
There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn
more about the Poodle dog breed. We've compiled a list of
Poodle information sites to assist you in quickly locating
quality information about the Poodle dog breed, while
avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor
attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general.
If you know of an Poodle information site that offers
unique, quality information and photos of the Poodle
breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief description so
that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our list below.
-
Wikipedia - Poodles
- My
Poodles.com - Breed profile, grooming
and healthcare tips, information on
preventing parasites and behavioral
problems, and other articles of interest
to a dog owner.
-
Poodle Connect - Lists links to
sites for enthusiasts.
-
Poodle History Project - The goal
is to illuminate the tasks which the
Poodle was bred to do.
-
The Poodle Museum - Photographs
of many poodles. Graphics intensive.
-
Poodle Place - Poodle history, health
tips, stories, and a description of
the different sizes.
-
Poodle Variety - Magazine covers
the world of breeding, exhibiting and
keeping show, agility, and obedience
dogs along with interests for the pet
owner.
-
PoodlePlayground.com - Photographs,
articles on training and grooming, horoscopes,
pet products, facts, and stories.
-
Poodles in Australia - Source for
dogs in conformation, obedience and
agility. Pedigrees, photographs of top
sires and dams, specialty show results,
and presentations by the country's leading
breeders.
-
Versatilty
In Poodles - A non-profit organization
dedicated to the health, education,
and performance of the breed. Provides
educational material on choosing breeders.
-
Wonderful World of Poodles - Description
of colors, breed history, health issues,
grooming tips, information for potential
buyers, and description of how poodles
interact with children.
Poodle clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn
even more about the Poodle dog breed, help you locate a
responsible Poodle breeder, or help you find an German
Shepherd dog or puppy in need of a second chance for a loving,
forever home. We've compiled the following list of Poodle
clubs and Poodle rescues web sites for your convenience:
A
lovely Apricot Standard Poodle dog
