by Anne Penny

Created on: May 08, 2010

If you have been fortunate enough to own, and to claim as your friend, a Standard Poodle then you have been blessed. This largest of the poodle varieties will become your best friend, your protector and watchdog par excellence.

The breed belongs to the water dogs family and was bred originally to retrieve water fowl. It was first mentioned in the 1500s in Russia or Germany and first seen in England in 1880. Since then, of course, the poodle has become one of the most readily recognized and popular dog breeds in the world. The Standard Poodle was the first and subsequently, the smaller breeds also immensely popular, were bred from their tall ancestor.

 The Standard Poodle is a naturally elegant-looking dog who has a proud bearing that well displays his innate intelligence:

-Head should be long and fine, well-shaped and narrow. Chin does not protrude and the head should be generally in proportion with the dog’s size.

-Eyes are dark and almond-shaped; well spaced but not too widely set or close set. The eyes should be lively.

-The ears hang close to the face, low set and flat.

-Teeth should be even, white and strong. The full set is 42.

-Neck should be a good length, strong and able to carry the head well at a pleasing angle.

-Body: strong, well-developed shoulders with a deep chest. Legs should be well muscled.

-Tail should be carried high. It used to be accepted that the tail should be docked to half its length to create a balanced look but this procedure is no longer carried out.

-Coat may be curly or corded and of any solid color including black, silver, gray, cream, apricot, red, brown, white, blue or café au lait. Recently there has been some breeding of bi-colored Standard Poodles

-Weight may be from 45 to 70 pounds for a dog and 45 to 60 pounds for a bitch.

-Height: the Standard Poodle must be over 15 inches at the high point of the shoulder in order to compete in a show ring.

-Life expectancy is up to 15 years and often beyond.

-Grooming: there are three basic clips for showing, but most commonly their owners have the dogs puppy cut, a short all-over clip.

The Standard Poodle is one of the most intelligent breeds and is extremely trainable. He is calmer than the smaller types of poodle and his owner needs to be calm yet authoritative to establish a good relationship. The Standard Poodle is an ideal house dog: he sheds very little fur, is wonderful with children and other dogs or cats in the house and is friendly towards strangers. However, this is a dog that can be successfully trained as a guard dog, though not a dog to be kept outside in a kennel; he needs to be in the company of people and hates to be alone for long periods.

The charisma of the Standard Poodle is undeniable and his character is most appealing. For many owners, this is the perfect dog.

Reference: www.standardpoodlesusa.com

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