Poodle

Also called standard poodle, caniche.

A working water retriever behind the grooming. The single curly coat sheds very little, which is why the breed is behind almost every 'doodle' cross — and why the assumption that those crosses are hypoallergenic is unreliable.

Group: Non-sporting
Weight: 3–32 kg
Coat: curly
Ears: drop
Muzzle: long
Build: Square
Origin: Germany and France

What it looks like

Square and elegant with a dense curly single coat, a long fine muzzle, long drop ears set at eye level, and a proud carriage. Three sizes: standard, miniature and toy.

The characters that confirm it

A dense curly single coat with no undercoat — it does not shed but it does mat.
Square outline, with a long fine muzzle and a flat skull.
Long drop ears set at about eye level, hanging close.
Three size varieties, all one breed.

Temperament

Highly trainable and genuinely athletic. The grooming has given the breed an unearned reputation for frivolity.

Health

Standards: hip dysplasia, bloat and sebaceous adenitis. Miniatures and toys: patellar luxation, Legg-Calvé-Perthes and progressive retinal atrophy, which has a test. Coat requires professional grooming every six to eight weeks — not optional, and a real cost.

Confused with

Portuguese Water Dog

A heavier build, a wavier coat and a broader head.

Doodle crosses

Poodle crosses vary enormously and do not reliably inherit the coat. 'Hypoallergenic' is not a property that crosses predictably.

Questions about this breed

How do you recognise a Poodle?

A dense curly single coat with no undercoat — it does not shed but it does mat. Square outline, with a long fine muzzle and a flat skull.

What is a Poodle like to live with?