The Poodle’s fluffed and coiffed coat, spirited intelligence, and passion for a good swim explain its popularity for centuries. While the Poodle’s poofy hair in either black, white, or apricot, among other colors, says, “Pamper me, please,” the breed is a sturdy water retriever ready, willing, and able to do anything, including help its owners.
The national dog of France is often associated with French sophistication, but the Poodle likely originated in Germany, France, and Russia, although its origin disappears in antiquity. The Standard, Miniature, and Toy Poodle derive their name from the German word “pudeln,” meaning to splash in water.
Oodles of Poodles Do It All
Poodles come in three sizes: Standards should be more than 15 inches tall when measured at the shoulder; Miniatures are 15 inches or under; Toys stand no more than 10 inches. All three varieties may vary in size, but the Standard, Miniature, and Toy Poodles should all have the same proportion when measuring the length of the body from the height of the shoulders to the ground. All three should sport the same hypoallergenic curly or corded coat and ooze affection, energy, and charisma.
Forget any idea that Poodles are too frilly to have fun.
“The Poodle is the most versatile breed,” says Mary Olund, Corresponding Secretary of the Poodle Club of America. “Besides excelling in the show ring, Poodles enjoy participating in every canine sport and make the best home companions.”
Standard Poodle, Duxbury My Ten Cents, “Dime” MH51 MNH SHU is the first Poodle in history to have earned a Master National Hunter title.
A 40-year Standard Poodle breeder, two of Olund’s dogs earned junior hunt titles. Olund’s puppy owners have trained their Poodles for human remains detection, modeling and film acting, therapy, and service work.
“While it might be hard for a Toy Poodle to retrieve a duck from water and carry it in his small mouth, all three Poodles love to compete in all dog sports,” Olund says.
Early Poodle Popularity
The Poodle is one of the oldest breeds. Curly-coated dogs with clipped hindquarters appear in carvings on Roman tombs and Greek and Roman coins as early as 30 A.D. The breed’s widespread popularity is evident in writing and art a thousand years later. Illustrations of Poodle-like dogs appear in manuscripts from France, Holland, and Italy.
A few famous Poodles stand out in history:
- Henri III, the King of France from 1551 to 1589, carried three favorite Poodle-type dogs in a basket around his neck. When a Dominican friar tried to assassinate him, the dogs barked to warn him.
- The poet Alexander Pope owned “Marquis,” a large Poodle, who saved Pope’s life from a murder attempt.
- Winston Churchill’s Miniature Poodle, “Rufus,” was photographed leaping up to greet Churchill on his return.
- When Billie Holiday’s Standard Poodle died, the jazz singer wrapped the dog in her best mink coat for his cremation.
Albrecht Durer depicted German Poodles in some of his sketches. When Poodles were popular in Spain in the 18th century, the Spanish artist Goya included Poodles in a few paintings. Louis XVI favored Toy poodles, companions to the nobility and royalty in France. Despite the Poodle’s German origin as a waterfowl retriever, the breed’s popularity in France grew and became associated with French culture.
Dog owners sought to develop a dog for a specific purpose. In Russia, the Poodle had a thinner, Greyhound-type body, while Germany’s Poodle was thicker with a wooly texture. The smaller poodle type emerged in France and was called the “Petit Barbet.” These smaller white dogs were related to other small white dogs, such as the Bichon Frisé and Maltese. The largest Poodles were sometimes called “Caniche,” “duck dog,” “Grand Barbet,” “Mouton,” “Moufflon” or “Canis Aviarius Aquaricus.” In Germany, the breed was called “Pudel” and was a heavier, more muscular, and athletic dog.
Many historians believe the Standard Poodle came first, but the Toy Poodle likely evolved around the same time. Like other breeds, large and small puppies appeared in the same litter. Larger Poodles performed working tasks, such as water retrieving, while the smaller dogs were home companions.
Historic Hairstyle
The Poodle’s coat trims appeared in early artwork and gradually evolved into the current style. The breed’s natural coat is thick and heavy. When the Poodle retrieved waterfowl in cold water and encountered objects while swimming, the blanket of hair on the chest, hips, and leg joints protected the dog’s vital organs, but a full coat often proved cumbersome in the water. Hunters wanted the dogs to glide effortlessly to shore, so they trimmed the legs, neck, and tail to make moving easier. During this time, powdered wigs and ruffles were all the rage for the French, so adding rosettes on the hips, the pompom on the tail, and puffs on each leg gave the Poodle enough panache to match its owners’ fashion sense. The flamboyant groom remains popular as a nod to the breed’s history.
During the 18th century, the Standard Poodle was bred down to the smaller Miniature and Toy Poodles to appeal to city dwellers in Paris and other European cities. Around the same time, the Poodle began performing in circuses and dog shows due to its highly trainable temperament and eye-catching appearance.
The American Kennel Club recognized the Standard Poodle and the Miniature Poodle as separate breeds in 1887. They belong to the Non-Sporting Group. The Poodle Club of America, founded in 1931, recognized the Toy Poodle as the third variety of the Poodle in 1943 and a member of the Toy Group. The Toy was first bred in the United States in the early 20th century.
While Poodles are rarely used for water retrieving today, they thrive as versatile companions and active canine sports competitors. The breed’s intelligence and drive help it excel as a top contender in and out of the arena.
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