The Poodle Is Truly a Wonderful Dog Breed with Outstanding Qualities.

Taking pictures of many types of dog breeds in my work as a stock photographer has provided me an opportunity to work with both large and small dog breeds and a number of poodle breeds. I've worked with teacup poodles, miniature poodles, standard poodles, etc.

Miniature poodles

One of the very first dog breeds that I photographed for my Animal Antics series was a miniature poodle. We shot him for the cheer leading poodles image. You could tell he was smart…and certainly was a bit of a trickster. He would race around the studio checking on what everyone was doing…until it came time to shoot him. Each time we started to shoot he would suddenly come up with a limp and could hardly walk. As soon as we would finish our session off he would race with no sign of difficulty!

The poodle is truly a wonderful dog breed with some outstanding qualities. The breed is generally recognized as coming in three sizes, standard, miniature and toy…though teacup poodles are also available. They have hair rather than fur…so they are, in effect, hypoallergenic and don’t shed.

Poodles are very intelligent.

Poodles are extremely intelligent and take well to training. They learn quickly…but because they also forget slowly an owner must be consistent or risk resentment. Poodles are a sturdy breed and live between 10 and 18 years and in some cases up to 21 years. They are, however, susceptible to a number of genetic health problems. Like most large dog breeds, Standard poodles need a good amount of exercise but are comfortable in pretty much any size of home. Of the three sizes, standard, miniature and toy, standards are considered the most adaptable.

The “Poodle Clip” was originated to help reduce resistance in the water.

The breed is an ancient one…there are likeness of Poodle-like dogs on Roman coins and Egyptian carvings. There are references to Poodles as far back as the fifteenth century in France, Holland and Italy. The first reference to Poodles being good swimmers was in 1642 (the Poodle was originally bread as a water retriever). The “Poodle Clip” was originated to help reduce resistance in the water. The patches of hair left covering the vital organs and joints were left to help protect those areas. In France the Poodle is the national breed and is used for truffle hunting as well as the more expected duck hunting.

The standard poodle.

The standard poodle is a truly a versatile breed and in addition to being excellent water retrievers they have served as guide dogs, in law enforcement…and even competed in the Alaskan Iditarod Sled dog race! Miniature poodles are sometimes thought of as “one person” dogs, but are obedient, can be a child’s best friend and make good trial dogs. They do tend to think they are bigger than they really are and one has to be careful of their protective tendency…particularly around other dogs. Toy poodles make great companions and are especially good when quarters are tight.

Pet Poodles.

Poodles are too intelligent to be “part time” pets…but need to be a regular and consistent part of their owner’s lives. Poodle’s coats need to be kept well groomed or their coats could become unpleasant to be around, and in extreme cases it can be a health hazard. Poodles have a great disposition…are cheerful and confident and can make a truly great companion.