| By Fran Black
The poodle comes in three different varieties;
standard, miniature and toy; however, the only difference
is the size. The standard or largest size is thought to
be the original Poodle. The standard poodle, classified
in the nonsporting dog group, stands over 15 inches in
height. A miniature poodle is 10-15 inches in height and
the toy poodle, which is classified as a toy dog, stands
up to 10 inches in height at the shoulder and weighs around
10 pounds. While breeders often refer to a teacup toy
poodle or giant standard poodle as breeds they are not
recognized as legitimate separate breeds and are just
considered descriptive names.
Poodles are a proud dog with a haughty head
carriage, the poodle needs a long, strong neck, with a
smooth deep throat. In general appearance, the poodle
is elegant and perky, well-proportioned, and squarely
built. Carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent,
the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity
peculiar to himself. A good Poodle has a square silhouette,
with approximately the same length as the height at the
withers.
The poodle is associated with France, but
many countries have laid claim to the breed. The Poodle
is thought to have originated from Germany as the result
of crossing various breeds with a curly coated water dog.
The poodle is an excellent swimmer and also does well
on land. Standard Poodles originated as hunting dogs and
are thus, fond of retrieving. As water retrievers, the
Poodles needed the chest and head hair to protect vital
organs from the cold. Due to its excellent personality,
distinctive appearance, and intelligence, the poodle made
a swift transition into the ranks of cherished companion
dog.
The poodle is a pleasant dog that loves
constant company. The Poodle is an extremely intelligent
and eager to please dog, thus he is inordinately easy
to train. They are easy to live with, good with children
and you could not find a better friend than your Standard
Poodle. Closely bonded to their families, Poodle lives
well with other pets and dogs in the family and tolerates
children well. The Poodle makes an excellent family pet
who will adapt to any situation and will try anything
an owner wants. Many pet owners, using gentle and consistent
training methods, have seen their poodles excel in obedience
trials, fly ball and agility.
The poodle is a pleasant dog that loves
constant company. Possessed with extreme versatility,
the intelligent and easy going Poodle makes an excellent
companion. A poodle's trainer should be a competent, as
poodles can be willful if trained poorly. Although they
adore water and love to go for walks, Poodles are not
demanding as far as exercise goes.
Toy Poodles like to walk but also enjoy
opportunities to run free, romp, and play at will but
are not demanding as far as exercise goes. This poodle
type is for those people with less active lifestyles and
small homes or apartments. Though Poodles do well in apartments
they still require regular walks. If they are not give
regular exercise they will quickly become unruly and naughty.
Poodles come in many solid colors such as
apricot, black, brown, gray and white. Black, blue, gray,
silver, cream and white Poodles have black noses, eye-rims
and lips, black or self colored toenails and very dark
eyes. The skin color of Poodles varies as does the coat
color.
Many pet owners, using gentle and consistent
training methods, have seen their poodles excel in obedience
trials, fly ball and agility. The poodle is highly intelligent
and should receive firm and consistent obedience training.
Housebreaking a poodle is usually accomplished in a short
period of time as they are a naturally clean breed.
No dog is literally "non-shedding" or "hypoallergenic",
but poodles have hair, rather than fur, and shed very
little once they have their adult coats. Working poodles
are often clipped closely to avoid tangles. The hair coat
of the poodle is curly and dense with a fine woolly texture
and requires daily grooming. The Poodle's coat does not
shed hair in the usual way but does require daily grooming.
Every six weeks the Poodle need to visit the grooming
parlor. General Grooming is one of the biggest expenses
in owning a poodle. Grooming a standard poodle completely
from start to finish will take about 3 hours when you
become proficient at it.
Poodles must be bathed regularly and clipped
every six weeks. A mild dog shampoo to bathe your poodle.
Make sure to rinse the shampoo out of the dog's coat thoroughly.
Poodles are often clipped to minimize grooming. The shorter
coat requires less brushing, and looks great on all poodles.
Dull blades can scrape the skin of your poodle and cause
clipper burn so be sure to be prepared prior to clipping
a poodle. Always bathe the poodle prior to clipping a
dirty poodle dull your blades and scissors.
Grooming contests attract international
teams which clip Poodles into artistic creations. The
morning of the event, a poodle's coat is carefully blow-dried,
and the pompoms, mane, and decorative bracelets are cut
and styled. The genesis of the poodle hairdo.
As with any purebred dog, there are many
health concerns for the poodle owner to be aware of. Health
problems that may be common among Toy Poodles include
epilepsy, diabetes, ear infections, digestive problems,
heart disorders, skin problems, and dislocated knees aware
that these things can occur in poodles. All poodles are
prone to eye problems such as cataracts and progressive
retinal atrophy.
Proving their versatility, the Poodle also
became a performer - a favorite in the circus ring, and
an exceptional show dog. The French capitalized on the
breed's high intelligence, trainability & innate showmanship
and made the Poodle into a circus performer. The poodle
has also been raised as a circus and vaudeville performer.
As a result, the Poodle has a history of performance,
appearing in circus and street acts for hundreds of years.
In Belgium Poodles were systematically trained
to smuggle valuable lace, which was wound round their
shaven bodies and covered with a false skin.
Depending on the lines in the poodles pedigree,
life expectancies average between 10 to 18 years.
About the Author
Francesca Black works in marketing for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net
and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net
leading portals for pet management.
 |
Dog Gifts