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Poodle (Standard)

active / proud / very smart
Non-Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

over 15 inches (standard)

Weight

60-70 pounds (male standard)

40-50 pounds (female standard)

Life Expectancy

10-18 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    80% 80%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    100% 100%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    100% 100%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    80% 80%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    80% 80%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    100% 100%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    100% 100%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    80% 80%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Poodle is one of Dogdom’s real aristocrats and comes in Standard, Miniature, or Toy sizes, as well as in black, white, or apricot colors. There is an elegant athlete and companion for all occasions and seasons hiding beneath the low-allergen, curly coat.

 

Poodles come in three sizes: standard (shoulder height greater than 15 inches), miniature (15 inches or less), and toy (10 inches or less). The proportions and build are the same for all three types. Poodles are frequently spotted wearing the extravagant Continental clip at dog exhibitions. The Sporting clip, in which the coat is sheared to match the form of the squarely built, smoothly muscled body, is preferred by the majority of pet owners. Forget any preconceived beliefs you may have about poodles; they are eager, athletic, wickedly intelligent canines with amazing versatility. The Standard is the family’s best all-around athlete due to his superior size and strength, although other Poodles can be successfully taught.

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Poodle (Standard)

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Thanks to the work of devoted, responsible breeders who routinely test all breeding material, the majority of poodles live long, fulfilling lives in good health. However, several health conditions, including hip dysplasia and a number of eye conditions, can affect all breeds. Von Willebrand's disease, sebaceous adenitis, immune-mediated diseases, and idiopathic epilepsy are occasionally observed in the breed. Legg-Calve-Perthes and luxating patellas are two orthopedic conditions that are more common in Toy and Miniature Poodles than Standards. The Standard type is more susceptible to sebaceous adenitis and stomach dilatation with volvulus (bloat).  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation
  • PRA Optigen DNA Test
 

Grooming

You must learn how to brush your Poodle every day to prevent matting unless you intend to keep them groomed in a short trim. A full-coated Poodle's hair will mat close to the roots if it is not brushed and combed all the way down to the skin. This requires shaving the hair off so that new growth may begin. Most Poodle owners choose to keep their pets' hair shorter. While some dog owners choose to take their dogs to a professional dog groomer every four to six weeks for a bath, grooming, and nail trim, others learn how to perform this clipping and cutting themselves. The breed is a wonderful option for those who have allergies due to its comparatively non-shedding coat.  

Exercise

Poodles, regardless of size, are extremely energetic dogs who need daily exercise to keep up with their high level of energy. Poodles love to be busy and are eager for any form of action. Most Poodles enjoy being in the water and swimming is a terrific kind of exercise for them. Throwing toys, sticks, or balls for them will exercise both their mind and body since they were bred as retrieving dogs. They also enjoy taking their human on lengthy walks or jogs.

Training

Poodles are highly intelligent and simple to train. They are intelligent, graceful, and agile, and they excel in a range of canine activities, such as agility, obedience, and tracking. They do well in retriever hunt tests and dock diving as well as being great water retrievers. Due to their high levels of people orientation, poodles are eager to please their owners when training sessions are enjoyable and rewarding. Just make certain that you are being consistent in your requests.

Nutrition

Whichever Poodle size captures your heart, you'll want to feed him or her the best dog chow available. You can get advice on the best food for your dog's age, activity level, and size from your veterinarian or breeder. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Give your dog treats sparingly if you decide to do so. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Never give cooked bones or fatty table scraps to your dog. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, speak with your veterinarian.

History

France’s national dog is the Poodle, and the French people adore their Poodles. Poodles are known as the Caniche, or “duck dog,” in France, however, there is no such breed as the “French Poodle.”

 

Despite the Poodle’s association with France, the breed originated as a duck hunter in Germany, where the word “pudelin” refers to splashing in water. Over 400 years ago, the Standard Poodle’s history as a retrieving water dog began. The Poodle was and still is a remarkable retriever thanks to its crisp, curly coat, exceptional swimming skills, and off-the-charts intelligence.

 

When the Poodle breed first emerged, its extravagant display coat had a useful use. Hunters wanted their canines to be able to move freely in the water, but they also wanted to keep critical parts of the anatomy warm. The chest, hips, and leg joints were left coated, but the legs, neck, and tail were all shaved. The pompons are the spherical tufts on the legs, hips, and tip of the tail. (Note the spelling: Poodles have pompons; cheerleaders use pom-poms.)

 

The Poodle was able to go from the lake to the lap of luxury thanks to its numerous wonderful attributes. The nobles of France, and subsequently all of Europe, favored elegant Poodles of the Standard and Miniature breeds. Poodles have long been connected to the European circus culture thanks to the breed’s spectacular appearance and trainability. The Poodle received additional work as a truffle hunter thanks to her outstanding nose.

 

The Miniature was developed from the Standard. The Toy was initially developed in America in the early 20th century as a companion dog for urban dwellers. Each variety’s well-bred individuals are identical duplicates of one another and are bred to the same standard.