The poodle is a French dog breed, which is bred in four different sizes. The FCI lists the poodle among the companion and companion dogs in group 9, section 2.
Originally the intelligent four-legged friends were bred as retrieving dogs for water hunting. Today, however, the poodle is primarily a popular family dog with a loving and friendly nature.
The poodle originally comes from France, where it is called caniche and was initially used mainly for hunting ducks. Its ancestor is the water dog Barbet, also from France. In the course of time, the poodle has developed more and more into a classic social dog and has largely lost its ability to hunt. In the beginnings of poodle breeding at the end of the 19th century only small and large poodles were bred.
The breed was recognized by the FCI in 1930 and shortly afterwards a third variation of the poodle was added with the toy poodle, which was followed by the toypoodle in the 90s, so that the breed has been divided into four different sizes since then.
Today the poodle is a popular social dog in many countries, whereas in Germany especially dwarf poodles are very popular.
The poodle is a slender dog with a springy gait, which should convey a certain elegance to the observer. Its most characteristic feature is the dense, curled coat, which, according to the breed standard, may be, among others, solid black, brown or white.
Since the poodle does not change its coat and the hair grows steadily, a regular visit to the groomer as well as conscientious coat care are mandatory.
The life expectancy of the poodle is 12 to 15 years, although large poodles tend to die somewhat earlier. This also applies to particularly small toypoodles, whose size is below the limit of 24 centimetres.
The poodle is an extremely adaptable dog, who with his playful nature manages to wrap his owner around his finger in no time. He prefers to be near his human family members as often as possible and enjoys mutual attention very much.
In addition, the sensitive poodle distinguishes itself across all sizes by an exceptionally high level of intelligence and willingness to learn, which among other things also makes him a great dog for beginners. Nevertheless, the education of a poodle requires a certain amount of work, which must not be neglected by the master or mistress.
Poodles are extremely versatile and skilful. From their original use as hunting dogs, they have retained their excellent retrieving abilities until today. Poodles are therefore by far not only suitable to shine with chic hairstyles at dog shows.
They are also extremely capable dog sportsmen who are enthusiastic about numerous different disciplines and accept new challenges with great zeal. A life as a pure lapdog, however, is much too boring for a poodle and sooner or later leads to underchallenge.
Basically, the poodle is a robust dog breed that enjoys good health. However, there are some breed typical diseases for which there is an increased risk. In addition, very small toypoodles in particular are generally more susceptible to disease, which is why their breeding is sometimes viewed critically.
For the health and well-being of your poodle, it is essential that you pay attention to the quality of the dog food and adjust the amount of food to the needs of your four-legged friend.
To help you give your poodle a balanced diet, we have put together a food set with high-quality Bellfor dog food and other suitable products from our range.
The food set for poodles contains both dry food and wet food in the form of Freiland-Schaus and Freiland-Menü. Both types of food are grain-free and provide your poodle with exactly the nutrients it needs.
The set also contains Bellfor Free Range Bites, which you can use to reward your poodle in between meals, as well as our natural Skin & Coat Powder, which can make a valuable contribution to skin and coat health as a food supplement.