Royal Show in Sydney, Australia was Standard Poodle Aust. Ch. Troymere Believe in Me. This is what a modern champion looks like.
The famed Poodle breeder, Miss Florence Brunker, though well-known for her excellent Poodles, was also famous for her extravagant hats. She prided herself in having hats larger than her dogs, or, alternatively, having dogs smaller than her hats.
One reason for the Poodle’s elite standing in dogdom is the breed’s affinity for obedience competition. Aside from excelling in the conformation show ring, Poodles love attention, and performing in obedience to please their owners and others is a terrific way of getting attention.
In the 1930s, Helen Whitehouse Walker, owner of Carillon Kennels, wanted to introduce the sport of obedience into America. She was tired of hearing people say that Poodles, with their fancy hairdos, were vanity dogs. She vowed to prove the Poodle’s intelligence and trainability to America.
This smartly trimmed black Standard will be taking a ribbon home for his equally smartly dressed handler.
In 1934, as England was enjoying the growing sport of obedience trialing, Mrs. Walker went to Great Britain to study the sport and the training methods for obedience. When she returned home to America, she shared what she had learned with others, including her dear friend, Blanche Sauders, who ultimately became a renowned obedience exhibitor and teacher.
By 1947, America was ready to recognize obedience competition. The American Kennel Club officially adopted the rules and regulations for the sport and established an obedience department within its ranks.
From the working Poodle-like dogs of Europe in the 12th century to the sophisticated Poodles of the 21st century, the breed maintains its ancestral traits that endear it to people around the world. Thus, centuries after the breed’s development, there seems no reason to believe that Poodles will be any less popular in the future than they have been in the past.
Standard Poodle being gaited around the ring. The evaluation of a dog’s movement determines how well-constructed the animal is.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POODLE
The Poodle, regardless of size or color, is a distinctive, squarely built, elegant dog with a coat that serves as the crowning touch to a royal entity. From the largest Standard to the tiniest Toy, Poodles have a unique way about them that transcends everything they do in life. How they carry themselves when out for a walk, the easy sway of the hind legs as they chase a ball across a lawn, the alert inquisitive expression when they hear a familiar voice—these traits are all special to Poodles. And every owner quickly learns to recognize that Poodle uniqueness.
This lovely black male is kept in immaculate condition.
In addition to loving life in general, Poodles love people even more. They are particularly perceptive of our moods and emotions, and respond accordingly. They join in celebrations when we’re happy and hover nearby in quiet concern when we’re ill, worried or sad.
They are extremely intelligent and can learn an amazing repertoire of commands if taught with patience and kindness. Retrieving fallen ducks and carrying things in their mouths are but a sample of their rehearsed behaviors. Ever since early Poodle owners discovered the breed’s propensity to learn, Poodles have been trained to perform many behaviors, from helping owners around the home to dancing in circus acts around the world.
Poodles love to please. They crave attention and have an uncanny sense of humor. If, for example, a Poodle does something that an owner finds amusing and the person responds with laughter and praise, the dog will quickly pick up this response and repeat the behavior over and over. In short, Poodles are genetically “programmed” to work with humans and use their own emotional intuitiveness to create strong bonds with their owners.
A Standard apricot with white Miniatures. The variety of sizes and striking colors offers many choices to prospective Poodle owners.
The physical makeup of Poodles is such that they can perform many athletic feats with ease. Standing on their hind legs and “dancing,” climbing to heights on ladders and ramps, jumping all types of barriers and sitting on their haunches to “beg” are just some of the Poodle’s agile maneuvers. These and many more stunts are possible due to the breed’s exceptional sense of balance and dexterity.
Combine intelligence, emotional intuitiveness, love of companionship, physical ability and beauty in one breed of dog and you have the remarkable, personable Poodle. This breed is of such great versatility, it’s no wonder that Poodles are considered to be the most intelligent of all breeds.
DIFFERENT SIZES, DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES
Poodles come in a wide range of sizes. Toy Poodles stand 10 inches or less at the shoulder. Miniatures stand 15 inches or under, but must be taller than 10 inches at the shoulder. Standards must stand over 15 inches at the shoulder. In some European circles, there is a fourth size called Moyen, which means “middle” or in between the Miniature and the Standard. Moyens measure at least 15 inches but rarely reach the height of the average Standard. Certainly there is a size of Poodle for every lifestyle and taste.
A lovely black champion Miniature Poodle. The breed’s show coat presentation is exquisite.
Posing with his tortoise playmates, this Toy Poodle pup is photogenic and fun-spirited.
Different-sized Poodles frequently exhibit different behavioral traits. For example, the handsome Standard is every inch a Poodle with his bright expressive eyes, his devotion to owner and family, his love of learning and his sense of humor. In addition, he carries himself with great confidence and therefore excels as a guardian of home and family. He is serious enough and big enough to make the consequences of unwanted entry most undesirable. His deep bark and courageous demeanor send an instant message to any and all unwelcome guests that a forced entry would be most unwise.
When dogs are a family affair, the Poodles never shy away from participation. Dyed purple to match the bride’s bouquet, these two Poodles were the matrons of honor at the wedding of Meg Purnell’s daughter, Rachel, and her dapper husband, Darren. The family runs the well-known Overhill Kennels in England.
