The poodle is not a very common breed to be found in India. They are mostly fancied by the affluent section of the society as bringing a poodle puppy home and then efficiently raising it requires quite a deep pocket. But if someone is looking to raise a poodle as a pet, then it can prove to be a good option. Poodles have a good to great tolerance to both heat and cold and can efficiently thrive in the Indian climatic conditions. Hot summer months do not affect a poodle’s health, unlike many other breeds. They are also considered a good choice for an inexperienced dog owner and hence can be a great overall pet for anyone who is fine with the extravagant expenses.
Poodles have a well-proportioned body and are quite elegant and graceful in appearance. They seem to be fairly active, squarely built and carry themselves proudly. The official standards for poodles are as follows:
Poodles are of different types; while some are quite small others can be medium to large in size. And, all these different types have different ranges for weight and height. Here, we are talking about the STANDARD POODLE who weighs somewhere around 20-32 kg on average and stands tall with a height of over 15 inches. Any poodle with a height under 15 inches is not considered a standard poodle.
|
WEIGHT |
WEIGHT |
HEIGHT |
|
MALE |
25-32 kg |
Over 15 inches |
|
FEMALE |
20-27 kg |
Over 15 inches |
The coat is typically the most talked about thing of poodles. They are one of those breeds in which people invest a substantial amount of time and money for their grooming needs especially because of their coat. Poodles have a dense and generally harsh textured coat. And, it can have a lot of different color shades like white, fawn, cream et cetera.
They are built well with a deep chest area which is reasonably wide. Neck region is strong and fairly long to allow them to carry their head high with pride. They have smoothly muscled forequarters and straight and well-balanced hindquarters.
They have a moderately rounded head region with flat cheekbones. Eyes are oval shaped and very dark in color. The ears hang close to the head and are set slightly below the eye level.
They have strong jaws with fairly powerful teeth and have a long and straight muzzle.
Poodles are very intelligent and intuitive dogs. They remain alert and aware at most times. Poodles are also considered to be quite friendly and sociable. They are a little reserved when meeting someone for the first time but after a while, they show a great level of affection towards them. They are also known for their trainability as they are highly trainable and do well when learning new skills and tricks from their loved ones. General temperamental traits regarding poodles are listed below:
Poodles are one of the most elegant and stylish looking dog breeds in the world. They are a symbol of pride and fanciness. They require a lot of maintenance and grooming to preserve their appearance. And that is why they are generally a fascination of well-off people.
Poodles also come in various different sizes which are: standard, miniature and toy. These different types of poodle have varying body dimensions and a potential owner has an option to choose between a small poodle or a medium to a large poodle. A standard poodle is both taller and heavier than the miniature and the toy poodle. The toy poodle remains very small in stature and is mostly under 10 inches tall. Apart from the size difference, all these three types of poodle have the same core values and traits.
The phrase “Beauty with Brains†is also one-hundred percent applicable to poodles. They are gorgeous to look at and are highly intelligent. They can learn and do a lot of tricks if trained properly. They are also very quick learners and are fairly obedient. Any dog lover will be happy to train this nice-looking pooch.
Poodles are also highly adaptable dogs. They adjust well to apartment living and can also tolerate several different weather conditions. The only thing to take care of is that they are quite sensitive and should never be left alone for longer periods of time. They require some kind of attention and presence of a loved one around them most of the times.
As stated earlier, poodles are categorized into three different types based on their sizes. These types are:
Poodles are also available in several different colors. Some colors are quite common but others are fairly rare and not found easily. These are as follows:
|
Adaptability |
***** |
Sensitivity Level |
**** |
|
Affection Level |
***** |
Potential for mouthiness |
**** |
|
Apartment-Friendly |
***** |
Drooling Potential |
* |
|
Barking Tendencies |
*** |
Energy Level |
**** |
|
Friendly towards dogs |
**** |
Health Issues |
*** |
|
Friendly towards other animals |
**** |
Intelligence |
***** |
|
Child Friendly |
***** |
Playfulness |
**** |
|
Exercise Needs |
**** |
Shedding Level |
* |
|
Grooming Needs |
***** |
Social Needs |
***** |
|
Good for novice owners |
**** |
Stranger Friendly |
**** |
|
Trainability |
***** |
Watchdog Ability |
**** |
|
Tolerates Heat |
*** |
Tolerates Cold |
*** |
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Poodles should do well on a high-quality diet which is fairly nutritious as it helps in keeping their skin and thereby, the coat intact and beautiful. Also, the amount of food required by different types of poodles is not the same. Toy poodles are generally satisfied by small portions of food given at regular intervals, while the standard poodle should be given more amount of food at least twice a day.
Any type of poodle requires a good amount of exercise to maintain its health and shape. Long walks or jogs are advisable for poodles on a regular basis. They also love to retrieve stuff, hence playing fetch with them is a joyful task for the owner and also helps in fulfilling the exercise quota of the poodles.
Poodles are easy to train. They are fairly intuitive and intelligent and do well in various training exercises. They also love to please the ones who train them. They can be very obedient and listens to their trainer’s commands very carefully. They can be made to learn several different tricks and are known to be fairly quick learners.
Poodles require a heavy amount of grooming. They need to be brushed on a daily basis and if not done properly, the hair near the root will start to tangle. And, that is why most of the poodle owners keep their dogs in a shorter trim. If an owner is unable to fulfill a poodle’s grooming needs by themselves, then a visit to a professional groomer at least once a month is recommended. They are also required to be bathed at least once or sometimes twice a month. Coming to their Shedding potential, they are very light shedders and only shed infrequently and in small amounts.
Poodles are normally healthy and fine but just like any other breed, can suffer from various health problems. These are as follows:
Unlike frequent visits to a groomer, poodles require the assistance of a veterinarian quite rarely.
There is a lot of debate over the background and past of Poodles. The knowledge of their true origin, their ancestors is shrouded in mystery. There is a big confusion as to where the poodles first originated, some believe they originated in France while others believe it to be Germany.
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. But there is no hard evidence for this theory to be fully true.
The Poodle is quite an old breed and is even illustrated in some of the paintings from the 15th century. Though nobody is altogether sure, poodles are believed to be the result of breeding between waterdogs and water spaniels. They were initially bred to retrieve stuff from water and later used by hunters to retrieve the game from the water.
In today's time, poodles are far from a hunter’s companion and are desired and adored by mostly high-class members of our society. Today, they live like a star and they also know how to carry themselves with grace and dignity.
