Appearance:

The toy poodle is the smallest in the poodle family; the others are standard and miniature poodles. The toy poodle is only are under 10 inches and weighs about 4 to 8 pounds. The miniature poodle is 11 to 15 inches and weighs about 15 to 17 pounds. There are such things as teacup poodles, but those are not recognized by kennel clubs. They have a very thick, curly hair, not fur. Poodles are hypoallergenic and do not shed. But this means they need regular grooming to maintain a nice clean coat. They are most commonly found in just a solid color, most kennel clubs only allow dogs with one color. Their color might fade as time goes by, but it might stay the same. Not all poodles have the same texture of fur. Some of it is really soft, some is very course and rough. There are many different ways to clip a poodle. A show clip is very hard to maintain and not recommended for the average pet owner.

Personality:

Poodles are often a misunderstood dog. When people think of poodles they often think of a show poodle, not what most poodles are like. They are thought to be prissy and high class. But underneath that weird show clip, they are normal friendly dogs. Poodles are extremely smart, which makes them easy to train. They are often used in obedience competitions. They are also very full of energy and make great agility dogs. They love to play and need a mental challenge game to stimulate the brain. Simply playing hide and go seek with them makes them happy. They also make great watchdogs. They may be small but they have a bark that will warn you of anyone approaching your home. But this does not mean they are aggressive. Most Poodles tend to be sort of “polite” with strangers. While others love everyone. Poodles get along with other dogs and cats, also. Poodles are not recommended for families with young children. Children can be rough and might hurt a poodle.

Origin:

The country of originality is unknown. Many think it comes from France, others think they came from Germany. But one thing is known for sure. The toy poodle and the miniature poodle both come from the standard poodle. They were just bred down into a smaller size The standard poodle was bred from the barbet and Hungarian water hound. In Germany they would have been used for hunting and retrieving water fowl. The “poodle clip” was created by hunters. It left fir on the legs to protect against branches and thorns. In France, the poodle was used as a gun dog, water fowl retriever and to sniff out truffles. The French also used Poodles in the circus as performers, since they are so easy to train. In the 1700s smaller poodles started showing up. They were very popular among the royal people of Europe. In current times, poodles are often used to create art. People often shave them and dye their fur. Its called creative poodle grooming.

pictures from:

http://www.rawfish.com.au/images/poodle-corgi-terrier-hound-dog-breeds1.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Miniature_Poodle_pup.JPG