Poodle (Standard)

History

It's thought he originated in Germany
The name "Poodle" comes from the German word "pudel" or "pudelin" meaning to splash in the water.
He's regarded as the national dog of France
He was (and still is) frequently used as retriever to retrieve shot-down game (dead ducks) from the water
He has been used as a circus dog for centuries because of his intelligence

He's extremely intelligent (possibly the most intelligent breed!)
He's one of the fastest learning of all breeds
He has lots of energy and is highly active
If bored he might get into mischief to entertain himself
He carries himself with dignity
He's highly playful; loves to play ball and fetch
He's happy and sociable with strangers and other dogs
He's excellent at swimming
He's not fussy about food
He makes a good watchdog; he will alert you if someone is on your property (he can be a little to barky at times and needs to be told when enough is enough)
He isn't difficult to housebreak
He's excellent with children who are respectful and gentle with him

He's one of the easiest of all breeds to train because he learns so quickly. (There's only a few of these super-fast learning breeds--and he's one of them!)

He sheds virtually no hair. You'll be hard-pressed to find a hair in your home! (Good for clean freaks)

Option 1: Clip his coat short every few months and then it only needs an occasional brushing.
Option 2: Clip and scissor his long coat into shape every 6 weeks and then brush it daily to keep it mat and tangle free.