Poodle

The Poodle appeared so early in various parts of the world that there is some doubt to the land of origin. It is supposed to have come from Germany, where it is known as the Pudel or Canis Familiaris Aquatius. For years it has been regarded as the national dog of France, where it is known as the Caniche (duck dog).

The Poodle undoubtedly originated as a water retriever. In fact the unclipped Poodle of today bears great resemblance to the old Roughhaired Water Dog of England. There is little difference in the Irish Water Spaniel and the Poodle. The Irish Water Spaniel is born with short hair on its face and tail, unlike the Poodle.

Despite the Standard Poodle's claim to greater age than the other sizes of Poodle, there is some evidence to show that the smaller types developed only a short time after the breed assumed the general type by which it is recognized today. The smallest, Toy, was known in England in the 18th century.

The Standard, Miniature and Toy are sizes only, they are all the same breed, and governed by the same standards. The Standard Poodle should be 45-70 pounds for males, females should be 45-60 pounds. In addition to the differences in size and color, the Poodle enjoys another characteristic unique among doggy kinds, namely, a coat which lends itself to a great variety of styles.

The Standard Poodle is proud, elegant, dignified and good-natured. These dogs are highly intelligent and one of the most trainable breeds. They are pleasant, happy and sensitive. The Standard Poodle tends to be a bit calmer than the smaller variety of Poodles. They need to be with people and dislike being alone. For the most part they are generally friendly toward strangers, and are excellent with children. The Standard Poodle is good with other dogs. Some Standards are good guard dogs and some can be trained as hunters.

Although they adore water and love to go for walks, Poodles are not demanding as far as exercise goes. They however, will keep in better spirits and be fitter if given regular opportunities to run and play off the leash in a safe area. The Standard retains its sporting instincts, has great stamina, and needs more activity than the smaller varieties.

Their top coat is wiry in texture with thick, close curls. The undercoat is woolly and warm. The various clips is a matter of taste of the average owner, and needs groomed about every 4-6 weeks. The colors of the Poodle are even solid colors, blues, grays, silvers, browns, cafe-au-laits, apricots and creams.

Standard Poodles should be over 15 inches tall at the withers, Miniatures should be 15 inches or under, and Toy Poodle's should be 10 inches or under.

Poodle's should carry themselves very proudly. They are active, intelligent, and very loving dogs. Health concerns in the breed include: Addison's disease is also known as hypoadrenocorticism. It is an insufficient production of adrenal hormones by the adrenal gland. Since these hormones are essential for life, this is an extremely serious disease and it must be treated as such.

Another health concern is Cushings Disease. There are 3 forms of Cushings Disease. Most dogs have the more common form, Pituitary Dependent PD, with this form the dogs have a slow growing form of cancer that is located in the pituitary gland. This causes the adrenal glands to produce to much cortisol, because the tumor trigger to much ACTH to be produced.

The next form is the Non Pituitary, here there is a tumor in one or both of the adrenal glands. Here also to much cortisol is produced as a result of the tumor. The tumor is often malignant. The malignant tumor is called an Adenocarcinoma and it is aggressive where it can spread to other parts of the body and organs. The non cancerous tumor is called Adenoma.

The last form comes from Pets being on long dosages (long term use) of "Cortisone" , a drug used often on Pets. This drug comes in many forms. No matter what form it comes in it can cause problems with long term usage of this medication. This long term usage makes the body think it has more cortisone in the body that it does and then the body misreads the actual

Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCPD) is a disorder of the hip joint conformation. It is most often seen in the miniature and toy breeds between the ages of four months and a year. LCPD results when the blood supply to the femoral head is interrupted resulting in avascular necrosis, or the death of the bone cells. Followed by a period of revascularization, the femoral head is subject to remodeling and/or collapse creating an irregular fit in the acetabulum (hip socket) and causing stiffness and pain.