A French breed of dog, developed originally for hunting; three sizes: standard (taller than 38 cm/15 in), miniature, and toy (less than 28 cm/11 in); narrow head with pendulous ears; tail docked; thick coat often clipped for ornamental effect.
| Poodle | ||
|---|---|---|
| White Standard Poodle. | ||
| Alternative names | ||
|
Barbone Caniche Pudelhund |
||
| Country of origin | ||
| Possibly France or Germany | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| FCI: | Group 9 Section 2 #172 | Stds |
| AKC: | Standard and Miniature: Nonsporting; Toy: Toy | Stds |
| ANKC: | Group 7 (Non-Sporting) | Standard, Miniature, Toy Stds |
| CKC: | Standard and Miniature: Group 6 - Non-Sporting Dogs; Toy: Group 5 - Toys | Stds |
| KC (UK): | Utility | Standard, Miniature, Toy Stds |
| NZKC: | Non-sporting | Standard, Miniature, Toy Stds |
| UKC: | Standard: Gun Dogs; Minitaure and Toy: Companion Dogs | Standard, and Toy Stds |
The Poodle is a breed of dog;
The breed comes in three sizes (as described by most breed registries):
Standard: Over 38 cm (15 in) at the shoulder Miniature: Over 28 cm (11 in) high, but under 38 cm Toy: Under 28 cm (11 in) and 10 lb or underThe American Kennel Club has a slightly different standard, with the maximum for Toys and the minimum for Miniatures at 25cm (10 in). The FCI standards divide Poodles into four groups: Large (45 to 60 cm), Medium (35 cm to 45 cm), Miniature (28 cm to 35 cm) and Toy (less than 28 cm with an ideal size of 25 cm).
Working Poodles are often clipped closely to avoid tangles and to reduce the amount of water a wet dog brings into a duck boat.
Corded Poodle
If a Poodle's coat is not given the attention it requires, it may form into cords.
Most national registries recognize two coat types for Poodles: curly and corded.
Wavy Poodles have coats which will more or less naturally cord but virtually all Poodles are capable of having corded hair once their adult hair has been established.
Temperament
Poodles are intelligent, alert, and active.
Poodles are extremely people-oriented dogs and, therefore, are eager to please.
Poodles also require dental care as they are generally known to develop serious dental problems as they age.
History
The Poodle is often thought of as a typically French breed (it is frequently referred to as the "French Poodle").
Health concerns
As with any purebred dog, there are many health concerns for the Poodle owner to be aware of. Though the Poodle is usually a healthy, long-lived canine (it's not unheard of to see a 15-year-old Toy or Miniature Poodle or a 12-year-old Standard Poodle), owners should be aware of the health problems that this breed is predisposed to.
The health concerns that people owning Toy Poodles must be aware of include: cataracts, entropion, epilepsy, intervertebral disc degeneration, lacrimal duct atresia (deformed or absent tear ducts that cause tears to run down the face), Legg-Perthes, patellar luxation, PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) , trichiasis, and urolithiasis.
For the Miniature Poodle, owners must watch for: cataracts, congenital heart disease, distichiasis, entropion, epilepsy, glaucoma, intervertebral disc degeneration, lacrimal duct atresia, Legg-Perthes, PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), patellar luxation, trichiasis, and urolithiasis.
For the Standard Poodle, owners must watch for: Addison's Disease, cataracts, CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia), distichiasis, entropion, epilepsy, gastric torsion, PDA (patent ductus arteriosus), sebaceous adenitis, and vWD (Von Willebrand's disease).
All three breeds are predisposed towards certain types of mammary tumors, so if the Poodle owner doesn't plan on breeding their female, then they should consider spaying her before her first heat cycle.
Use
Today, poodles are generally kept as pets.
Miscellaneous
Jobs
Though poodles were originally used for hunting dogs, poodles are now used in a variety of jobs.
Hybrids
Many hybrids have been created by crossing a Poodle with another breed, such as Labradoodles and Cockapoos. Many breeders promote Poodle hybrids as actual breeds and charge more for them than is usually charged for a mixed-breed dog.
Main article: see Poodle hybrid.
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