Poodles:

They’re adorable. They’re allergy-free. A friendly and social dog, poodles are known to be three different sizes. The biggest ranges from 45 to 58 cm whereas small poodles are approximately 35 to 45 cm high. The smallest of them all are approximately 28 to 35 cm high.
While their fur is thick and curly with a variety of shades in black, white, gray, light brown, and silver, this intelligent breed is known to be a reliable watch dog. Plus, they’ll never go “bald!” This breed in particular is known for not losing its hair. Poodles are not really interested in other dogs and concentrate its attention on its family.

Another characteristic of this breed is being affectionate. They’re sociable, lovable dogs and easy to train. With a life expectancy of twelve years or more, poodles apparently originally came from France even though the name has German origins. The name comes from the German word Pudel, an abbreviation for Pudelhund which translates to “splashing dog”. In fact, the word pudel equates to our word, “puddle”. This breed has been popular throughout Europe for several hundred years and throughout recent years they’ve been very elegant show dogs and have won top honors are various dog shows.

For this reason, poodles are relatively light dogs which carry themselves in a proud manner. Biologically speaking they have proportionally long legs with non-shedding fur. As for the drawback? The dense and curly fur requires frequent grooming. Experts say that poodle owners can count on approximately ten hours of brushing and care per week if they’re dog is a show dog and significantly less if they’re not. There are varieties in length of the fur as you may have noticed larger dogs in this breed have shaved fur in some areas and not in others. For instance, the upper half of the front legs may be shaved along with the face, throat, feet, and part of the tail, creating a “pom pom” effect in areas which are not shaved.

Overall though, in particular this breed is relatively easy to train. They respond to positive reinforcement well. In conjunction with the fact they’re eager to please and especially playful, they respond well to training sessions with owners. Recall the lovable and sociability factor as they enjoy the attention they get during training. Poodles enjoy interaction and demand attention; while they enjoy their squeaky toy and other dog toys every now and then, they cherish the time and interaction with their family.

Another type of breed within this classification has emerged of late as hybrids. Created by crossing a poodle with another breed like a labradoodle or cockapoo, these hybrids have not been recognized by the American Kennel Club. However, their popularity continues to rise as owners enjoy their calm, easy-going temperament along with their coats which shed infrequently and are tolerated by people with allergies. As for the downside? Breeders endorse hybrids as actual breeds instead of a hybrid and charge well above the going rate than what a mixed-breed typically costs.