The standard poodle is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. For more than ten years, the Poodle has consistently ranked in the top ten registered breeds of the American Kennel Club. This dignified and self-confident breed makes an excellent pet for an owner who wants an active and intelligent dog.
All poodles are members of the non-sporting breed group. Toy Poodles, Miniature Poodles, and Standard Poodles share the same breed standards, the only difference between them is height. A Toy Poodle should be no taller than ten inches at the highest point of the shoulder; a miniature poodle should not be more than fifteen inches tall at the shoulder; and a standard poodle must be over fifteen inches at the shoulder.
The poodle’s coat is naturally curly and dense and can be black, white, blue, gray, silver, brown, and apricot. The coat usually has varied shades of a single color.
The standard poodle probably originated as a cross between a Hungarian water dog and a French water dog known as the barbet. The breed’s dense, curly coat is somewhat waterproof, and hunters developed the typical Poodle cut, with tufts of hair on the joints of the front and hind legs, to protect the dogs’ joints from the cold during the breeding season. hunting.
Although the Germans, Danes, and French at one time or another claimed to be the country where the Standard Poodle breed originated, France has come to be known as the country of origin of the Poodle. The French are extremely proud of this designation, and the French poodle holds a special place in French culture.
The intelligence and eager-to-please temperament of the Poodle make it an easy breed to train. Humans have taken advantage of the Poodle’s trainability, using the dog as a retriever for bird hunting and as a tracker for truffle hunting. Poodles have also held a variety of jobs in the entertainment industry, as circus performers and performers in modern film and television.
A standard poodle in the entertainment industry can become famous for his own talent or for the fame of his owners. Some poodles are famous for a combination of their own talent and the fame of their owner. Writer Gertrude Stein and her muse, Alice B. Toklas, had three poodles they named Basket, Basket II, and Basket III.
Entertainer “Weird Al” Yankovic perched his Poodle Bela on top of his head for a photograph used on the cover of his album “Poodle Hat”. When fighting superstar Rene Dupree, now known as Rene Bonaparte, he gives interviews, often referring to his Poodle Fifi.
Poodles have made their mark in literature, film, and television. The late author Jacqueline Susann wrote a best-selling novel, Every Night Josephine, about her poodle, Josephine. The 2000 Best In Show movie featured a Poodle named Rhapsody in White as “Butch.” The animated television family of the Rugrats series has a Poodle named Fifi. Most standard poodles will never appear on the big screen, the small screen, or the pages of a novel, but to the individuals and families who own them, they are superstars.