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My first real relationship with a purebred dog was with my grandmother's Toy Poodle, Pammy - a great companion, but not exactly a poster child for pure-bred dogs. My aunt raised Toys, which is how Gramma (rough and gruff, and a dairy farmer for much of her life) ended up with a "fru-fru" dog rather than a "proper" dog.

Poodles come in a variety of sizes: Tea Cup, Toy, Miniature and Standard. Regardless of size, they are known primarily for their distinctive haircuts called the "Continental clip", which does have a serious purpose, despite the fact that these show ring these doo's are totally over the top!

Poodles were originally bred as gun dogs, probably descended from a French Barbet or Hungarian Water Hound, but there is also some claim that they originated in Germany or Denmark. The distinctive clip of today evolved from the original hunter's trimming of the coat to keep the leg joints protected from cold water and and sharp objects. As well as being used for hunting waterfowl, the smaller variety of Poodle was used to hunt truffles.

Today they are more frequently seen in the show-ring, as a performer or as a beloved family pet. They also excel at agility competitions and are still used as hunting dog in the States and in Europe. Poodles also have the distinction of being one of the most common ingredients in the new hybrid or designer dogs.

If you can look beyond the goofy show-ring hairdo, the Poodle in a "pet" or "puppy" cut is actually a very attractive dog. They have an open, friendly face with eyes that are obviously intelligent. The fur is very curly, long or short, and comes in white, apricot, cafe-au-laits, brown, gray, silver and black - for showing they should always be a solid color or variation of the same color, but there are also two-toned "party poodles" . The tails (in the States) are docked.

All Poodle types have the same basic breed standard, only the size varies:

- Teacup Poodles are tiny at two to four pounds and are registered as Toy Poodles.

- Toy Poodles are no more than 10 inches tall and weigh from six to nine pounds.

- Miniature Poodles are 11 to 15 inches tall and weigh from 15 to 17 pounds.

- Standard Poodles are 15 inches or taller and weigh from 45 to 70 pounds.

Temperament
All Poodles are intelligent and fun-loving, but proud and elegant in the show-ring. The word that always comes to mind is "character". They are all very friendly, love being with people and are good with children, although the smaller Poodle types may not be suitable

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