The next time you decide to add a canine-companion to your family, why not consider a poodle? Quite an exceptional breed, poodles make great family dogs, are easy to train and are exceptionally smart. Better still, Poodles come in four sizes, which means there is a dog for every sized household. Better Health for Dogs thinks poodles are pretty great and thought we would share a few interesting things that we learned about them. Keep reading to learn about the fun and intelligent breed that is the poodle.
- Poodles are excellent retrievers
Most people associate poodles with being…well…a bit snobbish and stuffy. Well, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, poodles were once highly utilized for their excellent swimming and hunting skills. Known for their athleticism poodles are also clever and energetic.
- Elvis loved poodles
Who knew that the King of Rock n’ Roll was such a fan of the poodle? Well, apparently he was. He had a beloved poodle named Champagne. He was also known for giving the women in his life poodles as gifts. His mother and wife Priscilla were both recipients of poodles via Elvis.
- They are really smart
This may come as a surprise to some but poodles are considered to be one of the smartest dog breeds around. They are also highly trainable and can learn some amazing tricks with time and patience. Poodles are also eager to show off just how skillful they are.
- They come in 4 sizes
Technically, poodles come in 4 convenient sizes, which means they are perfect for almost every home. Toy poodles can grow up to 11 inches. Miniature poodles can grow up to 15 inches. Medium poodles can grow up to 18 inches; and the tallest of the breed, the standard poodle, can be up to 24 inches tall.
- They are France’s national dog
France loves the poodle so much that they have made the poodle their national dog. Interestingly, the poodle is believed to have originated in Germany. Quite an ancient breed, there is evidence that poodles existed during Roman times as they appear on some coinage.
- Unique Coat
Poodles are usually recognized for their unique coats, which poodle enthusiasts enjoy styling and cutting in various ways that tend to draw some attention. The cut most poodles are associated with actually originated when poodle-owning hunters wanted to protect certain parts of a poodle’s body from cold water while also preventing the swimming dog from being weighed down by the water. More interesting, perhaps, is that unless cut, a poodle’s hair continues to grow until it forms into chord-like strands. Lastly, a poodle’s unique coat sheds very little and is considered kinder to allergy sufferers because of this.