Poodle
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[
White Standard Poodle. ]The Poodle is a breed of dog; specifically, it is a gun dog noted for its ability in the water and bird hunting skills. The English name comes from the German Pudel, or Pudelhund – from pudeln, meaning "to splash about". In France the poodle is known as a caniche and in Spain as a perro de lana (literally "wool dog").
Appearance
Breed standards call for a dignified, elegant carriage.
The breed comes in three sizes (as described by most breed registries):
Standard: Over 38 cm (15 in) at the shoulder
Miniature: Over 28 cm (11 in) high, but under 38 cm
Toy: Under 28 cm (11 in) and 10 lb or under
The American Kennel Club has a slightly different standard, with the
maximum for Toys and the minimum for Miniatures at 25cm (10 in). The FCI
standards divide Poodles into four groups: Large (45 to 60 cm), Medium
(35 cm to 45 cm), Miniature (28 cm to 35 cm) and Toy (less than 28 cm
with an ideal size of 25 cm).
[ 18 weeks Toy poodle ]
Coat
Breed standards call for a coat of solid color, one of black, white,
brown, grey, blue, or apricot. "Parti" (partial), "phantom," and other
coat colors exist, but are not acceptable in the show ring.
The fur on the animal's body is naturally curly, often in small tight
clumps of small curly ringlets. Hair on the ears can be straight or
slightly curly. With brushing, the dog's fur will still retain wavy or
curly properties, but will soften and straighten somewhat.
The coat can be clipped in various styles. For show purposes, only three
clips—the puppy clip (only for dogs one year old or younger), the
Continental or Lion clip (with the instantly-recognizable 'mane'), and
the English Saddle clip (with leg bracelets)—are acceptable. The
traditional show-cut 'bracelets' of long fur covering the dog's leg
joints are said to date back to winter hunts, where most of the fur was
clipped short to facilitate swimming but the joints, lungs, heart, and
kidneys needed protection from the cold. The pom-pom on the end of the
tail served as a "flag" when the poodle dove under the water's surface.
Clip styles for pets include the Kennel clip (fur same length all over)
and other styles, generally variants of the Continental. Left alone,
poodle fur will become corded in the manner of a Puli.
Working poodles are often clipped closely to avoid tangles and to reduce
the amount of water a wet dog brings into a duck boat.
[ Working Poodle cut ]
Corded Poodle
The Corded Poodle is a Poodle whose hair has been allowed to grow in the
corded manner: it is not a distinct breed.
Most national registries recognize two coat types for Poodles: curly and
corded. Some Poodles have coats which will more or less naturally cord,
others must be coaxed into it, but virtually all Poodles are capable of
having corded hair once their adult hair has been established. Puppies
can be born with either type of coat, even in the same litter. Once
cords have been established, they cannot be brushed out, but must be
clipped away.
Breed historians seem to agree that the corded coat is the older of the
two varieties. Corded coats are more difficult to take care of, and
corded dogs fell out of fashion, in favor of those with wooly coats.
Temperament
Poodles are generally intelligent, alert, and active. In particular, the Standard variety is quite independent and has a noticeable hunting drive. Even Toys will point birds. Because they are so intelligent, they can become bored easily, and can get quite creative about finding mischief.
Poodles are extremely people-oriented dogs and, therefore, are eager to please. They are excellent watchdogs, but unlike some working breeds, don't usually become "one-person" dogs when they are part of a family. Standard Poodles in particular tend to be good with children. When they are from good bloodlines, all three varieties are fairly mellow dogs. Poodles are adaptable and easy to train. They don't require as much exercise as other hunting or working breeds (even the Standards), but being agile and athletic, they appreciate lots of exercise.
Health, History and Interesting issue of Poodle Dogs
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Poodle".
