The Poodle is thought to be a highly intelligent dog, possibly the most intelligent of all the breeds. There are several varieties today but they all stem originally from an ancient breed called the "Pudel" in Germany, although this may not have been the actual country of origin. The original purpose of the breed was a water retriever. The Standard Poodle is the largest, then graduating in size, there is the Miniature, and finally the Toy, all three of these dogs are shown separately in the show ring in the American dog shows.