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Poodle
The Poodle is regarded as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog. The poodle breed is found in small, medium, and large sizes, and in many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is a retriever or gun dogs and is skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding. Poodles are elegant and have taken top honors in many dog shows, including Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 2002 at the World Dog Show in 2007.
Poodles come in a variety of sizes (standard, medium, miniature and toy), distinguished by adult shoulder (withers) height. The exact height cutoffs among the varieties vary slightly from country to country.
Unlike most dogs, which have double coats, poodles have a single layer (no undercoat) of dense, curly fur that sheds minimally and could be considered hypoallergenic (though not completely allergen free). Texture ranges from coarse and woolly to soft and wavy. Poodle show clips require many hours of brushing and care per week, about 10 hours/week for a standard poodle.
Poodles have strong marking and hunting drives. Even Toys will point birds. Classified as high energy, poodles get bored fairly easily and have been known to get creative about finding mischief. Poodles like to be in the center of things and are easily trained to do astonishing tricks involving both brains and agility.
Poodles are extremely people-oriented dogs and generally eager to please. Standard Poodles in particular tend to be good with children. Poodles are adaptable and easy to train. Like most dogs, they appreciate daily exercise, such as a walk or a play session. Most are fairly agile and athletic.
Standard Poodles in UK, Denmark and USA/Canada surveys had a median lifespan of 11.5 to 12 years. Miniature and Toy Poodles in UK surveys had median lifespans of 14 to 14.5 years.
Some of the content on this page was originally published on Wikipedia
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