Poodle Dogs

Poodle Dogs are my favorite kind of dog for many reasons. They are drop dead gorgeous to start with and oh so intelligent. It is thought by some that Poodles come in second in the canine smarts category but I think those who say that are using a different measuring stick than I am. Having lived with Poodles and also having hands-on experience with tons of Poodles through the years I have found them to be the most “human like” of any breed. Poodles have a very long history of living in close quarters with humans. Their level of domestication surpasses other, less domesticated, breeds of canines that have been more for utility than the Poodle. Genetic imprinting (why a dog have certain behavioral attributes) has everything to do with why a dog acts as he/she does. Genetic imprinting is why the German Shepherd just knows to protect their owners; why a Border Collie is so very proficient when it comes to herding their sheep, and why a Newfoundland will jump into ice cold water to save a human they don’t even know. Through generations of selective breeding for a specific behavior, aptitude and ability are created in each of our wonderful purebred canine friends. Poodles have a background in Duck Retrieval. The hunter was served very well by their well trained retrieving Poodle.  Poodle Dogs also were trusted in World War II to carry messages through very dangerous territories, avoiding the enemy and delivering information that was so important at the time. Their human counterparts had long recognized that the Poodles were of superior intelligence and could be trusted with such a task. But, after a long day of work, while the Shepherd was sleeping in his dog house, the Border Collie in the barn and the Newfoundland was drying off from his death defying dive, the Poodle, in most cases, was at his owner’s feet by the fireplace enjoying the quiet companionship of that who he worshiped, his beloved master. Poodles learned to act as another member of the human household long ago and it shows in their ability to integrate into the home of the human today. Poodles do not shed coat like so many of the other breeds nor do they have a “doggy odor”. They enjoy doing whatever involves their human, whether it be laying by the pool or hiking in the mountains. Poodles are extremely versatile canines. The Standard Poodle is, of course, the more rugged of the three varieties: Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Standard Poodle. Poodles do not have strong gender-specific traits that separate the boys from the girls. However the females tend to be more active over all than the males. Both sexes are darling and if someone were to tell me I could have only one it would be a hard choice to pick between the two. Poodle Dogs are individuals. They have very individual likes and dislikes. But one thing most Poodles have in common is the ability to communicate just what it is they are trying to say. Poodles are fun loving and have great humor in the way they perceive the world. And with their very distinct facial expressions, you can usually tell what is going on in those fabulous heads of theirs.