Poodles are one of the most popular dog breeds, so it isn’t surprising if you are considering one as your next pet. It is important though to always research a dog’s breed before or after getting a dog to ensure you know how to properly care for it. Their unique temperament and anatomy may greatly impact how you should plan for their mental and physical health, as well as to ensure they will be good pets to interact with you and your family. Poodle breeds, including Standard, Miniature, and Toy poodles, make agreeable, fun, and easy pets, when properly trained and groomed.
Overview of Poodle Breeds
No one is quite sure where poodles originated. It may have been Japan. They spent some time in Germany before ending up in France and becoming one of the most desired breeds in the 15th century, a treasure for French royalty and nobility.
Even then, there were three types of poodles, the standard poodle, the miniature poodle, and the toy poodle. They are the same in almost every way except for size. The standard poodle measures more than 15″ tall at the shoulders, up to 22 – 27″, while a miniature poodle will measure between 11″ and 15″, and a toy poodle will be even smaller.
Besides delighting the French elite, Standard poodles were predominantly used by duck hunters and other people who hunted fowl because they were highly trainable with great stamina, excelling at retrieving the fallen birds. They then began being used in circuses, again as they were highly trainable and didn’t mind being kept indoors a lot.
Registered by the AKC as an official dog breed in 1887, including miniature and toy poodles, they are listed as the 7th most popular dog breed. They are also the national dog of France.
What group are poodles in?
Knowing a dog breed’s group can help you understand them better. Working dogs and herding dogs have unique needs, for instance. Poodles may be a bit of a stumper. What group do they belong in?
Poodles are classified in the Non-Sporting Group. This is a fairly general category for dogs that don’t really fit into other groups. Poodles do have a history as hunting dogs, but this is not the majority of their heritage and plays a fairly small part in their behavior and care. What this means is that rather than using a group to help you understand your poodle you just need to get to know the poodle breed and go from there.
Poodle temperament
Poodles are thought of as dignified and maybe even snobby because of their posh lineage. It is somewhat true but in other ways not.
