Poodles

Poodles are a breed of dog; toy, miniature, and standard. They come in a variety of different colors and are often shown and used in the show ring. Although they are thought to have originated from France their true origin is unknown and debated by many. Some believe they came from Russia and others from Germany. Poodles are one of the oldest breeds of dogs and are extremely popular in Europe for hundreds of years.

Poodle Coats

Since there are so many different kinds of poodles and they have many different uses, naturally there would be many different clips or "hairstyles." Poodles have hair instead of fur so they are in fact non shedding animals and hypoallergenic. Hair types can range from coarse and wooly, to soft and wavy.

Show Clips

Many registries of poodles only allow certain clips or cuts. The American Kennel Club says that all adults must have a "continental" or "English saddle" clip, while poodles under the age of 12 can be shown with a "puppy clip." Many other registries will allow simpler cuts.

Puppy Clip

With the puppy clip there is no hair left on the face, throat, base of the tail, or the feet. There is no indication on how you cute the hair, it just needs to be cut and shaped. It may seem somewhat easier than the other clips but indeed the length of the hair makes if just as difficult or more so to maintain.

English Saddle Clip

In the English Saddle Clip the hair is kept on the hindquarters except for a small curved area on each flank, the feet, and bands just below the stifle and above the hock. This leaves three pompoms. This type of clip is commonly seen in standard poodles.

Continental Clip

With the Continental clip the feet, throat, face and part of the tail are all shaved. The upper part of the legs are also shaved leaving pompoms around the ankles much like the English saddle clip. The continental clip is the most popular show clip in dog shows today.

Pet Clips

If you have a poodle (or want one) as a pet then you know that you can be a simple or elaborate as you want to be when it comes to clipping your dogs hair. Dirt can get matted in the hair easily so it's important to remember to keep the hair around the face, around the toes, the muzzle and the dogs' tail kept fairly short. You can keep it as long or as short as you want.

Poodle Personality

Despite what some people believe poodles are highly intelligent and active animals. And much to some people's surprise they have quite an instinctual behavior; their marking and hunting drives are much more observable than in other breeds of dogs. They have also been known for mischief making if they get bored, which they do very easily. It's important to keep them busy and active to avoid this problem. They are people oriented, easy to train, and love daily exercise. Poodles are natural retrievers as that is what they were originally trained for. The name poodle comes from the German word Pudel meaning "splashing dog." They have come in very handy as a water dog.

Poodles are among the most popular breed of dog today especially in the show arena. The Poodle is very elegant in the show ring and they have taken many top honors in shows around the world. They do however require extensive grooming, care and attention. Because they are not overly large animals they are happy living in large or small homes.

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