INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT POODLES

Poodles are considered to be one of the most stylish and elegant canines that are present today in the whole world. These pooches can be easily recognized by most people mainly because of their refined looks and graceful carriage of their body. Poodles have become a symbol of pride and fanciness for most canine owners and are immensely admired all around the globe not only for their appearance but for their brains and toughness as well.

There are various things about Poodles that many people aren’t aware of and in this article, we are going to discuss some of the most fascinating facts about these dogs that will surely surprise a lot of people including the ones who consider themselves the biggest admirers of this breed.

General Facts about Poodles

• Name:

  Poodle might be the national dog of France, but it actually originated in Germany. And, its name is also inspired from a German word “pudel” or “pudelin,” which translates to “splash in the water.”

• Popularity:

  Poodles are tremendously popular not only in various European countries but all around the globe. This stylish breed is currently placed at #07 position in the list of most popular canine breeds which is created by AKC and it features 190 unique dog breeds from various parts of the world.

• Purpose:

  Poodles were created to be the water retrievers. Their main job was to bring the water birds and ducks back to the hunters. And, because they used to splash a lot of water during this process, their name was also inspired by their job.

Body facts about Poodles

• Size:

  Poodles come in three different sizes which are Standard, Miniature, and According to the American Kennel Club, those poodles who are over 15 inches tall should be grouped as Standard Poodles, those whose height falls between the range of 10-15 inches should be categorized as Miniature Poodles and those whose height is less than 10 inches are considered to be Toy Poodles. Unofficially, there are two more sizes that a Poodle can be found in, these are Klein or Medium and Teacup. Teacups are the smallest of the bunch and Klein Poodles are placed between the Standard Poodles and the Miniature Poodles.

• Coat:

  The traditional Poodle cut was invented because of a necessity and not because the earlier Poodle owners were immensely style-conscious. To make them better and efficient swimmers, their owners decided to trim down the coat of their pooches, but short hair also meant that Poodles were now more vulnerable to harsh climatic conditions and cold water. So, keeping that in mind, Poodle owners decided to strategically trim down the hair from the canines’ body and fur from areas like joints and torso was not removed so as to protect various vital organs present inside the body.

Historical Facts about Poodles

• Origin:

  Poodle is quite an ancient breed and is even illustrated in some of the paintings from the 15th century. It is widely accepted that the poodles were bred in Germany and were used as a retriever by the hunters in France, where they evolved and were standardized. And, though nobody is altogether sure, poodles are believed to be the result of breeding between European waterdogs and water spaniels. One more theory behind the origin of this breed states that these dogs have descended from an old French breed known as Barbet, but there is no hard evidence to prove that theory as well.

• AKC Recognition:

  Poodles were recognized as a distinct breed by the American Kennel Club in the year 1887.

• All-Poodle Sled Team:

  In 1988, an all-poodle team participated in a sled race that took place at the Iditarod trail. But, due to the extreme cold, their fur became matted and their feet got severely cold and because of that many of the Poodles had to be dropped off at the nearest checkpoints. This led to the change in the rule for the annual dog sled race and since then only northern breeds like Malamutes, Eskimo dogs, Huskies et cetera are allowed to participate in the sled race.

Temperamental Facts about Poodles

• Beauty with Brains:

  Not only these canines are highly elegant and beautiful, but they are immensely smart as well. Poodles are right behind the Border Collies in terms of Intelligence and thus making them the second smartest canine breed. Poodles are known to surpass breeds like German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers et cetera in terms of brain power, which is extremely impressive. And, because of this, they are extremely easy to train and thus are heavily featured in various circuses and shows.

• Sociable:

  Poodles are very affectionate and friendly canines. They are faithful to their owners and family members and are known to love them with all their heart. These Pooches also love to socialize a lot and are always looking forward to meeting new people. Poodles even get along fairly well with other animals as well like cats and other canines.

Miscellaneous Facts about Poodles

• Pros and Cons of Poodle’s coat:

  The hair on Poodle’s body never stops growing. And, because of that, if proper grooming is not provided to these dogs, they would eventually face matting issues. But, on a positive note, these dogs don’t shed their fur that often and also their coat is fairly odorless in nature.

• Crossbreeding:

  Poodles are heavily used for crossbreeding purposes. These canines are crossed with other breeds to create more hypoallergenic breeds. Popular mix breeds involving Poodles are Labradoodle = Poodle + Labrador Retrievers, Cockapoo = Poodle + Cocker Spaniel, Goldendoodle = Poodle + Golden Retriever, Peekapoo = Poodle + Pekingese, Maltipoo = Poodle + Maltese et cetera.

• Celebrity Owners:

  The list of famous Poodle Owners, over the years, include the likes of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn and many more.