Breed of the Day – Poodle

When I first started boarding dogs two years ago my very first client was a miniature poodle named Bogey.  Poodles are an intelligent, hard-working breed and one of the most popular breeds throughout the world,.  They earn that devotion with their intelligence, ease of training, low-shedding curly coat, and eager love of family.  Poodles are thought to have originated in Germany, where they were called Pudel, meaning “splash in the water,” a reference to their work as water retrievers.  Poodles shed little, but require grooming every 4 to 6 weeks.  Their coat comes in a range of colors: apricot, black, blue, brown, cream, gray, red, silver, silver beige, and white. Poodles excel at performance activities such as agility and obedience. They are active dogs who thrive on attention and learning, which explains why we see so many of them as circus performers.   (vetstreet.com)

Because poodles come in different sizes they don’t all have the same health problems. Toy and Miniature Poodles share many of the same health problems common to the smallest breeds of dog, such as luxating patella’s, breathing difficulties caused by a collapsing trachea, and dental problems because of tooth crowding inside their small mouths. Other potential problems in Toy Poodles include vonWillebrand’s disease and epilepsy, deafness, diabetes, and patent ductus arteriosus (a congenital heart defect).

Below are some points of interest from allpoodleinfo.com

• The Poodle is recognized as one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world, ranking at #2
• Poodles have hair, not fur, and while most assume this makes for a hypoallergenic dog…some people can be allergic to the dandruff that is produced under the coat
• One of the oldest Poodles on record was named Taffy Gayle, age 27, owned by the Harvill family in Alabama, USA.
• Since the 1500’s the Poodle has been the national dog of France.
• Imprints of the breed have been found on both ancient Greek and Roman coins
• Poodles have won Best in Show several times, both at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and at the World Dog Show
• Poodles have been used as working dogs in the military for centuries, and most prominently during WWII. In 1942, the Poodle was one of 32 dog breeds officially classified as ‘war dogs’ by the US army.

Below are some pictures of Bogey enjoying his time here with Ginger.