Poodles

Appearance:

Body: Square, strong, and sturdy, with a short back, deep chest, well-sprung, rounded ribs, and well-muscled, sloping shoulders.

Coat: Long, dense, harsh, wooly, and curly.

Color: Black, white, brown, silver, gray, blue, or apricot.

Ears: Long, wide, set near eye level, hung close to the head and suited with wavy hair.

Eyes: Slightly slanted, almond-shaped, and expressively intelligent. Black or dark brown in white, grey, black, and apricot dogs; dark amber in brown dogs.

Feet: Small, and oval-shaped with compact, arched, webbed toes, and dense, hard pads. Color matches the dog.

Head: Long, oval, and well-proportioned with a slight peak, wide groove between the eyes, definite stop, straight, long, solid muzzle and refined face. Nose is sharp black in white, grey, black, and apricot dogs; brown in brown or dark brown dogs.

Legs: Forelegs are straight and well-muscled with strong pasterns. Hindquarters are muscular, stifles are well-bent, and hocks are let down.

Neck: Long, strong and solid; set into well-muscled shoulders.

Size:

Standard:
Weight: 45 - 70 pounds
Height: 15 - 27 inches

Miniature:
Weight: 12 - 18 pounds
Height: 10 - 15 inches

Toy:
Weight: 7 - 10 pounds
Height: 8 - 10 inches

Tail: Set high, straight, and usually docked.

Behavior

Recommended for novice dog handlers
Can be possessive of his owner
A non-shedding dog

The Poodle is a reliable companion with a regal stature and curly coat. He is intelligent, active, sturdily built, clever, and alert, as well as easily trained. Poodles love human interaction and are not meant to be subjected to the boredom of being outside stuck on a lead for extended periods of time. He can be seemingly human himself sometimes and needs to be inside with his family.

AKC Standard says, "Carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent, the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself."

He is a handsome and desirable breed of dog who is likely to be stolen from you if left to wonder the neighborhoods freely. Be sure to keep him in an enclosed area or on a leash to avoid losing him to an unscrupulous individual or to the dangers of traffic.

The typical Poodle hair cut is indicative of his use as a water dog. According to The Encyclopedia of The Dog, the hair on the front of their bodies is left to keep their heart and chest protected and the legs are clipped to allow for better swimming capabilities. The cut is also for safety reasons. If the hair is not cut properly on the working dogs, it can become too heavy for the Poodle to swim causing him to drown.

Breed Type

AKC Group: Non-Sporting and Toy

Originally the Poodle was a gun dog used to retrieve birds from water. The smaller Poodles were once used to hunt truffles (an expensive and delicious species of mushroom dug from the ground).

The miniature and toy were bred down from the Standard size Poodle but the characteristics are otherwise the same.

Care and Grooming

Exercise: He's an energetic, eager-to-go dog in need of lots of daily exercise such as vigorous walks and games to play that will stimulate him both mentally and physically.

Grooming: Brush two to three times weekly. Clip every four to six weeks. Keep his ear canals clean and dry.

Health

Life Expectancy: 11 - 13 Years

Possible Problems:
Addison's disease - an insufficient production of adrenal hormones
Bloat - twisting of the stomach
Cushing's disease - cancer of the pituitary gland
Epilepsy
Hip Dysplasia - degenerative joint disease
Hydrothyroidism - excessive secretion of thyroid hormone
Legg-Calv-Perthes - dying off of bone cells
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) - eye disease
Skin problems

Recommended Certificates:
CERF - for the eyes
OFA - for the hips

Country of Origin

Germany - middle ages.