When I came to this country more than 30 years ago, I had no connection whatsoever with Poodles, other dogs or any kinds of pets for that matter. In fact, I was afraid of dogs. Little did I know that my life in Canada would change so drastically!

I did not know that my Canadian friends, with whom I had come to live, had three Standard Poodles. Being nervous and very uneasy with dogs, I would at first try to keep a safe distance from them. However, at dinner time, Jenny, one of the six month old puppies, always chose to sit by my side, sometimes gently putting her paw on my knee. I was given to understand that Jenny wanted me to pet her, but I found it hard to comprehend why Jenny would seek me out to be friendly with.

As time went on and my English improved, I was asked if I would obedience train Jenny. Jenny was eager to please and just soaked up the attention in her daily training. Not only did Jenny and I become best friends, her superior performance in the Obedience Trials and her desire to work were instrumental in hooking me on the sport of Obedience.

My friends took me to dog shows whenever one of their Poodles was entered. Gradually, as I learned more about these fascinating and delightful dogs, my fear turned into admiration and love and later into a passion and total commitment to this wonderful breed. 

In the seventies my major involvement was Competitive Obedience, and several of my own Poodles went on to attain their Utility Dog titles. I also showed my Poodles to their Canadian Championships and in the process of doing so, became interested in conformation and in the CKC breed standard. It was in the early eighties that I started to develop my own breeding program of Highprofile Standard Poodles.

My life has been deeply enriched by Poodles and I will be forever grateful to my friends who introduced me to Poodles more than 30 years ago and to Jenny who wanted to be my friend.

Unlike many other breeds, the Poodle prefers people to other dogs and longs for a relationship with human friends. Only with such a relationship will a Poodle thrive and be fulfilled. Lydia Hopkins, a well-known Poodle authority and author, even goes so far as to say “For all their independence, Poodles as a breed are dependent upon human companionship and understanding. All dogs need affectionate understanding, but some other breeds can be happy in their own doggy sphere of life without much human companionship; Poodles cannot be even reasonably happy or smart without it.”

Intelligence

While all Poodles are individuals and no two are quite alike, there are certain characteristic traits fairly general to the breed. The Poodle is well known for his great sense of humour and while he has a great deal of dignity, sometimes to the extent of being a snob, he can also be a clown. His intelligence is legendary. Not only does he excel in canine sports, he can be taught just about anything that a dog is capable of learning. Many like to perform and show off. Coupled with attitude and presence, it's no surprise that he has become known as a circus dog. What is less well known is that with his keen sense of smell and his unusual sixth sense, the Poodle was used in the Vietnam War to ferret out booby traps. In recent times the Poodle has distinguished himself by his amazing ability to recognize in advance oncoming seizures and to warn people who have epilepsy that a seizure is imminent.

One of the most compelling descriptions of the Poodle’s intelligence comes from Frank Sabella, a world-renowned dog show judge and Poodle expert, who says, “The intelligence of the Poodle gives him that knowledge of his own importance, a vanity which reflects itself throughout his entire presence. He knows he is a splendid beast, and he is enormously proud of it!”

The Poodle’s unique way of using his mind is uncanny and sets him apart. His way of thinking seems close to the way people think; his way of reacting to situations and experiences is much more like people than other dogs.

Napoleon experienced feelings of jealousy mutually felt by Josephine’s Poodle, Fortune. Each felt the other to be an intruder in sharing Josephine's love and attention. On the couple's wedding night Fortune bit Napoleon on the leg, but nonetheless spent the rest of the night with the newlyweds. Anyone who has lived with a Poodle can undoubtedly report his or her own unique and hopefully less dramatic experiences!

Origin and Trim

Often potential new puppy owners come to me and say, “We just want a pet, we don’t like the funny trim.” I immediately reassure them that “this funny trim” is mainly used in dog shows and a variety of other good looking trims are available for pet Poodles. Most people prefer the more practical sporting trim or a relaxed utility trim, both of which have the advantage of fairly easy maintenance.

One can appreciate the reason why the more formal trim is used in dog shows when one is familiar with how “this funny trim” came about and has been sustained since the 19th century. Poodles are said to have originated in Germany and Russia, and early pictures show Poodles with hair clipped off from the back past the ribs and from the legs, an indication that the Poodle was originally used as a water dog. Other water retrievers at the time were the Portuguese Water Dog to the south and the Irish Water Spaniel to the north. All three breeds have similarities and are probably related. The Poodle was gradually introduced to other European countries, but it was in France that his popularity soared.

French royalty, in particular, recognized his superior intelligence, his great sense of smell, his natural retrieving instincts, his ability to swim in ice cold waters, and his desire to work and to please. He made an ideal hunting companion. Royalty went out on water fowl expeditions with groups of Poodles as retrievers. They trimmed the Poodle to allow for greater speed in swimming and also to prevent the Poodle's profuse coat from weighing him down when soaked. Thus groomers trimmed off the hair from the back and legs, but left hair around the upper body in order to protect the vital organs from cold and around the ankles and on the hip bones to protect the joints and bones from arthritis. They left the head hair long and held the topknot together with bows of different colours so their individual Poodles could be recognized at a distance. They also left hair on the upper end of the Poodle’s tail to serve as a rudder.

Whether you come to appreciate the show trim or not, no trim of your Poodle is permanent. You can constantly modify it to your liking, to weather conditions or activity related requirements. The coat is actually wool rather than hair and the small amount that can be brushed out can be spun and made up into garments. The coat does not shed, it is non-allergenic, and it does not smell when wet. But it keeps on growing, and the Poodle’s appearance through his coat style can be as distinctive as his incredibly delightful and entertaining personality.

My life is deeply enriched by the joy, love and companionship that my Poodles continue to give me, and I think your life will be, too.