Poodles - A World Breed?

[Michael]

Something crossed my mind when I saw Chandi join up....since she's from Jamaica, and a place I guess I never thought about having poodles! Obviously poodles are popular in North America, Europe and Australia and many other places. But I'm just wondering...how truly universal poodles are....they seem to not only be most everywhere, but popular where they are too. And obviously popularity of breeds may come and go and be more or less in various places, but was just wondering if anyone had any insight on how truly popular worldwise poodles are?

[zefi]

Well I know they're all over Greece, but I'd never seen a standard over there the whole time I've lived or visited there. Just toys and minis.

[Michael]

I don't know, but somehow I'd assume minis and toys would be more common in Europe....so that makes sense. Still, I'm sure there are plenty of SPs in EU as well. I just think it's cool to hear of them in places that I'd never expected. Then again, I tend to forget that Anne sent Jamie's father down to Bermuda and got a title on him there....which is something I'd never think about if I hadn't known of it. Anyway, I gather poodles are indeed a popular breed worldwide, but the more we hear about the better!

[Neo]

In Norway, the most populare is the Standard, i think
that's the poodle I see everywhere, in the north, (where its very cold) as in the south

but the mini's are very populare too.

[Paula]

I was looking at the former Soviet Union for standard poodles a few years ago as I figured show dogs behind the iron curtain would not have been bred to Lakecove as so many of the popular lines showing everywhere else seem to go to that line. I like to outcross and I already have Lakecove as a sire of Vanna so I want to branch out.
Alas even there Treson had made his mark and the showing fancy was strong and gung ho about their poodles.

[Michael]

Interesting to learn about the genetic lines crossing many country borders and being so universal!

Neo - your mention of SPs being most popular there is another angle to this. I know on the one poodle mailing list I was on some time ago (until I somehow got unsubbed last year unexpectedly), that though there were plenty of minis and toys, the SP people seemed like quite a crowd...and probably the majority, but I don't know. Though that list is worldwide, I gather there's a majority from North America...so it might say something about their popularity in the USA too.

So, not only are they popular in so many countries, then determining size popularity in various regions could probably make for an interesting study!

[Neo]

I found the list for most populare dog in 2006,
the ST are at the 19'th place of all breeds

the dwarf (small miniature) are at 34 place

the miniature is at  42'nd plase

the toy are not in the rankings for the top 50 dogs at the list.

[Michael]

Is that just in Norway, Neo? In the USA, there are different lists to go by. AKC just lists poodles all together last I looked, so not sure if I can see separate registration listings. UKC has Standards separate from toys and minis, so there again, may not be a clear distinction.

My guess on sizes would be that Standards are most popular, then toys, then minis. But that's just a guess from my experience. I lived and worked in an area that gave me far more exposure to minis and toys than SPs at one time....so it may vary from place to place too. But clearly, poodles are popular in many places!

[dori47]

And those lists ( in the US anyways) just show the dogs that have been registered. Although there are more and more breeders with unregistered standand poodles showing up  around here, there have always been a lot of toy poodles coming from unregistered breeders.

When I got my first standard a little over 10 years ago, people would stop me and say, there is a dog you dont see much anymore, and it was true, only a handful of people around here had them. WE don't live in an isolated area per se, but are on an island, and people don't like to leave the island for things. There were about 3 breeders of standard poodles on the island at the time.
A breeder showed up who although they bred registered dogs, did no testing of their dogs and bred for quantity and colour as well as sold without nonbreeding contracts, so now 10 years later, you see standard poodles everywhere. I took an obedience class in the fall and 3 of the 12 dogs were standard poodles, all similar age, and from different breeders. ( mine was imported, the others were local)

I havent seen a purebred mini in a very long time ( ok I have seen one in the last year or so)

carole Ann

[Neo]

Yes, the list was just for Norway,
its the Norwegian KC. who had the results.
and its just the registrated dogs to.

hmm... our dwarfs are just about the same size as your mini's.
our mini's are alot bigger.

I think

I actually havent met an unregistrated mini, toy, dwarf in several years!

[zefi]

We have a lot of unregistered poodles in Australia as well. Especially in the smaller sizes, not so much in the standards. And although I would have to say that its always been the case that the majority of poodles I see out and about are minis or toys (or somewhere in between and not well bred), but I must admit... I see just as many standards these days. Funny that...

[Karen]

I had to laugh as I had had people locally commenting on the fact that Tia is a standard & they hadn't really seen one before or for ages. I went into the local library & got talking to a woman there - turns out she has standards too. After I left there & went down the street I went into another shop, met the same woman again &, when we got outside, discovered we had, unknowingly, parked right next to each other with Tia in my car & her two in hers. .
Seems we have yet another standard poodle person in the area as well which in rather unexpected in a small town in a very rural area.
The only worrying thing is the number of people who have come up to me saying things like "Is that a real poodle?? I have a xxxxoodle" There seem to be  a lot of these crossbreds around with people believing they have got the poodle qualities without having true poodles..

[Michael]

Ugh.....the whole doodle topic is a huge can of worms...and not a pleasant one.....and your thoughts on that sound how I'd think on it too. Funny thing is....when I grew up, I thought "just any old dog" was fine....who'd need a high priced "purebred" afterall! Fortunately I've learned a lot over the years and am a big supporter of purebreds...especially poodles! As for running into people in unexpected places....I've had that happen too. I actually have seen eskies in town here....have no idea who they are either.....usually never see them again....just a glimpse and then not again. Has only happened a few times, but for a small area that's more into labs and other "hunting" dogs, it's pretty rare. And of all things, I found out after I moved away from the area I grew up, that a well known standard poodle breeder lived probably about 2 miles from where I grew up! Never met her, but have talked to her on the phone. Never knew there were poodles just a couple miles away then. Sometimes it's a small world indeed!

[Neo]

haha, i tought i'd almost never seen a poodle before I got one,
but after I started to look at the dogs around the area, i discovered lots of poodles,
the thing is, they didn't look like it... :|

so it's lot of fun when i take my dogs for a walk, when you hear the children say "oh! its a poodle! look how cute it is!"
when i grew up thinking the poodle looked awfull  

the most common around here is actually Standards thats not registered.
their "just for fun" ? what ever they mean about that, cheap maybee?

[zefi]

I am often amazed that kids in the country here will say 'oh look! a poodle!' when they see me walking a dog, but adults so often ask if its a labradoodle. Sheesh. Even with a clean face and good trim! LOL