Poodle

Poodle, breed of dog thought to have originated in Germany but widely associated with France, where it is hugely popular. The Poodle was developed as a water retriever, and the distinctive clipping of its heavy coat was initiated to increase the animal’s efficiency in the water. The breed has been used for such diverse undertakings as performing in circuses and hunting for truffles (scenting and digging up the edible fungus).

An elegant-looking dog, the Poodle is often ranked as one of the most intelligent of all breeds. Based on the standard set by the American Kennel Club (AKC), the dog is bred in three sizes: standard, miniature, and toy. All three are judged by the same standards of appearance, which call for a well-proportioned dog with a long straight muzzle, heavily haired hanging ears, a docked pompon tail, and a characteristic springy gait and proud manner of carrying itself. The coat consists of a woolly undercoat and a dense wiry topcoat; if allowed to grow, the hair forms ropelike cords, and the dog is called a corded Poodle. The coat should be solid, not variegated, and may be any of a number of colours, among them gray, white, black, brown, apricot, and cream. The standard Poodle stands more than 15 inches (38 cm) tall at the withers, the miniature is in excess of 10 inches (25 cm) and no more than 15 inches, and the toy is 10 inches or under. Weight ranges from as much as 70 pounds (32 kg) to as little as 7 pounds (3 kg). The standard and miniature Poodles are classed by the AKC as nonsporting dogs and the toy as a toy dog.

Labradoodle

In the late 20th century, breeders began to cross Poodles with other purebred dogs in what was called the “designer dog” fad. The goal was to incorporate the Poodle’s intelligence and low-shedding coat into the offspring. All sizes of Poodles were crossed with other breeds, resulting in such mixed breeds as the Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever + Poodle), Schnoodle (Schnauzer + Poodle), and Pekepoo (Pekingese + Poodle). However, many Poodle breeders deplored the trend and regretted the dilution of carefully managed bloodlines.