Standard Poodle

Standard Poodles have been popular pets for hundreds of years. History, it is believed that they have been around since the 15th or 16th century as evidenced by their images portrayed in artwork of the period.

The Standard Poodle that we know today likely developed around the 17th century. Many assume that the Poodle originated in France, but the breed actually originated in Germany. The German word for Poodle is “Pudel,” meaning literally, “to splash in the water.” There were many other Poodle-like dogs in other countries during this time, including Russia, France and possibly Italy

The original Poodle was revered as an excellent water dog and is actually the oldest known water retriever. It’s loyalty to people, cooperative nature, and remarkable intelligence, made the Standard Poodle a stand out among other dog breeds. These are among the characteristics that make the Poodle a popular dog breed today.

In the early 1930s, there were only about 35, but when in 1935, a white Standard Poodle won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show in New York, the Standard Poodle’s popularity soared. Shortly thereafter, it became the number one breed registered with the American Kennel Club and remained so for two decades. The Poodle still remains as a top ten most popular breed, due to breeders diligently striving to preserve the personality and characteristics of the breed.

Standard Poodle temperament remains one of the Standard Poodle’s best attributes. They are intelligent, easily trainable, gentle, aim to please, but are also known to be good watchdogs (to alert, but do not expect a Standard Poodle to attack). Their gentle and tolerant nature makes them excellent candidates for families with small children. Standard Poodles tend to get along with other dogs and animals very well and even thrive in multiple dog environment. For this reason, Standard Poodles are a well represented and appreciated presence at the bark park.

True to their origins, Poodles enjoy playing in water and swimming. Although they do not have the word “retriever” in their name, they are excellent retrievers and thoroughly enjoy retrieving activity, so balls and other throwing toys are essential. Poodles are playful, high energy dogs that require regular exercise and space to run. An ideal Standard Poodle environment is a house with at least a medium sized yard, but Standard Poodles can do well in an apartment if walked often and allowed regular trips to a park or otherwise open area to run.

Standard Poodles are very social dogs that thrive on interaction with their owners, families. They do not do well in situations where they are left alone for very long periods of time. Emotionally neglected or insufficiently exercised Standard Poodles can develop behavioral disorders, such as separation anxiety. They require a lot of love and attention but give it all back exponentially.

Standard Poodles are very social dogs that thrive on interaction with their owners, families. They do not do well in situations where they are left alone for very long periods of time. Emotionally neglected or insufficiently exercised Standard Poodles can develop behavioral disorders, such as separation anxiety. They require a lot of love and attention but give it all back exponentially.

The Standard Poodle size is classified as any Poodle over 15 inches in height. The head is moderately rounded with a slight peak at the back. The foreface is long and straight with a slight chiseling that doesn’t fall away under the eyes. The chin is well defined, but not protruding and the lips are held tightly. The eyes are dark brown and almond shaped, revealing an intelligent expression. The ears are long, wide and hang close to the head, extending slightly below eye level. The hair on the ears should be thickly feathered, but not excessively long.

The standard Poodle’s chest is deep and moderately wide with well-sprung ribs. The forequarters and hindlims are muscular and strong. The Breed Standard dictates that Poodles must be shown in one of three clips: Puppy, English Saddle, and Continental.

Standard Poodles may be any solid color or shade of color. Clear colors are preferred in the show ring, but Standard Poodles can possess any variation of natural colors. Light splashings and markings are not common, the presence of which are not a Breed Standard. The official Standard Poodle colors are: black, white, apricot, brown, red, silver, blue, cream, cafe-au-lait and gray. Parti and Phantom colors are becoming popular, but not widely accepted as Breed Standards.

Standard Poodles tend to enjoy long lives in comparison to other breeds of their size, with life expectancy approaching 12-14 years. However, there are several diseases that they are prone to, including progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, adisons disease, hip dysplasia, and hypothyroidism. Many of these diseases can be screened for, so it is important to ask breeders for documentation of pre-breeding screening of the bitch and sire prior to purchase of a puppy.

By: Roger L. Welton, DVM

Founder, Web-DVM

President Maybeck Animal Hospital

Author Canine and Feline 101