, nickname =
, stock =
, country =
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
or
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
(see history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
)
, height =
, maleheight =
, femaleheight =
, weight =
, maleweight =
, femaleweight =
, coat = Curly
, colour =
, litter_size =
, life_span =
, kc_name =
Société Centrale Canine
The Société centrale canine ( en, Central Canine Society), officially the Société Centrale Canine pour l'Amélioration des Races de Chiens en France and abbreviated SCC, is a French kennel club founded in 1881. It is made up of regional clubs ...
, kc_std = https://www.centrale-canine.fr/le-chien-de-race/caniche
, kc2_name =
, kc2_std =
, fcistd = http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/172g09-en.pdf
, note =
The Poodle, called the Pudel in German and the Caniche in French, is a
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of
water dog
A water dog is a type of gundog bred to flush and retrieve game from water. Water dogs are considered the progenitors of most modern retriever dog breeds.
Description
Water dogs are usually medium-sized, active dogs; their most distinctive ...
. The breed is divided into four varieties based on size, the Standard Poodle, Medium Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle, although the Medium Poodle variety is not universally recognised. They have a distinctive thick, curly coat, and come in many colors, with only solid ones recognized by breed registries. While a reasonably healthy breed, they are prone to
sebaceous adenitis
Sebaceous adenitis in an uncommon skin disease found in some breeds of dog, and more rarely in cats, rabbits and horses. characterised by an inflammatory response against the dog's sebaceous glands (glands found in the hair follicles in the skin ...
and
Addison's disease
Addison's disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, is a rare long-term endocrine disorder characterized by inadequate production of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone by the two outer layers of the cells of the adre ...
among other genetic disorders.
The Poodle most likely originated in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, although the
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium.
History
The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...
and a minority of cynologists believe it originated in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Similar dogs date back to at least the 17th century, and it was first recognized by a kennel club in 1874. The Standard Poodle was originally used by
wildfowl
The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on ...
hunters to retrieve game from water. The smaller varieties of the breed were bred from in France, where they were once commonly used as circus performers. They are now one of the most popular dog breeds.
History
![Wenceslas Hollar - A poodle, after Matham](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Wenceslas_Hollar_-_A_poodle%2C_after_Matham.jpg)
A majority of
cynologist Cynology (rarely kynology, ) is the study of matters related to canines or domestic dogs.
In English, it is a term sometimes used to denote a serious zoological approach to the study of dogs as well as by writers on canine subjects, dog breeders, ...
s believe the Poodle originated in Germany in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, from a dog similar to today's Standard Poodle. The Poodle was Germany's
water dog
A water dog is a type of gundog bred to flush and retrieve game from water. Water dogs are considered the progenitors of most modern retriever dog breeds.
Description
Water dogs are usually medium-sized, active dogs; their most distinctive ...
, just as England had the
English Water Spaniel
The English Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that has been extinct since the first part of the 20th century, with the last specimen seen in the 1930s. It was best known for its use in hunting waterfowl and for being able to dive as well as a duck. ...
, France the
Barbet, Ireland the
Irish Water Spaniel
The Irish Water Spaniel ( Irish: ''An Spáinnéar Uisce'') is a breed of dog that is the tallest of the spaniels.
Description Appearance
The Irish Water Spaniel is a sturdy, cobby dog native to Ireland. The coat, consisting of dense cur ...
and the Netherlands the
Wetterhoun
The Wetterhoun (translated into English as the Frisian Water Dog) is a breed traditionally used as a hunting dog for small game and waterfowl and native to the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. The name of the breed comes from the West ...
. Among the evidence used to support this theory is the Germanic name for the breed, Poodle or "Pudel" in German, which is derived from the
Low German
:
:
:
:
:
(70,000)
(30,000)
(8,000)
, familycolor = Indo-European
, fam2 = Germanic
, fam3 = West Germanic
, fam4 = North Sea Germanic
, ancestor = Old Saxon
, ancestor2 = Middle L ...
word "puddeln", which means "to splash". Numerous works by various German artists from as early as the 17th century depict dogs of recognisably Poodle type. Some cynologists believe the Poodle originated in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, where it is known as the "Caniche" (French for "duck dog"), and that the breed descends from the Barbet. This view is shared by the
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium.
History
The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...
(FCI). Others argue that the breed originated in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
or
Northwest Africa
The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...
.
Whatever the Poodle's country of origin, both their German and French breed names indicate the modern Poodle's ancestors were widely used by waterfowlers both to retrieve shot game and to recover lost
arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
s and
bolts that had missed their mark.
Size variants
Due to their intelligence, obedient nature, athleticism and looks the Poodle was frequently employed in circuses, particularly in France. In French circuses the breed was selectively bred down in size to create what is now known as the Miniature Poodle, which was known as the Toy Poodle until 1907, as a smaller sized dog is easier to handle and transport in a travelling circus. As circus performers the variety was frequently seen performing all manner of tricks including walking tightropes, acting out comedies and even performing magic and card tricks.
The Toy Poodle was created at the beginning of the 20th century when breeders again bred the Miniature Poodle down in size to create a popular companion dog. Initially, these efforts were not entirely effective, and disfigured or misshapen pups, as well as pups with behavioural problems, were seen frequently, as a result of irresponsible breeding for dwarfed size only. As time progressed, and new breeding practices were adopted, the variety became set as a toy sized replica of the original. Later attempts to create an even smaller variety, the Teacup Poodle, were unable to overcome serious genetic abnormalities and were abandoned.
The last of the Poodle varieties to be recognised was the Medium Poodle, which in size is mid way in between the Standard and the Miniature Poodle. Not universally recognised by the world's
kennel clubs, the Medium Poodle is recognised by the FCI and most Continental European kennel clubs. One of the reasons for creating this fourth size variety may have been a desire to reduce the number of entries of Poodles by variety at
conformation show
A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a ''breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ''c ...
s.
Recent history
The Poodle was recognised by the
Kennel Club of the United Kingdom in 1874, and by the
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kenn ...
(AKC) in 1886, soon after the founding of both clubs.
In the United States, poodles were unpopular until 1935, when the Poodle
Champion Nunsoe Duc de la Terrace
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
won best in show at
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
. Afterwards, they rapidly gained prominence, becoming the AKC's most registered breed from 1960 to 1982. Since 1935, Poodles have won best in show at Westminster 10 times, the second-most of any breed.
As of 2012, the Poodle was the third-most popular FCI registered breed worldwide, after the
Labrador Retriever and
German Shepherd
The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...
, with 118,653 new dogs registered per year from the 25 countries surveyed.
Description
Appearance
![Pudel Grossschwarz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Pudel_Grossschwarz.jpg)
The Poodle is an active, athletic breed with the different varieties differing mostly by their size. The FCI's
breed standard
In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...
states the Standard Poodle stands between , the Medium Poodle between , the Miniature Poodle between and the Toy Poodle .
The kennel clubs which do not recognise the Medium Poodle variety typically have the Standard Poodle between and Miniature Poodle between , with the toy variety remaining unchanged.
A healthy adult Standard Poodle typically weighs between , a Medium Poodle between , a Miniature Poodle between and a Toy Poodle between .
Coat
Poodles have thick, curly coats with harsh fur. A pet owner can anticipate grooming a Poodle every four to eight weeks.
Poodles are often cited as a
hypoallergenic dog breed
A hypoallergenic dog breed is a dog breed (or crossbreed) that is purportedly more compatible with allergic people than are other breeds. However, prominent allergen researchers have determined that there is no basis to the claims that certain br ...
. Their individual hair follicles have an active growth period that is longer than that of many other breeds; combined with the tightly curled coat, which slows the loss of
dander
Dander is material shed from the body of humans and other animals that have fur, hair, or feathers. The term is similar to dandruff, when an excess of flakes becomes visible. Skin flakes that come off the main body of an animal are dander, while th ...
and dead hair by trapping it in the curls, an individual Poodle may release less dander and hair into the environment. However, researchers have generally not found a difference in allergens across breeds.
Clips and grooming
![CH Renaissance Hopeful Impulse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/CH_Renaissance_Hopeful_Impulse.jpg)
The FCI and AKC allows Poodles to be shown in the Puppy, Continental (Lion in the FCI standard), English Saddle, or Sporting (Modern) clip. The FCI additionally recognizes the Scandinavian clip.
The most popular in the show ring is the Continental clip, where the face and rear end of the body are clipped, leaving tufts on the hocks and tip of the tail and rosettes on the hips.
A similar clip was historically used to prevent the poodle from getting weighted down by their fur when swimming to retrieve a bird, while still leaving their joints and vital organs covered.
Pet poodles are most often clipped similarly to the Sporting clip — evenly over their entire body, with the face and paws cut shorter.
In most cases, whether a Poodle is in a pet or show clip, the hair is completely brushed out. Poodle hair can also be "corded" with rope-like mats similar to those of a
Komondor
The Komondor (), also known as the Hungarian sheepdog, is a large, white-coloured Hungarian breed of livestock guardian dog with a long, corded coat.
Sometimes referred to as 'mop dogs', the Komondor is a long-established dog breed commonly e ...
or human
dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair.
Origins
Some of the earliest depictions of dreadlocks date back as far as 1600–1500 BCE in the Minoan Civilization, one of Europe' ...
. Though once as common as the curly Poodle, corded Poodles are now rare.
Corded coats are difficult to keep clean and take a long time to dry after washing. Corded Poodles may be shown in all major kennel club shows.
Colours
The Poodle has a wide variety of colouring, including white, black, brown, blue, gray, silver,
café au lait
''Café au lait'' (; ; French for "coffee with milk") is coffee with hot milk added. It differs from white coffee, which is coffee with cold milk or other whiteners added.
Variations Europe
In Europe, ''café au lait'' stems from the same c ...
, silver beige, cream, apricot, and red, and patterns such as parti-, abstract,
sable
The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...
,
brindle
Brindle is a coat (animal), coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cattle, guinea pigs, Cat, cats, and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger-striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger' ...
and phantom.
Recognized FCI colourations are black, white, brown, gray, and fawn.
Recognition of multi-colored Poodles varies by registry. They were common historically, but became less popular in the early 1900s, and are excluded from many registries. The
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kenn ...
(AKC) recognizes Poodles in either solid-coloured and multi-colored coats; however, only solid-colored poodles may compete in conformation.
[
A parti-Poodle has patches of any accepted solid colour over a white coat. The coat will usually be white and coloured in equal amounts, though it can vary as long as the coat is at least half white.] When a parti-coloured Poodle has markings that resemble those of a tuxedo
Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...
, it is called a "tuxedo" Poodle. The upper coat is solid black: head, back, tail; and the lower coat is white: neck, chest, abdomen, and legs, making up usually 40% or more of the coat. An abstract Poodle is primarily solid-coloured, with patches of white.
Phantom Poodles have a solid main color with a lighter colour appearing on their "eyebrows", muzzle and throat, legs and feet and below their tail. Phantom Poodles may also have a full face of the secondary color.
File:Pudel kleinweiss.jpg, White Poodles
File:Pudel Klein apricotred.jpg, Apricot and red Poodles
File:Freddie (8467901543).jpg, Black Poodle
File:Maisiepuppydog.jpg, Brown Standard Poodle at five weeks
File:Pudel Zwerg SilberShow.jpg, Mature silver Poodle
File:Pudel Zwerg Blackandtan.jpg, Phantom Poodles
File:Pudel ZwergHarlekin.jpg, Miniature parti-Poodle
Temperament
Poodles are a highly intelligent, energetic, and sociable breed. A 1995 book by Stanley Corey ranked them second out of 130 breeds in "working and obedience intelligence", a measure of their ability to learn from humans. They are an active dog, requiring regular physical and intellectual activities. Shyness or sharpness is considered a serious fault in the breed. Though not suitable as a guard dog
A guard dog or watchdog (not to be confused with an attack dog) is a dog used to watch for and guard property against unwanted or unexpected human or animal intruders.
The dog is discerning so that it does not annoy or attack the resident hum ...
because it is neither a territorial breed nor particularly aggressive, Poodles tend to be protective of their families and are good with children.
Health
The Poodle Health Registry lists over 50 major health disorders of Standard Poodles. Overall, the Poodle is a comparatively healthy breed, and there are no health problems unique to the breed. Poodles have a life expectancy of 10-18 years, with the Standard Poodle, like most large dogs, tending to be more short-lived.
Despite their overall good health, Poodles suffer from a number of hereditary diseases due to inbreeding. Some of the worst common hereditary poodle diseases are the skin disease sebaceous adenitis
Sebaceous adenitis in an uncommon skin disease found in some breeds of dog, and more rarely in cats, rabbits and horses. characterised by an inflammatory response against the dog's sebaceous glands (glands found in the hair follicles in the skin ...
(estimated prevalence 2.7%) and Addison’s disease, an endocrine system disorder. Both diseases became more prevalent in poodles after the 1960s burst in poodle popularity led to rapid breeding aimed at producing good show dogs. The breeding focused on a small number of popular bloodlines, creating a genetic bottleneck. One study estimated that two average Standard Poodles are about as closely related as the offspring of two full sibling village dog
A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not confined to a yard or house. Free-ranging dogs include street dogs, village dogs, stray dogs, feral dogs, etc., and may be owned or unowned. The global dog population is estimated to be 900 million, of ...
s.
Work and sport
Poodles were originally breed for waterfowl hunting
Waterfowl hunting (also called wildfowling or waterfowl shooting in the UK) is the practice of hunting ducks, geese, or other waterfowl for food and sport.
Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitat, have overlapping or identical hunt ...
. Despite this history, they are currently classified as companion dogs by the FCI. Since the late 1980s, some breeders in the United States and Canada have been selecting for dogs with drive for birds in order to revive the breed for hunting, with some success. Poodles are highly trainable dogs that typically excel in obedience training. Historically, they were a popular circus dog. In addition to hunt tests, they do well in agility and rally. They are among the most popular service dog breeds.
Poodles have been used as working dogs in the military since at least the 17th century, most likely because of their highly intelligent, trainable nature and background as a hunting dog making them suitable to battlefields, as evidenced by their ability to be trained to ignore gunfire. During the English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...
had a famous hunting Poodle who would ride into battle with his master on horseback. Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
wrote in his memoirs about the faithfulness of a grenadier's pet Poodle who stayed with the body of his master at the Battle of Marengo
The Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy. Near the end of the day, the French overcame General Mich ...
.
See also
* List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on genomics, dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines m ...
* Labradoodle
A Labradoodle () is a crossbreed dog created by crossing a Labrador Retriever and a Standard, Miniature, or Toy Poodle. The term dates back to at least 1955 but was unpopular at the time. Labradoodles are considered a good choice for people wit ...
* Cockapoo
A cockapoo, (portmanteaux of ''cocker spaniel'' and ''poodle''), is a dog crossbreed bred from a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, most commonly the Miniature Poodle. The Cockapoo was first bred by designer dog breeders in the United States with the ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Companion dogs
Dog breeds originating in France
Dog breeds originating in Germany
FCI breeds
Gundogs
Water dogs