by Dooz

Created on: August 01, 2007

Poodle (Canis Familiaris Aquatius) and Poodle mixes are becoming an ever increasingly popular choice for dog lovers globally, but what is it that attracts so many people to this breed?

Although the Poodle has been the national dog of France for many years, its original country of origin is believed to be Germany. It was here that the Poodle received its name, based on the German Pudel or Pudelin, meaning to splash in the water. The French refer to the breed as Caniche, or "duck dogs", based on their ability to retrieve ducks from the water for their human hunting companions.

One of the biggest attractions to the breed is due to its non-shed coat, making them ideal for dog lovers who suffer from allergies. Their wool is similar to sheep's wool, and as such requires regular clipping. Due to the success of the breed in retrieving, parts of its coat was shorn to aid in the swimming process. Today we still see a variation of this grooming style on Poodles in the show ring. True connoisseurs of the breed may still have their Poodle clipped in this style, whereas most owners nowadays opt for a general trim all over, with a closer blade used on the face and paws. This is overall far easier to maintain than the fancier Continental or English saddle clips.

Poodles are bred in several solid colors, such as red, red, black, blue, brown, gray, silver, cafe-au-lait, apricot, silver beige, cream and white - with dark pigmentation of nose, lips and eye rims preferred. Toy and Miniature poodles can also be found in multi colors. Poodle coats are dense and harsh, and most commonly curly. There are still some Poodles with the corded coat, although they are becoming increasingly rare, possibly due to the difficulty of keeping this coat type clean.

The Poodle is an extremely loyal dog, whose intelligence, good nature and desire to please endear him to many. They are clean, good mannered, and make excellent companions. Poodles are good with children, as long as the children are good with them, and treat them with the respect that any animal deserves. This breeds intelligence and desire to please make them easy to train. They love to be exercised, and do well at activities such as agility or performing. Poodles are also excellent watchdogs, as they are not a breed that barks for no reason.

Another advantage of the Poodle is that it comes in 3 different sizes, Standard, Miniature and Toy. This means that there is a poodle to suit your lifestyle.

Standard poodles range in size from 15"

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