Poodle Traits

The poodle comes in three different varieties; standard, miniature and toy; however, the only difference is the size. The standard or largest size is thought to be the original Poodle. The standard poodle, classified in the nonsporting dog group, stands over 15 inches in height. A miniature poodle is 10-15 inches in height and the toy poodle, which is classified as a toy dog, stands up to 10 inches in height at the shoulder and weighs around 10 pounds. While breeders often refer to a teacup toy poodle or giant standard poodle as breeds they are not recognized as legitimate separate breeds and are just considered descriptive names.

Poodles are a proud dog with a haughty head carriage, the poodle needs a long, strong neck, with a smooth deep throat. In general appearance, the poodle is elegant and perky, well-proportioned, and squarely built. Carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent, the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself. A good Poodle has a square silhouette, with approximately the same length as the height at the withers.

The poodle is associated with France, but many countries have laid claim to the breed. The Poodle is thought to have originated from Germany as the result of crossing various breeds with a curly coated water dog. The poodle is an excellent swimmer and also does well on land. Standard Poodles originated as hunting dogs and are thus, fond of retrieving. As water retrievers, the Poodles needed the chest and head hair to protect vital organs from the cold. Due to its excellent personality, distinctive appearance, and intelligence, the poodle made a swift transition into the ranks of cherished companion dog.

The poodle is a pleasant dog that loves constant company. The Poodle is an extremely intelligent and eager to please dog, thus he is inordinately easy to train. They are easy to live with, good with children and you could not find a better friend than your Standard Poodle. Closely bonded to their families, Poodle lives well with other pets and dogs in the family and tolerates children well. The Poodle makes an excellent family pet who will adapt to any situation and will try anything an owner wants. Many pet owners, using gentle and consistent training methods, have seen their poodles excel in obedience trials, fly ball and agility.

The poodle is a pleasant dog that loves constant company. Possessed with extreme versatility, the intelligent and easy going Poodle makes an excellent companion. A poodle's trainer should be a competent, as poodles can be willful if trained poorly. Although they adore water and love to go for walks, Poodles are not demanding as far as exercise goes.

Toy Poodles like to walk but also enjoy opportunities to run free, romp, and play at will but are not demanding as far as exercise goes. This poodle type is for those people with less active lifestyles and small homes or apartments. Though Poodles do well in apartments they still require regular walks. If they are not give regular exercise they will quickly become unruly and naughty.

Poodles come in many solid colors such as apricot, black, brown, gray and white. Black, blue, gray, silver, cream and white Poodles have black noses, eye-rims and lips, black or self colored toenails and very dark eyes. The skin color of Poodles varies as does the coat color.

Many pet owners, using gentle and consistent training methods, have seen their poodles excel in obedience trials, fly ball and agility. The poodle is highly intelligent and should receive firm and consistent obedience training. Housebreaking a poodle is usually accomplished in a short period of time as they are a naturally clean breed.

No dog is literally "non-shedding" or "hypoallergenic", but poodles have hair, rather than fur, and shed very little once they have their adult coats. Working poodles are often clipped closely to avoid tangles. The hair coat of the poodle is curly and dense with a fine woolly texture and requires daily grooming. The Poodle's coat does not shed hair in the usual way but does require daily grooming. Every six weeks the Poodle need to visit the grooming parlor. General Grooming is one of the biggest expenses in owning a poodle. Grooming a standard poodle completely from start to finish will take about 3 hours when you become proficient at it.

Poodles must be bathed regularly and clipped every six weeks. A mild dog shampoo to bathe your poodle. Make sure to rinse the shampoo out of the dog's coat thoroughly. Poodles are often clipped to minimize grooming. The shorter coat requires less brushing, and looks great on all poodles. Dull blades can scrape the skin of your poodle and cause clipper burn so be sure to be prepared prior to clipping a poodle. Always bathe the poodle prior to clipping a dirty poodle dull your blades and scissors.

Grooming contests attract international teams which clip Poodles into artistic creations. The morning of the event, a poodle's coat is carefully blow-dried, and the pompoms, mane, and decorative bracelets are cut and styled. The genesis of the poodle hairdo.

As with any purebred dog, there are many health concerns for the poodle owner to be aware of. Health problems that may be common among Toy Poodles include epilepsy, diabetes, ear infections, digestive problems, heart disorders, skin problems, and dislocated knees aware that these things can occur in poodles. All poodles are prone to eye problems such as cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy.

Proving their versatility, the Poodle also became a performer - a favorite in the circus ring, and an exceptional show dog. The French capitalized on the breed's high intelligence, trainability & innate showmanship and made the Poodle into a circus performer. The poodle has also been raised as a circus and vaudeville performer. As a result, the Poodle has a history of performance, appearing in circus and street acts for hundreds of years.

In Belgium Poodles were systematically trained to smuggle valuable lace, which was wound round their shaven bodies and covered with a false skin.

Depending on the lines in the poodles pedigree, life expectancies average between 10 to 18 years.

About the Author
Francesca Black works in marketing for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net leading portals for pet management.

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