Poodle Facts

The poodle is known to be one of the most intelligent and elegant dog breeds worldwide and this is what makes everyone want to be a proud owner of this classy dog. This story discusses some of the interesting poodle facts that would help you understand about this dog in a much better way.

Poodles are always thought of as a royal, highly pampered dog breed. Often they are owned by people belonging to the elite class and trust me, they do need a lot of caring and grooming because of their long and curly hair.

They need someone to brush up their coat at least for an hour everyday or for 10 hours in a week. Seems like a lot of work, isn't it? Which is why if you decide to keep this dog, be prepared to spend a lot of quality time in its grooming.

As far as its training is concerned, thanks to the instinctive nature and god gifted intelligence of this dog, they can understand and pick up things very easily which makes them very easy to train.

They say that first impressions are the last impressions, but that is not always the case. Like when I saw a poodle, I thought these dogs are made to be pampered and to be taken care of. They seemed to be the loving, elegant, clean and snobbish category in dogs, which made them so different from the others.

But when I did a little bit of research on these dogs, I was surprised to know that these dogs were actually bred as water retrievers. This is why they were also used as gun dogs. Which means that unlike their 'lifestyle' now, they were originally bred to work. Have a look at some more interesting facts about the poodle.

The term 'poodle' is derived from the German term pudel, which means 'to splash in the water'. This breed is also known to be originated in Germany.

Poodle is the national dog of France.

The American Kennel Club recognizes three poodle sizes, the standard poodle whose shoulder size is over 15 inches ; the miniature poodle, whose shoulder size is more than 10 inches but less than 15 inches; and the toy poodle, whose shoulder size is less than 10 inches.

When it comes to the list of most intelligent dogs, the standard poodle is listed second. Poodles have also received various recognitions by some of the world's best kennel clubs. The poodle has taken some top honors at the World Dog Show in 2007 and 2010.

When you think of the long and furry coat of the poodle, you must be thinking that these dogs must be shedding a lot of hair, right? But you would be surprised to know that these dogs don't shed like other dogs. In fact, when their hair comes off, it gets tangled with the surrounding hair. Which is why it is very important to keep brushing their coat to prevent matting. Speaking of shedding, did you know that the fur of these dogs is actually referred to as 'hair', like in humans!

There are some people who are allergic to dogs, however, these dogs can be considered as hypoallergenic, which means that these dogs are likely to cause no allergic reactions at all, or minimum allergic reactions as compared to other dogs.

Do you hate the odor that comes from the dogs? Well, another interesting fact about the poodle is that they don't have that typical dog odor, so you can always hug them and cuddle them without giving your nose any discomfort.

Though poodle may seem to be a sophisticated breed, which it is, you must remember that they were hunters originally. This genetic instinct makes them highly energetic, mischievous, fun loving and eager to please their owner. They are extremely people loving dogs and love to be hugged, cuddled and played with.

Almost all the poodles are very good with children, especially standard poodles. However, occasionally they tend to act a little stubborn because of their high intelligence.

Remember we always thought of poodle as a feminine dog, but you would be surprised to know that male poodles are easy to keep as pets as compared to female poodles. They are more easy to housebreak, and once they are neutered, they remain energetic while females tend to become comparatively lazy.

You won't believe this, but they say that poodles can actually pick up objects, and I'm not talking about picking objects with their jaws, but with their paws!

I am sure that after reading these facts, you would want to get one for yourself right away, isn't it? However, you must make sure that you have the time and the resources to take care of this dog as lack of proper care can lead to some behavioral problems in the poodle.

These dogs need constant physical activities including exercising and play. They tend to get easily bored and therefore can create a chaos in the house which would want you to get rid of them as soon as possible. Therefore, spending time in proper training and grooming of your poodle is a must.

Once you have given your poodle all that is required, including the love, attention, training and grooming, be ready to get lots and lots of love, affection and pleasing acts from your lovable pet poodle. To conclude, I would like to quote the words of Rachael Leigh, "They're not poodles, they're art."