Caniche

The breed quickly crossed the border between Germany and France. It was a favorite of French nobility for hundreds of years. As in most European countries, hunting was a pastime of the wealthy and, naturally, the Poodle was a valuable dog that spread to Germany by 1600 at the latest. There is evidence that the Poodle became a dog of French royalty from the reign of Henry III. The trend continued into the 18th century until the end of the French monarchy, the three last kings of France each having at least one Poodle, although in the 18th century not necessarily the duck hunter. It was at this stage that smaller types of Poodles began appearing in portraits and records at Versailles, both as pets of the kings and his courtiers. It was also during this period that the strangest haircuts were given to small Poodles, as it became very fashionable among women to create voluminous looks so their dogs would match their hair. In 1621, Gervase Markham published a treatise on waterfowl hunting in London that included a woodcut of this dog breed, indicating their presence in England at the time. Another proof of their spread throughout Europe is found in a self-portrait by Rembrandt, created approximately a decade later. Markham's words in his treatise describe the practical shaving of the Poodle in summer and also where and how the dog was clipped for duck hunting, with extra hair on its ankles for warmth in cool weather. This would be taken to heart by very wealthy English people of the Stuart period, including Prince Rupert of the Rhine: his dog Boye was his legendary companion during the English Civil War. It was not until the mid-18th century that the Poodle transformed into a guard dog for aristocrats and followed trends in France.

They can be content with little exercise, but games will make them and their owners happy. Nevertheless, a Poodle, whatever its size, will be much better company if given the opportunity to accompany its owners everywhere and to exercise regularly. They are excellent play and companion dogs. In Canada, the Poodle is the 4th most popular dog breed between 2015 and 2020, according to the Canadian Kennel Club.

Standard Poodles: Above 45 cm and up to 62 cm. The Standard Poodle must be an enlarged and developed reproduction of the Miniature Poodle, keeping the same characteristics. Miniature Poodles: Above 35 cm and up to 45 cm. Toy Poodles: Above 28 cm and up to 35 cm. The Toy Poodle should overall look like a Miniature Poodle reduced in size, retaining as much as possible the same proportions and showing no sign of "dwarfism". Teacup Poodles: Above 24 cm and up to 28 cm. The Teacup Poodle retains overall the appearance of the Toy Poodle and the same general proportions meeting all the standard requirements. Any sign of "dwarfism" is excluded, only the occipital crest may be slightly less pronounced.

Color:

Solid-colored coat: black, white, brown, grey, apricot (fawn orange) and red fawn. Brown: must be maintained, quite dark, uniform and warm. Beige and its lighter derivatives are not accepted. Grey: must be uniform, in a sustained tone, neither blackish nor whitish. Apricot: must be of a uniform shade without leaning toward pale fawn or sand, nor toward red fawn. Red fawn: must be of a uniform shade throughout the coat. It must in no way lean toward apricot. Eyelids, nose, lips, gums, palate, natural openings, scrotum, pads are well pigmented.

The standard according to the Canadian Kennel Club (also called Canadian Kennel Club or CKC) provides for three sizes of Poodle:

Poodle (Standard) Measures more than 38.1 cm (15 in) at the highest point of the withers.

Poodle (Miniature) Measures 38.1 cm (15 in) or less at the highest point of the withers with a minimum height of more than 25.4 cm (10 in).

Poodle (Toy) Measures 25.4 cm (10 in) or less at the highest point of the withers.

There are six colors (coats) recognized by the FCI:

Black Brown (light brown and dark brown) Grey Apricot (or fawn orange) White Red fawn Furthermore, there are two types of coats, the curly-coated Poodle, most often represented, and the corded Poodle, where bunches of curly hair form small cords that are left to grow, similar to the "Komondor" dog or the Hungarian "Puli". The French Poodle Club holds the breed standard. However, some countries have selected other variants that are not recognized by the FCI, notably:

The bicolored or parti-colored Poodle (black and white) (brown and white) (blue and white) (grey and white) and (black and tan) is recognized in Canada by the Canadian Kennel Club as a pure-bred Poodle, but cannot represent its breed at exhibitions. This bicolored Poodle was found in paintings from the 1500s. Coming from parents with solid colors, some breeders have made it a specialty (companion dog). The markings on its coat are never identical from one puppy to another in the same litter. Very good swimmer, the lion cut allowed it to have adequate buoyancy, in order to retrieve game in ponds during waterfowl hunting. Since 2015, multi-colored Poodles are recognized in France under the name "curly-coated multi-colored dog" or CPPF until 2021, then under the name "multi-colored curly-coated dog".