The Popular Pet Poodle

If you want a confident, intelligent dog that enjoys an active life, a Poodle may be the best breed for you. Poodles are full of life and energy; inquisitive, dignified; and loyal. For at least the last ten years, the American Kennel Club of the United States has listed the Poodle as one of its ten most popular breeds. One reason Poodles are so popular is that they come in a variety of size like small, medium and large, known in the dog world as Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodles.

Poodles come in a variety of sizes, from the diminutive Toy Poodle to the slightly larger Miniature Poodle to the tallest Poodle, the Standard Poodle. Toy Poodles cannot be taller than ten inches at the shoulder. Miniature Poodles measure ten to fifteen inches in height, and Standard Poodles include any Poodle taller than fifteen inches at the shoulder.

The Poodle coat is naturally curly and dense and may be black, white, blue, gray, silver, brown and apricot. The coat usually has varied hues of a single color.

The Standard Poodle probably originated as a cross between a Hungarian Water Hound and a French water dog known as the Barbet. The breed’s dense, curly coat is somewhat water resistant, and hunters developed the typical Poodle cut, with puffs of hair at the front and rear leg joints, to protect the dogs’ joints from the cold during the hunting season.

Although the Germans, the Danes, and the French all claimed at one time or another to be the country where the Standard Poodle breed originated, France has come to be known as the Poodle’s country of origin. The French are exceedingly proud of this designation, and the French Poodle occupies a special place in French culture.

A Standard Poodle in the entertainment industry might become famous through their own talent or through the fame of their owners. Some Poodles are famous because of a combination of their own talent and the fame of their owner. Writer Gertrude Stein and her muse, Alice B. Toklas, had three Poodles whom they named Basket, Basket II and Basket III.

Poodles have marked their territory, so to speak, in popular literature, film and television. A Poodle named Josephine inspired her owner author Jacqueline Susanne to write the best selling book titled Every Night Josephine. A Poodle named Rhapsody in White starred as “Butch” in the 2000 film, Best In Show.

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 film Best In Show featured a Poodle named Rhapsody in White as “Butch”. The animated TV family in the Rugrats series has a Poodle named Fifi. Most Standard Poodles will never be on the big screen, the small screen or the pages of a novel, but to the individuals and the families who own them, they are superstars.

Last 5 posts by Lisa A Collins

• The Characteristics Of A Toy Poodle - February 10th, 2009
• The Characteristics Of A Poodle - February 3rd, 2009
• What Is The Standard For The Standard Poodle - January 27th, 2009
• A Guide To Raising Poodle Puppies - January 16th, 2009
• Get Your Hands On Poodles For Sale - January 13th, 2009