(c) Tiell 2000
First of all, it must be said that the poodle is really the ultimate companion dog. This is an animal that is meant to be with humans, no matter what. As for where they originated, they have been in Europe hunting and retrieving since the 1300?s. Most think that the poodle is French, since it happens to be the national dog of France, but it is actually German. They are called pudels, an Old German word for "puddler" or "to splash into water." In France they are called caniche, which is from the word canard, meaning, "duck dog." Just from its name, it is very clear to see that this dog is not the snappy granny-dog that most people think of when they hear the word Poodle.
Everyone always asks about why the poodle's hair is cut the way it is. It all relates back to the hunting and retrieving use of the ancient poodles in Germany. The fur mutated into a thick, dense, curly hair that protected the dog from cold water. To keep from getting weighed down by all that hair the hunter would clip the hair short where it was not necessary. The hair was left untrimmed around the chest and neck to protect the heart and lungs. Areas on the leg-joints and hip-joints were also left untrimmed in snowball shapes for protection. As for the powder puff at the end of the tail, that is believed to be a French decoration. Nevertheless, the functional clipping has remained with this dog over the centuries to become its decorative trademark.
The hair is just that, hair, not fur. Most dogs have fur that grows to a certain length and sheds constantly, leaving pet dander and dog-smell all over ones home. This is what most allergies react to. However, since the poodle has hair instead of fur the usual pet dander is absent. This makes the poodle hypoallergenic, and is an ideal dog for anyone with allergies. There won't be any hairballs clinging to ones clothing or clogging the vacuum cleaners. This would be a big plus for someone being in close quarters with a dog during space travel.
For most people the drawback about the poodle is that the hair is constantly growing and never stops throughout its life. So, just like people, they need to get a haircut every other month. The clip can be anything as simple or as fancy as desired. It does not have to be traditional at all; one can clip the hair like that of a terrier or even cord it like the puli and comondor dogs. It is something that dog and human can make a day of, "Let's go get our hair done." And contrary to popular belief, they do not require daily brushing. Once or twice a week is usually all that is needed, which is no more often than any other breed of dog. Even a dog with short hair requires weekly brushing.
Now, seeing that the poodle has a long history with humans, it can be said that they are very people oriented dogs. They have the knack for fitting into any lifestyle their human has. An active athletic person will have just as happy a poodle as a retired couch potato, and a space dog will be just as happy as an Earth dog. A poodle is happy anywhere doing anything, as long as their owner is with them. They have, in this way, been in the company of humans for so long that they have a tendency to consider themselves another human in the family. They have an aristocratic dignity to their personality, which knits them quite close to any family they are part of. The bond is often referred to as the poodle and its human, not dog and owner.
This shows us that not only did they need to be hunters and retrievers for humans, but that they were also a family pet. They have become tough, yet gentle and patient. The poodle would go working with its master during the day and go home to a warm family at night. This puts the poodle at an advantage over most work dogs, which were mostly kept outdoors in a kennel and not allowed to have so close a relationship to the family. The poodle has been bred to be a house-dog and a work-dog.
Being that the poodle was bred along the lines of hunting, they are also particularly good at sniffing things out. They have been used to track wild game and even lost or injured people. Their sense of smell is almost as good as a scent hound. A poodle with its ears left unclipped will use them as a hound uses its ears in tracking. The long ears will stir up the scent on the ground and make the trail easier to follow. One of these dogs would quite useful for tracking intergalactic criminals. If something is lost, the poodle can find it
To give the poodle the ability to do all these activities, he has a lean, muscular body with a deep ribcage for a large heart and lungs. They can sprint after a frisbee or jog a marathon over several miles. A small poodle will be able to chase a rabbit into a hole and flush it back out again. While the larger sized poodle will take a flying leap into a lake to fetch a freshly shot duck, wrestle back a feisty injured goose, or any other bizarre creature. This dog is designed to be versitile and is what makes them ideal for any sport. A team of poodles even competed in the Iditarod Alaskan sled dog race.
Besides sport, poodles can be used for just about anything a human needs a dog for. Hunting and retrieving are the given, but they are also one of the top family dogs of all time. They love who ever they are with, especially if one is willing to play fetch. No matter what planet they are on, poodles are divine creatures to be in the company of children and guard the home against strangers. Poodles have worked as police dogs and served the blind and handicapped. There have been poodles used in circus acts to show off their incredible talent and trainability. No telling what a poodle could do if trained by a Vulcan.
Anyone can see that there are no restrictions here. With their incredible intelligence a poodle can learn to do about anything, even herding. They have been considered the second most intelligent dog here on Earth, second only to the border collie. They learn very quickly, either from their human or from other dogs. They learn by direction and observation. A poodle watching his human, as she reaches for a doorknob to open a door, is turning the gears in his mind; adding two plus two to get the four and know how to open the door. The same poodle may watch one dog run through an agility course, and from that, know what must be done when he is asked to do the same. They are also problem solvers and once they figure something out, they do not forget - making poodles quite easy to house train.
A housebroken dog can be left home while one is at work during the day or at night while out on some other escapade. He will sleep most of the time the owner is gone and not feel the need to trash ones home. It is rare for a poodle to be insecure or mistrusted. Poodles are very trustworthy if they have a sense of comfort and trust themselves. A poodle sees a knowledgeable human as a trustworthy human and will dedicate himself to that human with great intimacy. They grow to set their biological clock to accompany their owner, just to spend as much time as possible as a companion.
One particularly positive part of the poodle is, not only are they the ultimate anything dog, but they come in their own vast variety for individual tastes. One has the choice of standard, medium, miniature, toy, and teacup. The standard poodle is the largest, averaging about 15 inches or taller and can reach 50 lbs. This is the original poodle that was designed for hunting, retrieving, and fieldwork. The toy and teacup poodles weigh less than 8 lbs. and were bred mostly for pocket-pet purposes, yet they still have that hunting and retrieving instinct. Plus they fit perfectly under ones arm, or as a nifty lap-warmer.
A poodle can also come in a large array of colors to choose from. Some people even chose to buy a poodle due to the fact that the dog matches all their furniture perfectly. There is the usual black or white, but one will also see: silver, chocolate, blue, cream, fawn, red, café-au-lait, apricot, brown, and party color. Nothing sets a crowd off like a well-matched poodle and its human. One could even suggest a little genetic mutating and get a few in pink or green.
So, for most anyone who ignores the degrading stereotypes pinned on this dog over the recent years, the poodle is the dog of choice. They are loyal, affectionate, intelligent, trustworthy animals that have been designed to be at a human's side. One can have a poodle in any size, in any color, and train it to do anything. They have fewer health problems than most other dog breeds and average out around 15 years of age. They have excellent space travel potential as well. Their patience will keep them from driving one crazy while traveling between star systems. There are even rumors that the poodle will be the dog to accompany humans to settlements on Mars.
"You want a companion, you have come to the right place." The lady pauses and gestures to Barbarella to follow her. "So, what do you think?" She then points to a basket of five poodle puppies and smiles.
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