The standard poodle, one of the best hunting retrievers on earth
Any hunter worth their salt will know that the Poodle has been one of the oldest most diligent bird dog hunters ever. For that was their whole purpose of breeding and training for centuries.
It was not until little old ladies started getting hold of the miniature and smaller versions of the poodle and isolating them, trying to humanize them, not socializing them, did the media pick up on this and give them a bad name.
A social poodle is one of the greatest dogs you will ever find, and as for their hunting skills they are second to none, but we are talking about retrieving.
The standard poodle in its current shape goes back at least to the 15th century 500 years or so ago. Origins claim that France or Germany are probably the originators of the dog breed. However there is agreement that the dog is evolved from the now extinct French Water Dog which was also a major water fowl retriever.
If you are wondering what environment best suits the poodle, you should be aware that German word “Pudel,” means “one who plays in water” and so duck blinds surrounded by water, swamps etc, are their first home. Webbing between the dogs feet will back up this assertion. The claim of the French people that the poodle is their dog comes from the term “French Poodle,” calling the breed the “Caniche,” or “duck dog.”
The unique poodle hair – one of the main reasons for its cross breeding with many other retrievers in designer dogs was to prevent getting the skin ripped in harsh bush territory and to keep the dog warm in cold and wet conditions.
Not only are these dogs one of the most intelligent on earth, great swimmers and retrievers, their nose is exceptional enough to be used as truffle hunting dogs (sniffing out the underground fungus in damp smelly forests.
Why these dogs are still used today in hunting is their exceptional intelligence leads to exceptional train-ability. Unlike hunting dogs like many terriers that were bred to go it alone, to be independent and often don’t listen to owners, the poodle is an exceptional listener fast trainer and obedient.
The poodle is considered a waterfowl retriever and an upland bird flusher/retriever. They can hunt from a blind, boat, and a field blind.
POODLE AT HOME
Extreme intelligence and train-ability and a desire to please, as well as a coat that doesn’t shed have made the poodle a popular dog again. However most urban environments are going for miniature sizes to reduce food bills.
Though all poodles need a walk to stay social, they are so intelligent that the walks are often more important to stop the dogs becoming bored.
Poodles are also acutely aware of who is and who is not in the pack. They are social with the whole family and family friends, but can easily work out by body language and temperament who might be up to cause harm, and can respond like any good guard dog. The only issue for this is that they have very soft retriever jaws, and should not be encouraged to become aggressive as it is against their temperament and will only destabilize their happy mentality.
DOG TRAINING programs and dog hunting training needs to be strongly positive reinforcement based, and mixed up to keep the dog interested. Its not like they are not listening, but the smart the dog, sometimes the more you need to entertain them rather than drill in the same command.