THE POODLES LONG AND POPULAR HISTORY
The Poodle is believed to be one of the oldest dog breeds, still around today. Poodle-like
dogs have been found carved on Roman tombs and there are many references to the Poodle in the fifteenth and sixteenth century
art and literature.
Tracing the origin of the Poodle is difficult.Today's Poodle probably originated
as a water retriever. Some speculate the Poodle could be the original Water Spaniel. In sixteenth century Europe a dog called
the Water Dog of England was popular among hunters. Others therorize the Irish Water Spaniel, which sported a curly coat,
is the forerunner of the Poodle.
To name a specific country of origin is impossible. Germany, Russia, France, and
practically every European country has claimed the Poodle as their own.
The French have long claimed the Poodle as their own. The dogs found a devoted
following in France. First known as the Barbet, a term that means beard, and is used to describe any dog with long hair, and
later called the caniche, meaning duck dog. The French capitalized on the breed's high intelligence, trainability, and innate
showmanship and made the Poodle a circus performer. Truly the Poodle is arguably one of the most intelligent breeds. A Toy
Poodle named Chanda-Leah held the record in the Guinness World records 4 years for the most tricks preformed by a dog see
http://www.chanda-leah.com/guinness-records.html for photos and more information on this amazing dog.
French literary references note a vigorous, intelligent, sturdy, curly-haired dog
that goes into the water. Most likely the Poodles great popularity in that country led to the breed's common name "French
Poodle". It is believed to have been a favorite pet during the 18th century, and of King Louis XVI of France.
A series of paintings by Bernadine Pinturiccio in 1490 featured Toy-size Poodles.
In the fifteenth century, the painter Frans Hals depicted a Toy Poodle attending a garden party. The Toy and Miniature Poodle
varieties were bred down from larger dogs, today known as Standard Poodles.
The Poodle was introduced to the United States in the late 1800's, and the first
Poodle was registered with the American Kennel Club Stud book in 1887. It was not until, The Poodle Club of America, which
was founded in 1931, that the breed was generally noticed.
In 1930 there were only thirty-four Poodles registered with the American Kennel Club.
By 1960 there were more Poodles registered than any other dog breed.
Still popular, today's Poodle is an intelligent and devoted companion. Although today
the Poodle is primarily a companion and a show dog, he can learn almost anything.
