Saturday, December 29, 2007

Yes, Folks, Poodle History Lesson

By Rick London

When I first started Londons Times Cartoons in 1997, I founded it with the idea of dogs in mind. Poodles were my favorite, though I'd never owned one. I just have an affection for poodles though I knew very little about their history. I decided after launching my cartoon gift store RickLondoncollection.com, I would add as many of my poodle cartoon products as the page would allow. And then I studied the history of the poodle and got some surprises. You might too.

Nobody really knows the origin of the poodle though we do know it was in Germany, not France. The Germans called them, and still do, pudles, which means to "splash in water". Poodles were bred to be hunting dogs and remain proficient hunters, though most Americans prefer other breeds for this sport. The poodle was first standardized as a breed in France, hence the French poodle. Later came the regular poodle and even much later the miniature and toy breeds. The AKC began registering poodles in 1886.

In France, Poodles were used for a variety of purposes. There was the Caniche which was a large dog widely used for duck hunting. The Petit Barbet was a Toy size dog that led a pampered and primped style of life in the royal courts. The Truffle dog was used in the search for that flavorful morsel that was used by so many of the French chefs.

In 1874 Britain imported the first poodle and two years later the Poodle Club Of England was formed. Prior to 1910, in the UK all poodles were shown in the same classes. That was changed then, as the curly and corded breeds were put in separate divisions as were the various size breeds.

The foundations that were developed in England became the cornerstones of the breed in the United States. Precisely when the Poodle was imported to the United States is not known. The American Kennel Club registered its first Poodle in 1886. The Poodle Club of America was originally founded in 1896. Shortly after its establishment it was disbanded, and then reorganized in 1931. The P.C.A. used the Standard and Rules of the Curly Poodle Club of England as its base for establishing the Standard in the U.S. The same Standard now applies to all three sizes of Poodle, the only difference is in the height measurements for each size. The Standard and Miniature Poodle are shown in the Non Sporting Group of the A.K.C., and the Toy Poodle is shown in the Toy Group. The F.C.I. (Federation Cynologique Internationale) recognizes four sizes: the Standard, Miniature, Dwarf and Toy.

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