Defining Poodles!
Recently our member Peggy McDill received an Email in which she was asked, "Is poodley a word?"

We thought her answer was perfect!


"POODLEY or POODLY refers to the specific breed temperament so highly sought after by lovers of the breed. You may not find it in Webster's, but this particular trait sets the poodle apart from the rest of dogdom. (Also not found in Webster's) The poodle prefers people to other dogs….."

---Peggy McDill

More on the subject...

Poodles Deserve More Recognition as a Desirable Breed

- Author Unknown

Ladies and gentlemen, cast off your tired old prejudices! It's time to quit picking on poodles. Long maligned as an effeminate dandy, the poodle has been the butt of jokes for generations, probably ever since the first person put a fancy haircut on what had been a hard working hunting dog. But the soul of the poodle is still there, under everything that's ever been done to that hair.



Oh, and there has been a lot done! The curly coat of the poodle has been cut in every imaginable way, dyed in every possible color, and (less commonly) even been left alone to work its way into floor-

length cords that make the dog look like a French Rastafarian. And as if all that humiliation weren't enough, those who keep poodles seem to share a higher-than-average desire to dress up their pups in all kinds of getups, from faux leopard-skin jackets and pearl collars to leather biker jackets with leashes to match. But looks alone shouldn't define a dog, and that's surely true with the poodle.


I got a letter recently from someone who wanted me to recommend a breed for her family. She wanted something relatively clean and low-shedding, smart, playful and easy to train. And then she wrote this: "My husband will go with anything except a poodle." I ask you, how fair is that? And how sensible, when a poodle fits that family's requirements perfectly? Instead of crossing the poodle off the list, I suggested the reader consider what a poodle is really like.


Anyone who'd do so will find a lot to appreciate. The poodle is a smart dog, one of the smartest by any measure you care to use. Poodles learn quickly and love to show off what they know. They make novice trainers look expert and expert trainers look brilliant. And they make fools out of the poor owners who don't realize just how smart a dog they have.



The poodle is a friendly dog. Poodles have an innate sense of cheerful superiority and a firm belief that everyone should be entitled to the pleasure of their company. They are the consummate companions.

The poodle is a hardworking dog. Some poodle fanciers are trying to restore the breed to its working heritage. Poodles excel in all manner of canine competitions (obedience and agility, naturally), but a few are even showing up in hunting circles. Poodles as sled dogs? That, too, has happened. They love to have a job to do.



But most of all, the poodle is a dog with a great sense of humor, which is important to a breed that has been through all this one has. Poodles will laugh at you, but they are really happier to laugh with you, genial souls that they are. And they even seem able to laugh at themselves. A few years back, I was at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, standing next to a big poodle who was waiting to go into the ring for Best in Show competition. The poor fellow's fanny had been shaved in a way that no living thing should have to endure, and I'm sure his sperm count fell with every draft. And yet as the dog and I briefly made eye contact, he cracked his mouth in a happy smile,
shook his well-coifed head and winked. As I stood there in gape mouthed shock (wondering, did I really see that?), the dog turned and went into the ring with his handler, poodle pride in every high step. How could you not love a dog like that?