About the breed

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Height - 15 inches and up 

Weight - 30 lbs and up 

Lifespan - 12-15 years 

Coat - non-shedding, dense, harsh and frizzy or curly.
Temperament - outgoing, friendly, eager to please, quick learners

In movies, the Poodle is portrayed as a feminine dog that doesn’t want to break a nail or get her paws dirty. Forget those old stereotypes of Poodles as sissy dogs. There’s so much more to poodles than meets the eye. In reality they love to hike, swim, run and are great dogs for active families.

When many people hear the word poodle they right away think of the French Poodle but the breed actually originated in Germany over 400 years ago as a duck hunting dog. The term poodle comes from the German word pudel or pudelin, which means to splash in the water. Their job was to bring ducks and other birds back to their owners. They haven’t lost their skills over the years. Some hunters still use Poodles in the field today.

The traditional continental Poodle cut was originally used to keep the poodles joints and upper torso protected from the cold water during hunting. Later the continental cut was used for the show ring. Poodles are most known for their continental cut but they can be groomed in many different styles like the teddy bear cut, puppy cut, german cut, etc.  

The standard poodle is the oldest of the 3 sizes of poodles. Over time, breeders started downsizing the standard poodle to make smaller dogs which caused three classes of poodles. The three Poodle sizes are still recognized today as the Standard Poodle, the Miniature Poodle, and the Toy Poodle. While weight differs between each size, it’s the height that decides which size a Poodle belongs to.

• Ranked the second most intelligent dog breed.
• The Poodle cut is meant for function, not fashion.

• Poodles come in three size varieties, but all follow one breed standard.

• Regardless of size, Poodles are highly active dogs.
• A team of Poodles once competed in the Iditarod dog sled race.

• Small Poodles were once popular circus performers in France.

• Poodles prefer people to other pets.

• They have hair, not fur.

• Elvis’s favorite dog breed was the Poodle.

• Poodle’s were used as war dogs during the English Civil War of 1642 and during World War II. 

• Winston Churchill’s favorite dog breed was the Poodle.

• Poodles are one of the most ancient dog breeds.

• Poodles are natural swimmers.

• Poodles first originated in Germany, not France.

• They were originally bred as hunting dogs.

• Lots of Poodles have jobs.

• Many American icons have owned Poodles.