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HISTORY OF THE POODLE

The Standard Poodle

(the Greatest dog of all)


The Standard Poodle is proud, graceful, noble, good-natured, enjoyable and cheerful. This highly intelligent dog is one of the most trainable breeds. Some can be trained to hunt. The Standard Poodle is generally a lower energy and often calmer than the smaller varieties of Poodles, but will become high strung if you do not give it the proper amount and type of exercise. It is sensitive to the tone of one's voice and will not listen if it senses that it is stronger minded than its owner, however it will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to be calm, yet possess an air of natural authority. They are not the type of dog to live outside in a kennel, as it enjoys being with its owner and dislikes being alone. It is generally friendly toward strangers, and is excellent with children. The Standard Poodle is good with other dogs. Some can make good guard dogs. Make sure you are a firm, consistent, confident pack leader, providing daily pack walks to avoid separation anxiety and other unwanted behavior issues.


Extensive grooming is needed if the dog

is to be shown. Poodles must be bathed regularly and clipped every six to eight

weeks. Clean and check the ears frequently for wax or mites or infection and

pull out hairs growing inside the ear canal. The teeth need regular scaling.

Since the coat does not shed it needs to be clipped. There are several different

types of Poodle clips. The most common for pet owners is an easy care clip

called a "pet clip," "puppy clip" or "lamb clip," where the coat is cut short

all over the body. Popular show clips are the English saddle and the Continental

clip, where the rear half of the body is shaved, bracelets are left around the

ankles, and pom-poms are left on the tails and hips. The AKC standard allows for

a dog under a year old to be shown in a show-style puppy clip which has special

requirements such as a pom-pom on the end of the tail. Other clip styles are the

modified continental clip, town and country clip, kennel or utility clip,

summer clip, and the Miami of bikini clip. Poodles shed little to no hair and are good

for allergy sufferers.

Height: 15 inches (38 cm) or more.

Weight: Males 45 - 70 pounds (20 - 32 kg) Females 45 - 60 pounds (20 - 27 kg)


The sizes of the official AKC-recognized Poodle breeds are

determined by height, not by weight. The Standard Poodle is over 15 inches

at the highest point of the shoulders. Standard Poodles that are 15 inches or

less cannot compete in the AKC show ring as Standard Poodles.


The newly introduced "Royal" or "Giant" poodle are said to be a marketing scheme. Over sized poodles are prone to many health issues including structural and skeletal problems. Almost always, they have balance problems and the bigger chests make them even more prone to bloat. Staying within the average weight, as stated above, is an indication of a better bred dog both in structure and health.

The Poodle has been known throughout Western Europe for at

least 400 years and is depicted in 15th century paintings and in bas-reliefs

from the 1st century. The subject is controversial of where the dog was

officially developed and no one really knows the breed’s true country of origin.

France has taken a claim on the origin, but the AKC gives the honor to Germany,

where they say it was used as a water retrieval dog. Other claims have been

Denmark, or the ancient Piedmont. What is certain is that the dog was a

descendant of the now-extinct French Water Dog, the Barbet and possibly the

Hungarian Water Hound. The name "Poodle" most likely came out of the German word

"Pudel," which means "one who plays in water." The "Poodle clip" was

designed by hunters to help the dogs swim more efficiently. They would

leave hair on the leg joints to protect them from extreme cold and sharp

reeds. The hunters in Germany and France used the Poodle as a gundog and as

a retriever of waterfowl and to sniff out truffles laying underground in the

woods. The French started using the breed as a circus performer because of the

dog's high intelligence and trainability. The breed became very popular in

France, which led to the common name "French Poodle," but the French people

actually called the breed the "Caniche," meaning "duck dog.” The Toy and Miniature Poodle

varieties were bred down from larger dogs, today known as Standard Poodles.

In the 18th century smaller poodles became popular with royal

people. The three official sizes are the Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodle.

They are considered one breed and are judged by the same written standard but

with different size requirements. Breeders are also breeding an in-between size

called a Klein Poodle (Moyen Poodle) and a smaller Teacup Poodle.

Some of the Poodle's talents include: retrieving, agility, watchdog, competitive

obedience and performing tricks.

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