POODLES. Standard, Miniature and Toy Poodle

Besides the size, there are only few differences among the three varieties. The standard is more corpulent and also the most ancient since its portrait appear in some roman coins. Some people attribute it a French origin, but it is probable that it comes from Russia, in the last instance, with some kind of Germanic influence because its name Poodle (Pudel in German) come from a Germanic term that means "to sparkle" or "to splash". The Poodle comes from a dog that was used to retrieve the feather hunt in water that, as it seems to be, was taken to France by the German soldiers on the XV century and was in vogue in the French court during the XVII and XVIII centuries. As time went by, the public began to prefer the smaller Poodles and adequate them to their way of living and their houses and that is why the miniature and toy varieties were created.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Each variety has its own charm. Its most characteristic feature is the coat, free of a stationed molt and frequently groomed in a luxurious way. Even when the traditional haircut of these dog may seem ridiculous for some people, truth is that it proceeds from very ancient times, when the Poodle was anything but a luxurious dog. In fact, their paws were shaved to let it swim with agility, but always leaving their internal organs and articulations well covered with hair to protect them from the cold water. The three varieties are intelligent and sensitive. That, and its smartness, allow them to fulfill any task, from obedience tests to chasing and retrieving of prey, going through entertaining the public with tricks since the Poodle is a circus dog par excellence. They are not capable to focus their attention for a long time, so they always find new things to be entertained, so they must be kept busy to keep them from doing evil things. If they live in a noisy house, they will be noisy too, but in other environments, they are not usually like that. They can be happy living in a city apartment, as long as they are allowed to exercise enough. They normally get along well with other dogs and other types of pets and they are sociable and great company dogs for people of any age. dog puppy clothes

PHYSICAL ASPECT

Thick and curly coat, hard to the touch, that doesn't loose hair with molt. Its hair grows very fast and it has to be washed and cut regularly to keep a neat look. In other times, it was usual to see Standard Poodles with the hair cut, but this type of coat was rejected for being excessively difficult to maintain. The traditional Poodle haircut, when it is used as a pet, is called in lion. Its coat can be of many colors, but always uniform as white, cream, brown, apricot, silver and blue. Almond shiny eyes that is full of intelligence. Long ears, placed low, that hang very close to the face. They should keep the tail in an angle when they are in motion and it has to be in consonance with the rest of the body. Its deep chest and short back give these dogs a very elegant appearance when walking. Its muscular rear paws make the great swimmers. They have straight and parallel front paws. Small feet with arched fingers and thick pads.

 PRACTICAL DATA

• LIFE EXPECTANCY: 12 years.
• PHYSICAL EXERCISE: Toy: Moderate; Miniature: Moderate: Standard: Intense.
• MAINTENANCE: Difficult.
• LEVEL OF NOISE: Noisy.
• HEALTH PROBLEMS: It is recommended to rule out ocular malformations; some hip malformation on the Standard and certain tendency to knee bone dislocation in the Toy.
• HEIGHT: Standard: More than 38 cm;Miniature: 28 – 38 cm; Toy: Less than 28 cm.
• IT IS USUAL TO GET THEIR TAILS surgically CUT.

BREED RECOGNIZED BY THE CANINE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION (CIF)