Poodle Dog Breed | All Dog Breeds

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Poodle is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. There are basically three types of Poodle dogs and are recognised by their size. They are incredibly intelligent and affectionate dogs, loved by everyone who gets to know these little creatures.

History and Origin

Poodle is an ancient breed that has been around for long time and is said to be the direct descendant of the Barbet and French water dogs; however there are some disputes about its origin. Poodle is the national breed of France, even though this breed originated from Germany and came to France during the French Revolution. In the 15^th century this dog breed was considered an exclusive pet only for noble and royal families. The name Poodle originates from the German word 'puddeln' which means to Splash. In France Poodles are called 'Caniche' or 'duck dog' because they were used for hunting ducks and other birds from the water.

The Poodles were originally bred to work and used for hunting. However they are more retrievers than hunters. They are excellent swimmer and were used in ancient times as water dogs. They were used to retrieve duck and other birds from the water without hurting the wounded or dead birds. Since these dogs were jumping in the water most of the time, the hunters had to trim their hair in such a way that would keep their vital areas warm and protect them.

In olden days they were extremely popular in circuses as they were easy to train and hence had become favourites among trainers and public. This breed then travelled to Spain, United Kingdom, Netherlands and some other countries.

About Poodle

This breed is a hypoallergenic breeds and has been bred with other popular breed dogs like Labrador and the resulted litter is called Labradoodle, mix with Retrievers is called Goldendoodle, mix with Cocker Spaniel is called Cockapoo and wheaten terriers are called as Whoodle and there are many others breeds which were cross bred with Poodle to make more hypoallergenic breeds. 

They are also known for their long legs which help them with their athletic abilities. The coat of this breed is extremely dense, curly, woolly and can be frizzy and smooth. Unlike other dogs this breed does not shed and their hair keeps on growing. Their coat can be in many different colours such as Black, White, Gray, Blue, Red, Apricot, Silver etc.

Poodle is the only dog breed can be classified in three categories and it can be recognised by their sizes namely:

·         Standard Poodle - They are categorised in the non sporting dog group and are the largest among all three varieties of Poodle. Their height is generally over 15 inches and the average weight of a female can be between 23 -25 kg and 25-31 kg of a male.

·         Miniature Poodle - It is classified in a non working group. Like the other Poodles they are active, smart and proud dogs. The height of a miniature ranges between 10 to 15 inches nd their weight can 6-7 kg.

·         Toy Poodle - This type is the smallest of all. They are active, obedient and like the other categories intelligent. The average height of a toy dog does not exceed 10 inches and the average weight ranges between 2 to 3 kg. 

The classification is done based on their size and all three categories are considered as one breed only. The average lifespan of a Poodle can range from 10 to 18 years.

Interesting Facts and stories

Poodle is one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world. According to a book by Stanley Coren on dog intelligence Poodle dog breeds secured second position as world's most intelligent dog after Border collie. The breed was officially recognised by AKC in the year 1887 and as per popularity rankings, Poodle dog breed ranks 7^th in the popularity list.

There are many interesting stories about Poodles and their bravery. People not only love this dog for their beauty and intelligence but also for their love and affection.

• In the year 1988 a musher named John Suter had participated in the Iditarod race where only Huskies were used. His experiment however failed and was even banned by the officials due to ice balls that were forming between their foot pads. In an interview he had said that he had spent nearly $250,000 over 14 years to prove that Poodles could do this job.

• Nala a black miniature teacup Poodle got famous due to her visits to her friends in a nursing home. She used to visit them with her owner Doug Dawson who works at a nursing home as a medicine assistant. She goes to visit patients from room to room all by herself in the elevators to share her love and affection to all the patients. For the people in nursing home she has become an Angel sent by God to heal them from their illness.

• Poodles are excellent performers and love to perform and thus in 1880s were used in circuses to perform and act scenes.

As a Family Companion

Poodles are extremely faithful, loyal and affectionate dogs. Although this breed is small in size they have an elegant posture. They are incredibly intelligent and have a positive character which makes them a perfect family companion dogs. The personality of this breed is independent and is graceful and are ideal for families with kids. They get easily affectionate with kids and elderly people. They love to be social with kids, family, other dogs and animals and are fun to be around, and hence they need to be interacted with family and others to feel like a part of the family.

As the size of this breed is small it can easily adapt to small houses or apartment living. However since they are active they need lot of space to play and run around. They have an intense desire to please their owners and this character of theirs make them favourite out of other dog breeds. 

They have long hair that keeps growing and does not shed making it ideal for people who have allergies or do not want to have dog hair all over their house. They are also hypoallergenic and odourless which gives another reason to bring this adorable and cute dog home.

Grooming

This breed has been popular for its continental cut. Since they have thick fur that keeps growing and hence need regular grooming. Poodle is the breed where you need to spend more money on grooming than any other dogs. They are high maintenance because of their dense, curly and frizzy hair. They need to be given bath once in every 2-3 weeks. They also need a regular hair cut due to the growing hair. Their coat is thick and needs to be brushed daily. They also need a monthly bath and care for their tooth and nails as a part of their basic hygienic needs.

Training

This breed needs to be trained from a young age to get socialised with people and other dog breeds. Since this breed is physically active they need daily walk for 3-4 times and some exercise and sport for a minimum of 30 minutes. Training also helps with the safety for them and a good communication with the owner. They nippy in learning new things hence can be easily trained.

Poodle is an intelligent breed and will excel in everything that they are thought. They are easy to train and learn new things in no time. To train this dog you must be careful and attentive all the time to educate them correctly and avoid from adapting bad behaviours.

Health

Most common health issues of this breed can be Cataracts, eye problems, Skin Infections, Allergies, Hip Dysplasia, Epilepsy, Ear Infections, Fungal Infections, thyroid issues etc. To avoid some of the health issues it is recommended to take care of their health as per the guidelines given by a specialist and to take them to veterinary care in every 6-12 months and get checked by a veterinarian, since it will help to detect health problems early. 

It is essential to give vaccinations and regular deworming medicines as per the schedule to avoid further health issues. It is also important to clean their ears using suitable cleaners to avoid ear infections and keep dry them.

Buy a Poodle?

The standard Poodle can cost as much as $ 700 and reach up to $2 000. The miniature dog can be priced up to $6000. The prices of the breed can vary upon their gender, coat and the quality of the breed.

Fun Facts

Like humans have unique fingerprints same way the dogs have unique nose prints distinct from everyone and each dog can be recognised by it.