Why the breed exists
Before the show ring, the Poodle was a serious water retriever — the German 'Pudelhund,' the splashing dog — and nearly everything ornamental about it is working equipment misread. The coat that never stops growing sheds water and was clipped for swimming, with hair left over the joints and chest for warmth: the origin of the show trim. The intelligence that ranks among the highest ever measured in dogs was a retriever's problem-solving. France refined it, the circus exploited that brain, and the fancy dressed it up — but under the haircut is a gun dog, and always was.
The official written standard belongs to the breed's parent club.Read the official Poodle (Standard) standard →
Choosing a Poodle (Standard) on purpose
Every breed has its own list of required health screenings, kept by its parent club and published through OFA. A preservation breeder working in this breed tests to that list and shows you the results — including the ones that didn't go their way.
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