It might be hard to believe just from looking at them, but in the past, poodles were excellent hunters and retrievers! What’s even more surprising is the clip of hunting poodles. English saddle clips and continental clips may indicate a sophisticated dog today, but they were really designed to help hunting poodles swim. The unshaven portions of the design (joints and chest) kept the dogs warm while swimming in icy waters. Fascinated? Then read on. You just might be surprised at how history helped shaped the versatility in poodles.  read more »

The tiny toy poodle may be referred to as the teacup poodle, but there really isn’t enough ‘recognized’ difference between it and the toy poodle other than size. By ‘recognize,’ we mean authorized by the AKC (American Kennel Club). Toy poodles in general fall under 10 pounds and 10 inches tall. But so do tiny poodles. Unlike with the standard, miniature, or toy poodle, there isn’t a definitive weight or height limit that separates the tiny poodle from the toy poodle.  read more »

Many people incorrectly attribute the Poodle with France, especially when the Poodle sports an English saddle or continental clip. There’s something about those clips that triggers the word, “France” in the minds of some folks, and they thus label every Poodle with a fancy cut as a French Poodle. The truth of the matter is that no one is absolutely sure about the origins of the Poodle, and a lot of evidence supports that the Poodle originated in lands far away from France before the country was even formed!  read more »

Ancient Appearances

Early evidence of Poodle history can be found in ancient times. Roman tombs display Poodle carvings as early as 30 A.D and the coins of both the time and location depict Poodle imagery. Even ancient Greeks “coined” the Poodle but it’s not known what they were called at that time or what they later evolved into.  read more »

A Poodle's Size = A Poodle's Life Span

The life span of a poodle may well depend on its size, but not in the way that you might think. The toy poodle -- measuring under ten inches at the withers and weighing only five to ten pounds -- surprisingly outlives 23 - 28 inch high standard poodles that weigh between 40 and 55 pounds -- and 10 - 15 inch high miniature poodles that weigh between 12 - 15 pounds!  read more »