Four Types Of Poodle And Their Characteristics
The poodle is a breed of dog that is very widespread around the world. Its curly coat is the most characteristic feature of the breed, but it also differs from other dogs in terms of size.
Officially, four types of poodle are recognized: large, medium, dwarf and toy. Each of these types can be different colors, but the pattern is always solid, with no blemishes or hues.
From hunting to beauty pageants
In its origins, the poodle was a hunting dog for waterfowl such as ducks and geese. It is a descendant of the French Barbet , a water dog breed of which it retains many characteristics.
There are records of the Barbet dating back to the 16th century in France and it is said that it was a collecting dog of aquatic prey that fell when it fell into the water. The poodle was created later, in fact, in 1743 and, to refer to this breed, they called it “the poodle”, as if it were the female of the dog Barbet.
With time and selective breeding, the Barbet and the poodle separated into distinct breeds. Breeders were looking for uniform colors in poodles: in fact, the tonality, shape and cut of the coat are very important requirements for beauty contests.
The beauty and intelligence of these dogs made them very popular as companion animals, allowing them to reach the royal court of Louis XVI. Poodles appear in several works of art by renowned painters such as Francisco de Goya.
In the 19th century, the canine stylists who created the different cuts we currently know for this breed became popular, although some of these styles do not respect the undercoat , whose function is the thermoregulation of the animal.
Until the 20th century, the giant poodle predominated, but the other varieties grew and became officially recognized by the International Cynological Federation (FCI).
Its kind, cheerful and faithful personality, its four sizes and different colors have helped this breed to reach the home of all kinds of people.
Requirements to be a poodle
The main difference between the varieties is the size, as the standard features can be more or less marked, but they all look very similar.
For example, the fur is curly, frizzy, or tufted and can be white, brown, black, gray, or red. The poodle’s constitution is harmonious and reflects elegance and nobility. Its length is slightly greater than its height. They are muscular dogs, but stylized and well proportioned.
A sought-after feature in this breed is the length of the muzzle, which is approximately nine-tenths of the total length of the skull. In addition, the head is straight in proportion to the body and, viewed from above, the skull is oval in shape and has a slightly convex profile.
The ears are long, flat and rounded and are covered with very long wavy hair. The tail has a very high insertion.
The style of poodles: types of haircuts
Mastering poodle haircuts is not easy and some of these styles are featured in beauty contests. Poodle fur care is very important.
These are some of the most common ones for the breed:
- Cut Lion : this cut, the portion is further scraped by the ribs as well as the nose and the front and hind legs, except for the handles and straps, and the tail is left shaped puff.
- Modern cut : it’s a more natural cut. It hardly shaves and the volume is equalized following the shape of the body, highlighting the ears, tail and head.
- English cut : it is very similar to the lion cut, but adding fur bracelets and highlighting the bow on the head.
- Cut puppy : it is the most popular cut in shops pet . It is also used for other breeds and leaves the appearance similar to a puppy. The toy poodle usually gets this round cut.
After this lesson in history and style from the world of poodles, next, we’ll talk about the four varieties grouped together in this beautiful breed.
the giant poodle
It is the biggest variety of all, as its height exceeds 45 centimeters and can reach 60 centimeters. It’s a scaled-up version of the average poodle.
medium poodle
Its height at the withers is 35 to 45 centimeters. It is the standard version of the breed, as the other varieties are the result of crossings between large or small specimens of this variety to reach giant, dwarf or toy size .
dwarf poodle
The dwarf poodle is a scaled-down version of the medium, but despite what its name implies, it does not have a characteristic dwarf appearance, as it maintains the same proportions as the average poodle. Its height ranges from 28 centimeters to 35 centimeters.
This variety and toy type are very popular for living in small houses because of their size, but despite this, the poodle is still an agile and active breed that needs daily exercise to stay healthy.
toy poodle
Its average height at the withers is 25 centimeters. The toy poodle also has all the appearance characteristics of a standard poodle. It is the most popular variety in recent years because of its practical size and friendly behavior.
As we can see, there are several varieties of poodle, but they all share two essential characteristics: a friendly personality and an incomparable beauty.
