Poodles: Pop Culture Superstars
It is no wonder the Standard Poodle is such a popular dog. Poodles are full of energy and personality. They are popular among owners who want a lively, intelligent and dignified dog with a pleasant, happy disposition. In fact, Poodles are so popular that they have been included in the American Kennel Club’s list of the ten most popular breeds for the last ten years.
Poodles come in a variety of sizes, from the diminutive Toy Poodle to the slightly larger Miniature Poodle to the tallest Poodle, the Standard Poodle. Toy Poodles cannot be taller than ten inches at the shoulder. Miniature Poodles measure ten to fifteen inches in height, and Standard Poodles include any Poodle taller than fifteen inches at the shoulder.
Standards for the Poodle coat are the same for all three sizes. The Poodle coat is dense, wiry and curly, and also rough to the touch. Standards of the breed allow a range of colors from black to white, with brown, apricot blue, gray and silver in between.
The Poodle’s popularity extends back in time at least four centuries, so it is no surprise that several countries claim to be the country of origin for the breed. Germany, Denmark and France all claim that the Standard Poodle originated within their borders. Over time, the French claims have endured, and the Poodle is often referred to as a French Poodle. Genetically speaking, the breed’s ancestry can be traced to a cross between the Hungarian Water Hound and a French water dog known as the Barbet.
Although the Poodle is classified as a non-sporting dog, humans have trained Poodles for centuries to perform useful activities. Germans used Poodles as gun dogs, training them to retrieve downed waterfowl. The traditional Poodle clip, with puffs of hair at the shoulders, was designed to provide insulation against the cold during hunts. Poodles are easy to train because of their intelligence and eagerness to please. Poodles have also worked as truffle hunters and circus performers, and they are used to this day in the modern entertainment industry.
Standard Poodle can become famous as a performer, while others derive their fame from their celebrity owners. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas loved their first Poodle, Basket, so much that they got two more Poodles, named Basket II and Basket III.
Performer “Weird Al” Yankovic has a Toy Poodle named Bela, whom he on top of his head for the cover of his album “Poodle Hat”. Wrestling star Rene Dupree, who know uses the professional name “Rene Bonaparte”, often refers to his Poodle Fifi.
Poodles are well known as characters in literature, film and television. The late Jacqueline Susann, the darling of the 1960s, wrote a best-selling novel, Every Night Josephine, about her Poodle, Josephine. One of many examples of Poodles in film is the 2000 film Best In Show, which featured a Poodle named Rhapsody in White as the canine character “Butch”. The TV family in the animated series Rugrats has a Poodle named Fifi as a pet. Although most Standard Poodles will never appear on the pages of a novel or on the big screen, their owners consider them superstars of the highest magnitude.
The popular, intelligent Poodle is easy to train and makes an excellent pet. Poodle information can be found from the American Kennel Club or a Poodle breeder in you area.