Dog Breeds > Poodle

The Poodle

You will see dog owners walking in the park with their Poodle heeling behind them. This graceful and absolutely elegant dog is one of the favorite breed by the children and dog lovers alike. Having one in your own house is definitely a thrilling experience.

Energy Playfulness Intelligence Grooming Popularity

Fascinating Facts

The Standard Poodle, also known by its simple name Poodle. This breed was famous throughout Western Europe for at least 400 years. This claim has been supported by the bas reliefs found that dates back to the 1st century. The origin of the Poodle is still murky because no sufficient data could prove the place where this breed was developed. France, Germany, Denmark and other countries have made their claim but the AKC gives credit to Germany for being its water retriever dog.

According to the Germans, the name Poodle was derived from the German word pudel meaning “one that plays in water”. In France, this dog was a circus performer and was later called “French Poodle”.

Physical Appearance

The Standard Poodle is a medium-sized dog that grows and weighs around 15 inches and 45 – 60 pounds respectively. The AKC certifies this breed according to its height and not by its weight. The AKC is strict about the 15 inches limit; anything less than 15 inches is disqualified.

The skull of a Poodle is rounded with a straight and long muzzle. The black or brown oval shaped eyes are set apart from each other. The ears flat and long are hanging closely on both sides of its face. The legs are proportional to the size of the dog’s body. The feathered tail stands high. There are owners/trainers/handlers of Poodle in the United States that opt to dock the tail.

The feet of the Poodle are arched and small. The thick corded smooth coat is curly. The coat colors known on this breed are cream, black, silver, gray, blue, brown or café-au-lait. There are times that you would see a tri-color coated Poodle.

Grooming

The coat of the Poodle needs extra attention when it comes to grooming. This breed needs to bathe daily to maintain the natural smoothness of its coat. Trimming should also be done regularly; 6 – 8 weeks are the recommended period for trimming the coat. Because the Poodle is naturally hairy, you should always check the ears for ticks or fleas that might affect its hearing. The body should also be checked for fleas to avoid the Poodle from getting skin infections.

Mood

The Poodle is naturally proud, graceful and affectionate. This breed likes to gather attention from everyone. It likes to impress its master whether by the new trick that it learned or by its cute and fluffy coat. This breed is very intelligent; you will find that this is dog is one of the easiest breed to train.

Like every dog breeds, the Poodle is very prone to Small Dog Syndrome. There are lots of owners/trainers/handlers that over pamper the Poodle. This attitude induces behavior-related problems on the Poodle. Spoiled Poodle tend to become over excited, sensitive, demanding and sometimes displaying destructive attitudes like biting and guarding furniture, chasing other animals and even biting strangers.

With Children

Many children find the Poodle their favorite because of its cute and graceful appearance. This breed is very affectionate and playful however, it can only entertain the children for as long as 1 hour. Unlike other dogs, the Poodle has limited energy to run together with the children. You can let the children play with the Poodle unsupervised.

Training & Exercise

The Poodle is usually low in energy and there are times that you will find this breed just lying around. Do not take this as if the dog is depressed or something because this breed is very inactive indoors. In order to boost the Poodle, you should always take this dog outside for walk. As much as possible, take this breed on a pond, lake or river to swim.

When it comes to training, you can expect to see the Poodle give its best. Considered as one of the easiest breed to train, the Poodle loves to perform tricks and have adventures together with its master. This breed responds well to food reward challenges and calm and gentle voice. Harsh words would only make the Poodle mindful and dominant over its master.

Health & Life Expectancy

The standard lifespan of a healthy Poodle is about 12 – 15 years. Most of the time, you will see this breed having teary eyes due to eye infections. Cataracts and retinal progressive atrophy are also common on this breed. Ear infections can occur on this dog possibly because of the hair on the ears can easily acquire fleas. You should also watch out for hip dysplasia on this breed. 

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