Real French Poodles
French Poodles from the Languedoc, South of France
Showing
All you need to know about showing poodles or any other dog is
contained in the film "Best of Show".
If showing concerned itself with judging an animal's robust good
health then the kennel clubs might avoid some of the criticism
levelled at them. As it is they do damage to dog breeds in all
sorts of ways - encouraging the creation of breeds that cannot
breath (some bull-dogs), are guaranteed to get slipped-disks (dachshunds),
or need caesarian operations to give birth.
For poodles the kennel clubs have not done as much damage, but
their record is not good. Pedigree poodles in North America for
example are renounded for their poor health caused by inbreeding
in order to acheive a set of arbirary requirements for size, shape
and colour..
Here are a few examples of utterly pointless show rules that
do no-one any good, least of all the dogs:
- Several Kennel Clubs in Europe have a maximum size for poodles.
This means that traditional hunting poodles are not "officially"
poodles at all.
- Some breeders kill apricot coloured puppies because Kennel
Clubs do not recognise the colour.
- Some Kennel clubs have rules that appear to have no justification
other than fashion. An example is requiring certain coloured
noses to match certain coloured coats.
All that said, here is some information about Clubs and showing:
Standard Poodles are recognised by the following kennel clubs:
(We have highlighted clubs that do not classify Poodles as Sporting
Dogs, another example of their detachment from reality)
- FCI = Fédération Cynologique Internationale: Group 9 Section
2 #172
- UKC = United Kennel Club: Gun Dogs
- KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain: Utility Dogs
- ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club: Group 7 - Non-Sporting
Dogs
- NKC = National Kennel Club
- NZKC = New Zealand Kennel Club: Non-Sporting
Dogs
- CKC = Continental Kennel Club: Group 6 - Non-Sporting
Dogs
- AKC = American Kennel Club: Non-sporting
Dogs
- CKC = Canadian Kennel Club: Group 6 -
Non-Sporting Dogs
- CCR = Canadian Canine Registry
Breed standards call for a coat of solid colour, one of black,
white, brown, grey, blue. In some countries also apricot and champagne.
Parti (partial), "phantom," and other coat colours exist,
but are not acceptable in the show ring. Some kennel clubs do
not even recognise apricot.
The coat can be clipped in various styles: the Continental or
Lion clip (with a 'mane'), the English Saddle clip (with leg bracelets),
the Kennel clip (fur same length all over). Other styles, such
as the lamb, are generally variants of the Continental.
The traditional 'bracelets' of long fur covering the dog's leg
joints date back to winter hunts, where most of the fur was clipped
short to facilitate swimming. But the joints, lungs, heart, and
kidneys needed protection from the cold. The pom-pom on the end
of the tail served as a "flag" when the poodle dived
under the water.
Europe. European Standards have a minimum height of 45
cm (18.75 inches) and some countries have a maximum of 60 cm (23.5
inches).
USA. Must be over 15 inches in height at the highest point
of the shoulders. There is no upper height restriction although
most standard poodles are between 21" and 27" at the shoulder,
with females tending towards the lower end of the range.
Show Quality
A show quality puppy is one which stands a chance of becoming
a champion. A pet quality puppy is unlikely to become a champion.
It will generally have a "fault" which would disqualify
it from being shown, such as a white spot. In many countries you
still cannot show poodles unless their tail has been cropped.
Features that disqualify puppies from the show ring will generally
not affect their quality as a companion.
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