Standard Poodle

These fanciful furry friends originated in Germany over 400 years ago. Some may be surprised to learn that their original function was as a hard-working water-retriever and duck hunter. While most believe the Poodle’s signature cut is merely for fashion purposes, it helped keep them agile in the water while protecting their vital organs from the cold. The breed’s many impressive qualities and noble presence helped it propel it into the lap of luxury when the French elite began favoring them for their posh looks, eventually helping them win the hearts of all of Europe. The breed did not make its way to America until a miniature version was developed in the 20th century as a companion dog for city dwellers. Now, Standard, Miniature, and Toy Poodles are all common dog breeds in the U.S.

The ideal Poodle owner is someone who can invest daily time and energy into walking, grooming, training, and exercising with their dog. A Standard Poodle who gets these needs met is a fantastic pet for the individual or the whole family.

These active aristocrats require substantial daily exercise to help balance out their high energy levels. Standard Poodles are eager to keep busy and love to play games, especially any involving water or retrieving toys, sticks, and balls which all help contribute to good mental and physical exercise. They love the water so swimming is a solid way for them to burn off energy. They also love to go on jogs and walks with their human companions.

Standard Poodles are relatively tall dogs and take up a significant amount of space. As a result, they need a secure yard with a tall fence. Keep in mind that poor, wet weather with grass can create mud and make for a grooming fiasco. Poodles will need to be in areas - town or country - where they can take a long, interesting variety of walks to keep the dog occupied and intrigued. Keep in mind you will also need a dedicated large space to be able to groom them.

Standard Poodles do not shed and are often, but not always, tolerated by people with allergies. Their coats do take a significant amount of care though, requiring professional bathing, grooming, and clipping every four to six weeks with regular brushing taking place daily. This helps keep their coat from matting. Once the hair matts it must be shaved completely and started from scratch. As a result, most owners opt to keep their Poodles with a shorter trim. You can also learn how to do this yourself to help reduce costs and visits to the groomer but keep in mind that fully grooming a Poodle will require specialized equipment.

Poodles are extremely intelligent and take very quickly to training. They are agile and very graceful (in fact they love to show off) allowing them to excel in canine sports like agility, obedience, and tracking, as well as dog shows. However, a bored Poodle equates to trouble, so the more you keep their mind occupied with exercises, games, and puzzles the better. They respond best to positive reinforcement and fun sessions.

Standard Poodles make excellent family pets; however, this is also dependent on them having the proper amount of space and exercise needed, which can make them unsuitable for all—especially a busy family with young children.

The cost of a Standard Poodle from a breeder is significantly more than the cost of adopting one from a local shelter or rescue. The adoption fee usually covers additional items such as spaying or neutering, vaccines, and microchipping.