Standard poodles

The standard poodle, a breed apart. This is an old breed of dog without clear lines of origin. The poodle has been popular in France for centuries and was commonly called the French poodle. Most of these French poodles were smaller 12 inches in height. The standard poodle is classified as more than 15 inches at the shoulders. The standard poodles probably originated in Germany.The larger varieties were used as water dogs "Prudel" in German means to splash in water. The method of clipping seems to have evolved to facilitate the dogs swimming while leaving hair to keep him warm.

The standard poodle is defined as standing over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulders. Standing 15 inches or less would place a poodle in the miniature class from 10 to 15 inches at the shoulder and the toy poodle at less than 10 inches at the shoulder. The other standards can be found at the AKC site and various other web sites.
Carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent, the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself. While shyness is listed as a major fault, we have a five-month-old standard that is some what timid and it is endearing. We got him at two months so he has been with us three months now, so whether this is just a phase remains to be answered. But, either way he is one of the best dogs I have been around. The last poodle we had, that somehow got out of the 5-foot chainlink fence, was very head strong with a strong predator drive. He also had a strong herding drive. We don't know if he was stolen or if shot while trying to herd some nearby cattle. We also have llamas and he always wanted to herd them. We enrolled him in obedience school days after getting him but to little approvement. He was a show quality dog of high dollar value, but I tell Oliver(the puppy poodle) that I would not trade him for the world. So that little bit of history was just to illustrate that what is officially a fault can also be a major benefit. This dogs somewhat timid nature leads him to seek approval from the members of the family. Since he was not purchased as a "show animal" it works out perfectly.

Poodles are one of the most intelligent breeds and enjoy being around people. They are not a one person dog but will bond with the whole family. Their high intelligence can translate to finding creative ways of getting into trouble if not stimulated. Standard Poodles need exercise and a place to run for an hour or so a day. A small apartment with the owner at work may not be the ideal setting for these active dogs. Ideally a fenced yard or field where they can burn off their energy will make dog and owner happy.