Toy Poodle Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Poodle is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. The dogs were initially developed for hunting waterfowl. According to most experts, the Poodle is originating from Germany, but there are others who state that it developed into its own distinct breed in France. The Poodle is a result of several crosses between European water hunting breeds, including Spanish, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, German, and Russian dogs. Others think that the Poodle’s ancestry also involves the North African Barbet, which was imported to the Iberian Peninsula. Whatever the true origin might be, it is safe to say that this is a very old breed, with an extensive history. Illustrations portray Poodle-like dogs adorn Roman and Egyptian artifacts and tombs dating from the 1^st century BC.

Even though, some experts state that the Toy and the Miniature Poodle types emerged shortly after the Standard, many believe that it was not until the 1400s, that breeders started to produce smaller versions of the breed. First of all, they created the Miniature, then the Toy followed, with the intention of delighting the European elite and the Parisian bourgeoisie. The breed’s elegance contributed to their reputation among the nobility, but the breed possesses an extraordinary intellectual capability, which came to the attention of hunters. The dogs’ easy trainability made them a natural entertainer, Miniature Poodles were taken into the circus and were shown all around Europe. Their excellent intellect and their good noses added up also in the world of truffle hunters, making the breed even more attractive.

Regarding the Poodle’s evolution internationally, firstly the Standard was bred down to the Miniature size still in its native land. Yet, later, as the breed got more well-recognized, it got exported to America, where the Toy version was bred in the early 20^th century, as a city-dwelling companion. The breeders always bred the smaller specimen of each variety with each other, in order to receive the desired size, thus no other breed was involved, resulting from a perfectly homogenous DNA base for the breed. This practice came in hand, because, the well-bred specimen of each variety are exact replicas of each other, thus the breeding to the same standard of the Toy Poodle was a relatively easy process. Moreover, the Toy Poodle possesses more abilities than their bigger cousins. They are known for their superior intelligence and their exceptional swimming capabilities. Through the generations, the Toy Poodles’ coats adapted to the water. Any variety of the Poodle is famous for its grooms. In the early periods, hunters shaved the neck, legs, and tail of the dogs, however leaving out the chest, leg joints, and hips well coated. The rounded tufts on the chest, leg joints, and hips were called pompons. Initially, this was not a practice of fashion, but a well-considered more of protecting the joints and vital organs of the Poodles in the cold weather.

The Toy Poodle, with their extreme intelligence, achieved great popularity in France, where they were known as “trick dogs”. The breed was a favored guest in palaces and castles during the reign of Queen Anne and Louis XVI. The Toy Poodles mainly served as companions to the wealthy classes. In the Renaissance era, they often carried their Toy Poodles in their shirt’s large sleeves, which led the breed to be called “sleeve dogs” at that time. King Louis XVI was besotted with the Toy Poodle breed so much, he made the breed that National Dog of France. Nowadays, the Toy variety is the most popular among the three sizes available. The breed is recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club)