History: The poodle as we know it has been seen throughout history for hundreds of years. Depicted in paintings this breed has a long bloodline of sorts. However, there is quite a bit of controversy that surrounds the origin of the poodle’s creation. Ask most people and they will tell you that the poodle originated from France – this is perhaps due to cartoon depictions of the perfumed French poodle. According to the American Kennel Club however, this breed has its roots in Germany where its purpose was to serve as a water retriever. Still, there are some who disagree with this German story of origin and put the point of origin of the poodle at Denmark. Regardless of just where the poodle claims its motherland though, one thing is for certain — its roots are found in three different breeds. French Roots The poodle claims its heritage from the Barbet, the French water dog and the Hungarian water hound. Each of these breeds contributed to the “final product” that we know today as the poodle. The water-loving nature of all three of these breeds is instilled in the poodle and many believe that this is why the breed received its name – a bastardization of the German word Pudel which translates to mean “one who plays in water”. The poodle had many functions throughout history. Hunters used the dog as a retriever when hunting waterfowl as well as a gun dog and even a truffle seeking dog. As time progressed however, the intelligence of this breed became obvious and the French began using poodles as circus performers as well. It is through this type of exposure as a trainable and intelligent breed that the poodle became extremely popular in France, so much so that many began to refer to the dog as the French poodle. The poodle is distinguished as a gun dog and is recognized by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. This breed is formally recognized by the following organizations: CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, CCR, APRI, ACR, DRA and the NAPR.