Poodle (Standard)

Other Names: Carniche Dog Group Kennel Club: Non Sporting (AKC) Utility (KC) Appearance Poodles are elegant, squarely built, and  well-proportioned dogs that carry themselves proudly. There are 3 types of poodle: standard, miniature, and toy. These words are used to refer to their size only, not the breed. The standard poodle is the oldest of the 3 varieties. The standard poodle has a minimum height of 38cms at the withers and weighs in between 20.5 to 32kgs. Coat They have curly/wooly coats, which are dense and harsh. Colours include black, white, blue, grey, silver, brown, café-au-lait, apricot and cream. The colour begins to fade at the age of 4 to 5 years old.

Average Life Span: 9 - 15 years

Temperament
The Poodle is friendly, loving and an extrovert that enjoys showing off and being admired. Lively and affectionate, they make wonderful companion and ideal family dogs.

Training
They can also be good guard dogs, barking at visitors but never being aggressive. The standard poodle, is an extremely intelligent dog breed making them very easy to train, excelling in obedience work.

Grooming
Poodles do not shed and are often tolerated by allergic people.

The distinctive cuts associated with poodles are related to their original retrieving roles. The cuts were developed to lighten the dogs coat and improve their swimming ability, leaving balls of hair left to protect their joints and vital organs from the cold in winter.

Most show poodles are cut into either of the 2 traditional clips: the English Saddle Clip or Continental clip. Both of these clips include a mane of longer hair around the neck and shoulders, ankle ruffs, shaved front legs, and pompons on the tail. The continental clip has bare hindquarters except for a pom at the hip, and the English saddle puts shaved bands on the coated back legs.
 
Most pet poodles are kept in the puppy or sporting clip. These clips require trimming the coat over most of the body and closely shaving the hair on the feet, tail, and face, and neck.
Whatever clip is desired by the owner the coat requires daily care and grooming.

Exercise
The energetic standard poodle needs a good deal of exercise (more than the miniature and toy variety). Most of them love to swim and to retrieve therefore care is needed when near water to ensure their safety.

Poodle Health Issues

Epilepsy: is a seizure disorder which has been found in this breed. Seizures vary between a far-away look or twitching in one part of the face to your pet falling on his side, barking, gnashing his teeth, urinating, defecating and paddling his limbs. Seizures usually appear suddenly and end spontaneously, and can last from seconds to minutes. The disorder has no known cause, however it is important for your veterinarian to determine your pets general health and make sure there is no underlying disease that may be causing the seizures. Treatment can include anticonvulsant medications. Always ask your vet for advice.

Bloat (gastric torsion), though not a hereditary condition, this has been found to affect this breed. This is a very serious condition. When a dog bloats, the stomach can turn and block, causing a build up of gas. Unless treated quickly, bloat can be fatal. Signs of bloat include futile attempts to vomit and to salivate. Bloat, which may lead to cardiovascular collapse, usually occurs when exercise too closely follows eating. The incidence of bloat may be lessened by feeding adult dogs twice a day and, of course, by allowing a dog time to digest before taking him for a run in the park. Click Here for more information

Hip dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joint resulting in a poor fit between the head of the femur bone and the hip socket. This condition can be alleviated by surgery, at some cost to dog and owner. Because dysplastic dogs often produce dysplastic puppies, buyers should ask if both the sire and the dam of the puppy in which they are interested have been rated clear of hip dysplasia. Do not take yes for an answer without seeing a certificate, and ask for a copy to take to your veterinarian.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): is a family of diseases all involving the gradual deterioration of the retina. It is diagnosed by a retinoscopic exam or by means of an electroretinogram (ERG). Early in the disease, affected dogs become night-blind and lack the ability to see in dim light; later on daytime vision also fails. As their vision deteriorates, affected dogs adapt to their handicap very well, as long as their environment remains constant. Certain breeds are affected early in life, whereas in other breeds, PRA develops much later in onset.

Cataracts: cause a loss of the normal transparency of the lens of the eye. The problem can occur in one or both eyes and can lead to blindness.

Glaucoma: is a painful and serious condition that causes pressure within the eye to increase. It can lead to blindness if not treated early.

Poodle History

Paintings and as far back as the 15th century recognise the poodle. It is known that the Poodle was, and even today, is used as a working hunter and duck retriever. The distinctive cuts associated with poodles are related back to this retrieving role. The cuts were developed to lighten the dogs coat and improve their swimming ability, leaving balls of hair left to protect their joints and vital organs from the cold in winter.

Breed historians are in general agreement that the Poodle had its origins in Germany. The name originating from the German word "pudel" meaning "to splash in water". The breed also has some influence from Russia. The Poodle became quite popular among French aristocracy and was designated the national dog of France. That is why many people today refer to the Poodle as the "French" Poodle.

The Standard Poodle developed first, and that the Miniature and Toy Poodles were developed afterwards, and all three varieties have a long history.
In France, Poodles were used for a variety of purposes.  There was the Caniche which was a large dog widely used for duck hunting.  The Petit Barbet was a Toy size dog that led a pampered and primped style of life in the royal courts.  The miniature poodle was crossed with a terrier to produce a truffle hunting dog to sniff out the delicate, flavourful fungus used by many French chefs.
In the 1800's the Poodle played a role in the development of many other breeds including the curly coated retriever and the Irish water spaniel!

The Standard Poodle has served many roles over the decades including military, guide work, guarding, retrieving, circus performing.