Facts About Poodles

Poodles are one of the most instantly recognisable dog breeds – and not just because of their signature coats! Poodles are known for their athleticism, exceptional intelligence, and physical grace. Here are some fun and interesting facts about poodles – of all sizes!

They Are Very Intelligent – Poodles are ranked as the second most intelligent dog breed (the first being the Border Collie). They can not only learn a large range of different tricks and commands but have been known to observe their owners and mimic their behaviours!

Poodles are able to learn a vast range of commands due to them being so easy to train; all it takes is the usual techniques of repetition, patience, and rewards. That sounds simple enough, but some dog breeds are much harder to train or don’t respond to the simpler techniques.

You won’t have that trouble with a Poodle! When done correctly, there is literally no limit to what your Poodle can learn.

With this intelligence, though, comes their tendency to become bored very quickly. Because of this, your Poodle will need lot of mental stimulation to keep their boredom at bay. Plenty of toys, playtime and exercise will help you help your Poodle stay stimulated, There are actually three things you can undertake to help keep you Poodle from getting bored:

• Train with word comprehension – The average canine can learn around 165 words during their lifetime. A Poodle can learn up to 400 different words and commands.

 This type of communication does wonders for the relationship between poodles and people, and it keeps the poodle’s gears turning.

• Engage with their senses – Imagine what life would be like if we had a heightened sense of smell and hearing. We would all stop to smell the flowers every time we passed by a fragrant patch.

Poodles have extraordinary abilities so take them on adventures and enjoy the outdoors. Long walks on the beach, hikes, camping trips, and exploring a new terrain provide your Poodle the physical exercise needed for a healthy body and the stimulation for their senses.

Even while at home, poodle owners often leave the TV on with engaging entertainment; you can use our episodes of Dog Tv and relaxing music, check out our YouTube Channel!

• Problem-solving tests – Poodles have excellent problem-solving ability; they have the capacity to comprehend unknown situations and respond appropriately.

One tip we have is to provide advanced dog puzzles that have sections to hide dry food or  treats. Dog toys with complex components enable them to use their “hands” and mouth to engage and move parts of the toy.

Poodles Come in Three Sizes – The original or ‘Standard’ Poodle stand over two feet tall and are the most athletic out of the three sizes. In the past, Poodles were used for hunting, and once that become less popular the intelligence of the Poodle became their more sought-after trait. This led to the breeding of smaller sizes of Poodle to suit different families and pet owners.

The official sizes of Poodle are ‘Standard’, ‘Miniature’ and ‘Toy’.

• Standard Poodle – The standard Poodle is over 15 inches tall. Although, they typically range from 22 to 27 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 45 and 70 pounds.

• Miniature Poodle – Mini Poodles are significantly smaller, standing between 11 and 15 inches at the shoulder. They’re also relatively light, weighing about 15-17 pounds.

• Toy Poodle – These tiny teacup dogs are less than 10 inches tall and are the ones you’ll see rocking the purse. While toy Poodles are thought to be equally as intelligent, their voracious energy and excitement often tires them out quickly.

Poodles Were Originally Bred for Hunting - If you are new to the breed you may not know that poodles were initially bred to assist on hunts. Non-poodle people are not aware of some standard Poodle facts such as how they perform as well as Labradors and other hunting breeds when compared side-by-side.

• Waterfowl – Poodles’ name descended from the German word Pudelhund, which means “splash dog.” Poodles are fantastic swimmers and are used for hunting waterfowl, like ducks and geese. They also fair well during pheasant season and can fetch injured birds without crushing them. If you ever notice the hashtag #Pudel on social media now you know it refers to the German name for Poodle.

• Mushrooms – Poodles also have an incredible sense of smell which comes in handy for mushroom hunters. At an early age (around four months), Poodles can be trained to smell truffle mushrooms. Their soft bite can even return them without damaging the fungus.

Proper Poodle Hair Care

It all begins and ends with proper Poodle hair care. Once every three to six weeks, a poodle needs to be groomed. This includes a deep brush out, combing, trimming, and cleaning. Ears should be cleaned, and hair plucked. Remember to put cotton in the ears before bathing so you keep the inside of their ears dry.

• Shampoos and conditioners – Before you bath your Poodles, they require a thorough brush out. This removes excess hair, removes any small matts, and prepares the coat for bathing. Gently scrubs the skin, parting hair and lathering up the soap. Without properly brushing out the coat, grooming and conditioning, their hair will eventually build up and lead to allergens.

• Hair length and style – There are a number of types of “formal” cuts for a poodle: Show Cut/Continental Cut, Puppy Cut,, Kennel Cut, Bikini Clip, Lamp Clip, or Town & Country. Or just plain shaggy. How you groom your poodle is your choice, but all that matters is to do it regularly.

• Coat Dressings – To help keep dirt, dust, and oil off your Poodle’s coat, you can use coat dressings and finishing sprays. Some of these even come with sunscreen to help protect your dog’s skin.

Please do bear in mind that everything in this post is strictly advisory and has been gathered from various reputable sources from the internet. We’re not vets, and you should always seek professional advice if you ever have concerns.

Thanks for reading. If you have anything that you would like us to cover, then feel free to get in touch with us over on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!