People joke about the poodle being a modern "invention,"
but in reality poodles have been around for quite some time. It
is thought they descended from Asian herding dogs. Poodle-like
dogs are often depicted in ancient Roman and Egyptian art. Far
from being pampered pets, these dogs were workers, herding farm
animals and recovering game from bodies of water.
Water Dogs
The modern poodle seems to have made a splash--literally--as
a water dog. Its job was to spot hunting game for its master and
retrieve any game that landed in the marshes or other bodies of
water. The poodle's dense, curly coat came in very handy for cold
water survival, as did its innate cleverness.
It's interesting to note that some of the poodle clips that people
scoff at today as being just too precious were actually very utilitarian
cuts for the working dog. The traditional clips, like the English
saddle, left the dog's chest covered with dense hair to protect
it from the cold while freeing up the dog's back legs to move
more easily in water. Even the pompom on the tail had a purpose.
It made it easy for the hunter to spot his or her dog if the dog
as swimming underwater.
Circus Dogs
Poodles are smart, playful, and love to learn new tricks and
please their masters. This made them perfect for careers as entertainment
animals. Some poodles traveled with gypsies in their caravans.
Others joined the circus. By the nineteenth century, audience
were routinely being charmed by these curly-furred dogs who wore
human costumes, walked around on their hind legs, and followed
commands like an English butler.
Pets
Wealthy families, taken in by the poodle's intelligence and devotion,
started to keep poodles as pets around 1600. This presented a
small problem. Poodles were large work dogs. Most ladies of the
era wanted small lap dogs. Breeders began to breed the smallest
dogs they could find of the species, and eventually the toy poodle
was born. These tiny animals became like accessories for some
ladies, who carried their poodles everywhere. At one time, poodles
were known as "hand dogs" because rich ladies would
carry toy poodles to various functions to keep their hands warm
on cold nights.
Other Functions
Like the helpful breed they are, poodles have taken on dozens
of tasks for which they were not specifically bred. They have
herded cattle and other livestock, acted as seeing eye dogs for
the blind, pulled carts to market, proven themselves as guard
dogs, and successfully sniffed out truffles.
What is it about poodle
temperament that allows them to do so many things? Read on
and find out.
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