Royal Poodle

The Standard or Large Poodle is not without reason called a royal, and it’s not even because it used to live exclusively in the residences of monarchs. This representative of the breed looks very impressive – tall, stately, with a noble posture of the head, and a beautiful hair makes its appearance truly luxurious. The Royal Poodle is a good guardian, companion and friend. He is one of the five most intelligent dogs in the world and has unique abilities. What is important for future owners to know about this extraordinary dog breed?

History of Origin

Scientists have not been able to clarify precisely when and where this breed of dog originated. But it is known that dogs similar to modern poodles existed during antiquity. According to one version, the origin occurred in the territory of Germany. The theory is associated with the fact that the name of the breed in German sounds like “waterfowl”.

However, most researchers are inclined to the fact that the king poodle appeared in France, the more so, that the Great Poodle is the national breed of the country. For a long time, only the families of monarchs could keep curly-haired dogs, and for the rest of the people such a thing was punishable by death. But when the offspring of the royal family got in disgrace, he could also be sentenced to execution, along with a four-legged friend.

The breed standard appeared in the 17th century, so it can be said that this breed has a rich history and tremendous pedigree. The popularity of curly-haired dogs around the world led to the fact that there were several varieties that differ in size, and their ancestor was the Royal Poodle.

Description of the Royal Poodle breed

The representative of the breed is a large, noble animal, friendly and positive, the pet always stands up for its owner and is happy to accompany him everywhere, being a friend and companion. The dog has a harmonious and well-proportioned physique, with a massive, but not heavy body.

The standard allows both shearing and lacing of the coat, although the latter in current practice is almost not used. The Great Poodle has a height at withers of 45-58 cm. Taller individuals are not uncommon, and if the poodle is no taller than 62 cm, it may be allowed to breed. The permit is revoked if the offspring of a tall poodle does not meet the standard requirements.

According to the standard data, the purebred purebred representative has the following external features:

1. A harmonious head, with a moderately massive occipital tubercle and a moderately protruding forehead. The transition from forehead to muzzle is smoothed, the nose back is straight, slightly shorter than the cranial area. Cheeks and zygomatic arches are covered with ‘dry’ muscles, they do not distort the general shape of the muzzle.
2. The lips are medium in thickness, well-fitting, the marginal line is fully pigmented. A pinkish spot on the 3rd premolar is not considered a defect.
3. Teeth – not large and not small, medium-sized, they are covered with snow-white enamel, set evenly, create a tight row with the correct, scissor-shaped bite.
4. Nose bridge is well developed, broadened, mobile, fully covered with pigment, black in tone and color of coat.
5. Eyes – small, with almond-shaped slit, set straight. The iris is colored brown, can be any intensity, but the darker tones are more appreciated.
6. Ears – hanging on supple, soft cartilage to the corners of the lips, tight to the muzzle, ends rounded. When a dog gets wary or concentrates, they point slightly forward.
7. The torso is covered by well-developed muscles, the skin fits tightly without forming a crease, the overall format is rectangular in type.
8. The chest is of decent depth, oval, dropping down to the elbow joints.
9. The neck is of medium length, with an elegant curve, passing into a moderately pronounced withers.
10. The back is straight, creating a straight line, the loin is a little convex, the croup is slightly rounded. The stomach and groin are well toned, emphasizing the elegant silhouette.
11. The limbs beneath the body are straight, straight, with oblique shoulder blades, shoulders and forearms. The hips are well muscled, the knees are bent at an angle, the tarsi and metatarsals are plumb. The paws are small in size, oval in shape, the toes are fairly tightly clenched, connected by webbing.
12. The tail is set and carried on high, allowed to be cropped or natural length, should not be any bends, knots or kinks.

Quality of coat and possible colors

There are two different looks of royal poodles – sheared or laced. Breed individuals differ in their coat structure. In ancient times, poodles with soft hair were laced – the curls were braided into thick cords.

But a number of requirements to colors has not changed since those times: they can be only monochromatic, the standard allows individuals with white, gray (silvery), black, brown (without a red glow) or apricot coat.

All dogs, including big ones, have curly coats, which are trimmed regularly. Moreover, the standard also regulates the hairstyle, and the owner of a show pet cannot be too fancy. The following shapes are allowed to the list of allowed haircuts:

• Lion – the back part is trimmed rather short, the hair remains on the body and head, on the limbs – cuffs;
• English – haircut is similar to the “lion”, only on the hind legs the hair is left, they are decorated with balls and bindings;
• Modern – hair is kept on the whole body, except for muzzle and paws.

The length of the hair varies, it can be long stacked, medium or short.

Characteristics and disposition

The Royal Poodle is very affectionate and has a natural aristocratism and sense of humor. It’s not hard for the dog to adjust to the life rhythm of the owners and comfortably merge into the existing, well-established way of life.

The Poodle gets along well with all family members, while the child becomes an excellent companion for playing and spending time together. He is also able to establish contacts with other pets, including cats. Although there are exceptions – there are individuals who have an overdeveloped hunting instinct.

If a person leads an active lifestyle, the poodle will be an ideal pet. The dog will participate in all activities, games, outings and runs. In addition, you can do almost any dog sport with the pet – freestyle, agility, etc.

Poodle – the owner of a very high IQ, it soaks up different information like a sponge, needs training, new experiences and complex tasks. Representative of this breed likes to bark, and it can be attributed to the disadvantages. But with proper and timely education, the pet can be weaned from unreasonable barking.

Education and Training of the Royal Poodle

A dog with a high intelligence is able to quickly learn the basic program, as well as more complex tasks. But its intelligence can cause problems – the dog is often sly and stubborn. It’s important to gain the trust of your curly-haired friend, establish a relationship with him, which in the case of poodles is not difficult.

The dog will be happy to do anything as long as he stays close to his owner and moves around. Encouragement, such as words, actions, or treats, should be enough for him to show good results during training. If you use punishment, you can severely offend your pet. He is sensitive to injustice and you should not abuse his trust. If a poodle gets upset during training, it is enough to give him a stern reprimand.

Patience and a benevolent attitude – this is what you need during training to get a well-mannered, polite, trained dog. Show dogs should be trained as early as 4 months of age. The pet must learn to adopt a certain stance and respond calmly to examinations by strangers.

How to care for a curly-haired pet?

Curly, curly, curling rings hair is a distinctive feature, the pride of representatives of this breed. But it needs a special care. Only a proper haircut can add a royal stature to these animals with a beautiful gait and proud head. A badly groomed coat negates the natural abilities of the Great Poodle. Poodles need a haircut once every 1-1.5 months.

Poodles belong to the hypoallergenic breeds, their fur does not shed, and dogs do not produce a specific smell. In addition, it is believed that their hair has a number of medicinal properties. Most often, the poodle is brushed weekly, so as not to disturb the structure of the hair. The soft, yet springy hair prevents the hair from tangling quickly. It is better to use for combing a suitable brush with natural bristles.

Claws should be trimmed as they grow, and teeth should be brushed 2-3 times a week using a special brush and paste. Ears are inspected regularly, and if there is dirt or excess earwax, they are treated with a moist cotton pad. Use cotton swabs for this purpose is not recommended, so as not to damage the eardrum.

Preventive check-ups, vaccination schedules and treatments for internal and external parasites are necessary.

Breed diseases

Royal poodles have high immunity and good health, but they also have breed diseases, most of them hereditary, occurring more often than others. These include:

• Hip dysplasia;
• Intervertebral disc abnormalities;
• degenerative myelopathy;
• Twisting (twisting) of the intestines;
• lymphadenitis;
• hypothyroidism.

In addition, pets are prone to epilepsy, insulinoma, diabetes, glaucoma, progressive retinal degeneration, cataracts, Willebrand syndrome.

Any ear disease is also dangerous for them, as its complications can lead to deafness. Older dogs often develop urolithiasis and alopecia with profuse hair loss. It is also not uncommon to find cryptorchidism among the breed.

Feeding regime and diet

All representatives of the breed – lovers of food, and if the owner is not serious about this issue, then the pet will soon gain excess weight. It is important to keep to the regime – feed the dog at the same time, not to arrange him extra snacks and not to give him food from his own table. In addition, it is not recommended to increase the portion size without any significant reason.

In the case of natural feeding, the owner should draw up a balanced menu, the basis of which is lean meat. But in the case of an elderly dog, its amount should not be more than 300 grams per day. The novice owner can be guided by the recommendations of breeders and experienced dog owners:

• By-products can be given to the pet, beef liver is the most preferable;
• Give fish 2-3 times a week, lean, salt water, boiled and boneless;
• Cook porridge from rice, buckwheat, dressed with vegetable oil;
• An apple or carrot a couple of times a week, to reduce the chance of developing tartar, and these foods are sources of fiber and vitamins;
• Vegetables and herbs: give them raw or boiled, mixed with meat or porridge.

A puppy should be regularly fed with dairy products – calcified cottage cheese, milk. Adult dogs should be given dairy products such as kefir, sour milk, low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, but not often. When feeding natural food, the dog needs additional vitamin and mineral supplements.

Owners can also feed their pet ready-made industrial diets, but it is advisable to choose a high quality product suitable for medium and large breeds, mobile and active. The transition from one type of food to another should be gradual – new food is introduced in small portions, replacing familiar products.

Content of the dog

Royal Poodle – beautiful, stately, intelligent, but not capricious and does not require special conditions of detention. The largest representative of the breed can live both in an apartment and a private house, can perform security functions, or just be a companion.

But the dog needs long walks, it is recommended to take it out three times a day, the minimum walking time is 30 minutes. If there is not enough time in the morning, you can reduce the time of the morning promenade, increasing it significantly in the evening.

Royal Poodle photo

Royal Poodle video

Royal Poodle puppy price

The Poodle is a common breed around the world, it is not difficult to buy such a pet, even a royal. But the difficulty is that buying a puppy without a pedigree is a risky business, because puppies of all types – mini, toe, standard, large – are similar, and even mestizos are difficult to distinguish from purebred babies.

Of course, a pet from hand will cost much cheaper, but also a guarantee of its breed and health no one can give. For $600 – $700 you can buy a mestizo – the result of mating a large poodle with a representative of another breed.

Puppies from purebred parents (with or without pedigree) cost from $1200, but often in this case sellers do not issue pedigree to kids themselves to reduce costs. On average, a puppy with good characteristics costs $1600 – $2000, the price of the baby show from elite parents can reach $3000.

The Great Royal Poodle enters various tops – the most elegant, the most intelligent, hypoallergenic … And indeed, the dog has a lot of advantages, but it requires attention: walks, regular haircuts, communication. If the family needs a luxurious four-legged friend and is ready to take care of him properly, it is worth looking at the curly-haired dog.