Poodles Are Dogs

I try not to blog about my pets too much, but I came across a blog post this morning that prompts me to defend my dog’s honor.

Poodles don't fetch?

Interbent displays what it calls embarrassing poodle pictures.  The pictures are embarrassing…for people who play out their hair styling fantasies on dogs.  The author of the post sums up poodles this way:

A poodle can’t really run, a poodle can’t really fetch, and a poodle can’t really guard your house. In fact, the only natural talent of the poodle is its ability to grow a whole bunch of really big, curly hair.

I bet the poodles in those photos would love to run, fetch, sniff butts, play in the mud, and eat dead smelly things.  Mine does.  He weighs 85 pounds and is all muscle.  He has a ferocious bark, takes on rottweilers and dobermans at the dog park, and likes to play rough.  He can also be gentle with children and small pets.

Standard poodles were originally bred as hunting dogs.  Many people still use them that way.  But they also make good guide dogs, search and rescue dogs and all-around pets.  And they are good-natured enough to put up with people who like to do bizarre things with their hair.  They’re crowd pleasers, so they enjoy circus and other performance opportunities. They’ve even run the iditarod.

In short, poodles excel at being versatile.

Here’s what a standard poodle looks like when he’s doing what he loves:

Do you have a story about poodles as working and companion animals?  Please share it.