Poodle

The Poodle is a water dog, known as the Pudel in German and the Caniche in French. It comes in four sizes, Standard, Medium, Miniature and Toy, though not every kennel club recognizes the Medium. All have the same thick, curly coat. The larger dogs were first used by wildfowl hunters to bring game back from the water.

History

Most authorities believe the Poodle began in Germany in the Middle Ages, from a dog like today’s Standard Poodle. It was Germany’s water dog, as the Barbet was France’s. The name comes from the Low German puddeln, to splash, and German artists were painting dogs of recognizable Poodle type by the 17th century.

Poodles were clever, obedient and athletic, and they became circus dogs, especially in France. There they were bred down in size to make what is now the Miniature Poodle, easier to handle and move with a traveling show. The Toy Poodle was made at the start of the 20th century by breeding Miniatures smaller again as companions.

The Kennel Club recognized the Poodle in 1874 and the American Kennel Club in 1886. From 1960 to 1982 it was the American Kennel Club’s most registered breed.

Appearance

The varieties differ mainly in size. By the FCI standard the Standard stands 45 to 62 cm (18 to 24 in), the Medium 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in), the Miniature 28 to 35 cm (11 to 14 in) and the Toy 24 to 28 cm (9.5 to 11 in). A Standard Poodle typically weighs 20 to 32 kg (44 to 71 lb).

The coat is thick and curly, with harsh hair. It comes in many colors, including white, black, brown, blue, gray, silver, cream, apricot and red. There are also patterned coats, such as parti-color and phantom, though recognition of these varies and only solid colors may be shown in American Kennel Club conformation.

Show Poodles are often seen in the Continental clip, with the face and rear clipped close and tufts left on the hocks, hips and tail tip. A clip like it once kept a swimming dog from being weighed down by wet hair while its joints and vital organs stayed covered.

Temperament

Poodles are highly intelligent, energetic and sociable. Stanley Coren’s 1994 book ranked them second of 130 breeds for working and obedience intelligence. Shyness or sharpness counts as a serious fault.

They are very trainable and do well in obedience, agility and rally, and they are among the most popular service dogs.

Care and health

Pet owners can expect to have a Poodle groomed every four to eight weeks. Poodles are often called hypoallergenic, because the tight curls trap loose hair and dander, but researchers have generally found no difference in allergens between breeds.

Smaller Poodles live longer than larger ones. A British study in 2024 found a life expectancy of 14 years.

Hereditary conditions include the skin disease sebaceous adenitis and Addison’s disease, both of which became more common after rapid breeding from a few popular bloodlines in the 1960s. The breed is also predisposed to allergic skin disease, ear inflammation, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome and progressive rod-cone degeneration.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.