The poodle is a canine breed of French origin, although there are actually two versions of its provenience: the French origin and the German origin.
What all experts agree on is that in the past, thanks to its willingness to water, the poodle was used for duck hunting.
In this article we tell you everything we know about the Poodle, the star of dog shows.
Medieval origins
History has left us stories and paintings of poodles present since the end of the Middle Ages.
According to the French version, the poodle descends from the French “barbet” breed (a breed that has survived to this days), whilst according to the German version, the “barbet” could descend from an Asian breed that came to Europe thanks to the Goth and the Ostrogoth.
In 1936, the FCI confirmed the poodle as a French breed.
Initially, the use of the poodle for duck hunting was widespread, but gradually and thanks to its extraordinary intelligence, this breed began to be used in French circuses.
The poodle quickly became the main companion dog, especially among the nobles of the time. His elegant and superb bearing, fit perfectly in the most aristocratic environments.
The characteristics of the poodle: a breed with a thousand nuances
The poodle, thanks to its elongated snout and curly coat, is easily recognizable by anyone, even by the less experienced eyes.
Let’s see what are the standards of this breed defined by the ENCI (Italian National Canine Society).
It has a descendent back that ends with a short curly tail, legs are straight, parallel and muscular.
The ears are flat, rounded and hanging.
The eyes are almond-shaped and of different shades: from dark amber in brown coated dogs, to dark brown or black in the rest of the colours.
The nose is presented with a vertical profile and the nostrils are open. Also in this case the nose can be of different colours ranging from brown to black depending on the colour of the coat, but in any case dark.
The uniqueness of the poodle is that there are specimens of different colours and sizes.
Standard colours are: black, grey, white, brown, apricot and red; sizes can be: standard, moyen, miniature and toy.
The weight varies between 3 and 30 kg; and the height ranges from 24 to 60 cm.
One of the main characteristics of the poodle is surely its curly hair with a woolly effect.
The breed lend itself to the most varied cuts and dog groomers can give free rein to their imagination and present the most original and trendy hairstyles, making the poodle the star of dog shows.
The character of the poodle
Are you thinking of adopting a puppy to keep your children company?
Certainly, the poodle is the best choice.
It is a tremendously sociable, playful and friendly dog that needs a lot of cuddle and pampering. Your children will go wild with joy and have a lot of fun styling its head with little bows and hairpins!
He doesn’t like to be lonely; it is very important not to leave it alone at home for many hours.
Do you want to make your new puppy happy? With a good swim the poodle will remind its instinct of hunting ducks hiding in the water; in fact, the poodle is a very skilled swimmer.
The poodle is considered the second most intelligent dog breed in the world and is also very smart, during the game it is very competitive and wants to win at all costs, both when playing with humans and when playing with its four-legged friends.
Male or female? It doesn’t matter, usually females are more docile than males, but it’s just statistics, both are perfect in a family context.
As it is a very competitive dog, the poodle is also recommended for sport and canine activities lovers. He follows the rules very well and is obedient, competing with him will be a unique experience!
Care of the poodle and its curly coat
The poodle is considered one of the longest-lived dogs, especially those of smaller sizes; since it is well known that large-sized dogs have a shorter lifespan than small-sized dogs.
The average lifespan of a standard or moyen poodle is approximately 11-12 years, while miniature and toy poodles can reach up to 16 years; in fact, the main cause of death of these is oldness.
Although the poodle is a commonly healthy breed, it is important to take care of its diet, the poodle is a great eater and has quite a sweet tooth!
If you want to avoid a stomach ache to your poodle, keep him away from sweets, offer your friend a balanced daily diet and don’t give him leftovers under the table.
Hygiene is also very important and we should not overlook it.
We have already told you about the curly hair of the poodle, but do you know that it has a distinctiveness?
The poodle’s hair does not have an undercoat, therefore it does not shed seasonally as it happens with other breeds of dogs: the poodle does not lose its hair, but it grows continuously and it is also hypoallergenic!
And that is why he needs regular haircuts, so book your scheduled appointment with your trusted dog groomer now!
If instead you want to try a DIY to keep its look perfect between groomer appointments, we advise you to read this article.
The poodle’s soft, woolly coat needs special care; After bathing with a specific product for curly hair, we advise you to treat the coat with a professional mask with brightening and moisturizing action.
If, on the other hand, your poodle’s coat is a bit “off”, why not turning up the volume with an ultra-hydrating volumizing mask!
Were you not able to decide which was the best dog for your children? We hope we have given you the information you needed to be able to make this important step; a step that will accompany you for at least the next 15 years!
