Their distinctive and much desired feature is that they have hair – a dense coat of curly hair. They do lose some hair, but it gets tangled in the curls. The reason they do not shed like the average dog is because of a set of complicated ‘no shedding mutations.’ Yet, all breeds of domestic dogs have their own particular set of congenital defects which basically differentiate them from their original ancestor – the wolf. Fur and hair are primarily made of keratin and are chemically indistinguishable. The main difference is in the growth cycle. Humans have only one hair to each follicle which keeps growing, whereas dogs have clumps in each follicle; it is coarser and does not grow in length continuously, unless in a breed like the poodle.

The downside to their hypoallergenic hair is that it needs trimming every four to eight weeks, but no dog is 100% hypoallergenic. Neglected clipping of a dog’s hair makes it matted over time; it is painful for the dog, causing bruising, sores and rips to the skin, also air flow to the skin becomes poor, it leads to a smelly breeding-ground for fleas and parasites. The overgrowth often affects the eyes and ears as well.

The poodle is one of the most intelligent breeds of dog, very trainable, and they make great family pets; they are not suited to being in kennels and may be moderate barkers – they are considered moderate to high maintenance. The standard (large poodle) lifespan is from 12-15 years. They were bred from various water Spaniel breeds. Ancient Greek and Roman coins have depictions of them, so they have been around for at least a few thousand years. Today we have a range of colours and sizes. Poodles are the national dog of France, but they originated in Germany. The name comes from ‘pudel’- a German word meaning to splash about. Some Poodles are still used for waterfowl hunting today.

The traditional haircut was not so much for fashion, but function, less hair made the dog a more efficient swimmer, yet more vulnerable to cold water. So, Poodle owners left tufts of hair around the joints and upper torso. For the show ring, there are specific rules about where the tufts or pompoms of hair should be and how long they can be. Competitors must have one of three styles; 1. The continental clip 2. The modified continental 3. The English saddle. Puppies just have puppy clips, which is an even length all over the body.

Pam Brandis,
Dip. Canine Prac.