POODLES

About the breed

Poodles are one of the most loved breeds in the world.  Poodles are known for their intelligence, ease of training, loyalty, non-shedding curly coat, and love of family.

The Poodle was originally bred in Germany as a duck retriever.  In Germany, they were called Pudel, meaning “puddle” or “splash in the water.”  This, of course, had to do with their work as water retrievers.  In fact, the traditional Poodle haircut with closely trimmed paws had a purpose.  It was to allow the Poodle to swim while also keeping the chest and joints warm. To this day, Poodles are still very athletic, and most love to swim.  They can run incredibly fast, at lightning speed, and just as quickly come to a halt to check in with their owner.  They are agile and seem to be able to navigate any obstacle.  They also have an incredible ability to jump.  Our Poodle, Zeus, is a great example, as illustrated by the photo of him and Anna playing in the snow.

Poodles like to please people.  They are happy, friendly dogs with a great sense of humor.  They love interacting with people.  Their intelligence and agility make them the perfect dog for learning tricks.  They can learn to jump through hoops, spin, run in circles, do high fives, and more.  No wonder the Poodle was a popular circus dog throughout history.  We smile when we think of the fact that one of our Poodle puppies went home with a professional trainer specializing in dog tricks.

Words to describe miniature Poodles include:

very intelligent….trainable

playful….fun….joyful….loving

loyal….active….athletic  

Coat

Poodles have beautiful coats in a variety of colors, ranging from silver to black to cream and various shades of red.  The coat is naturally curly and soft.  Unlike most dogs which have double coats, Poodles have a single coat; they do not have an undercoat.  This means that there is minimal shedding.  If a Poodle loses a hair, it becomes tangled in the surrounding hair.  For that reason, Poodles are considered close to non-shedding.  They are the perfect choice for people with allergies and for people who don’t want dog hair on their furniture.

As perfect as this sounds, Poodles still require maintenance.  The Poodle’s hair continues to grow and can become matted.  This is easily solved with regular brushing and trimming.  Because of the curls, the Poodle’s coat can be cut and shaped in a variety ways, from over-the-top fanciful to plain. This is entirely up to the owner.

Most families choose to give their Poodle a simple and easy-to-maintain cut.  An even scissor trim will give the puppy the look of a doodle.  A more traditional Poodle cut involves shaving the puppy’s face and paws and shaping the top-knot.