The Poodle is commonly acknowledged to be the most
wisely intelligent of all members of the canine race. There is a general belief
that he is a fop, whose time is largely occupied in personal embellishment, and
that he requires a great deal of individual attention in the matter of his
toilet. It may be true that to keep him in exhibition order and perfect
cleanliness his owner has need to devote more consideration to him than is
necessary in the case of many breeds; but in other respects he gives very
little trouble, and all who are attached to him are consistent in their opinion
that there is no dog so intensely interesting and responsive as a companion.
His qualities of mind and his acute powers of reasoning are indeed so great
that there is something almost human in his attractiveness and his devotion.
His aptitude in learning is never denied, and many are the stories told of his
marvellous talent and versatility.
Not merely as a showman's dog has he distinguished
himself. He is something more than a mountebank of the booths, trained to walk
the tight rope and stand on his head. He is an adept at performing tricks, but
it is his alertness of brain that places him apart from other animals.
The profuse and long coat of this dog has the
peculiarity that if not kept constantly brushed out it twists up into little
cords which increase in length as the new hair grows and clings about it. The
unshed old hair and the new growth entwined together thus become distinct
rope-like cords. Eventually, if these cords are not cut short, or accidentally
torn off, they drag along the ground, and so prevent the poor animal from
moving with any degree of comfort or freedom.
Corded Poodles are very showy, and from the remarkable
appearance of the coat, attract a great deal of public attention when exhibited
at shows; but they have lost popularity among most fanciers, and have become
few in number owing to the obvious fact that it is impossible to make pets of them
or keep them in the house. The reason of this is that the coat must, from time
to time, be oiled in order to keep the cords supple and prevent them from
snapping, and, of course, as their coats cannot be brushed, the only way of
keeping the dog clean is to wash him, which with a corded Poodle is a lengthy
and laborious process. Further, the coat takes hours to dry, and unless the
newly washed dog be kept in a warm room he is very liable to catch cold. The
result is, that the coats of corded Poodles are almost invariably dirty, and
somewhat smelly.