The Standard Poodle is an intelligent and loyal friend.  They make excellent watchdogs and seem to be in tune to their owners emotions.  They sit by your side as your faithful companion, or patiently wait for you to play fetch or go for that much desired walk.  They have been bred since the early nineteenth century as water retrieving dogs, and if allowed still possess that same skill today.  Unfortunately for this wonderful creature, many view them as just companion dogs for glamour girls -  most likely based  on the weird looking hair cut you often see in the dog show circuit.  This cut was originally used to keep certain vital organs warm in cold water while retrieving - but I believe it has gotten out of hand today because Dog Shows only allow the Standard to be shown in a "frou frou" like hair cut, and also has them listed in the Non-Sporting Group!  We keep all our Standards in the hair cut called a Sporting Clip which is an even cut all around which seems to give the poodle back some of its lost dignity.  One often thinks that the new craze over designer dogs (Labradoodles etc.) might be a result of some dog lovers trying to make a poodle into a "macho looking dog" or less of a "sissy".  Believe me, I love the Lab (have one) but these are two distinct breeds and should not be mixed together.  Breeders of both the Standard Poodle and the Labrador Retriever have worked hard and endlessly to improve on the breeds health, temperament and conformation. One should ask themselves why are some so-called breeders mixing the poodle with every other breed?  Why not just buy the perfect dog - THE POODLE.  Poodles do not shed so therefore their dander is not flying all over your home, making them more tolerant for people with allergies.  The poodle is a versatile dog and competes in field, obedience, and agility trials and is used as a service dog for the disabled.  They have also been used as sled dogs and were even raced in the Iditarod by John Suter*.  Because of its keen intelligence and agility many believe that the Standard Poodle is the COMPLETE DOG.

*John Suter, an Alaskan and all-round athlete, bought three Standard Poodles in 1976; he and the Poodles together began to learn about "dog mushing".  During the next 20 years, Suter and the Poodles ran 280 races (including sprint, middle-distance, and long distance), finishing in first, second and third place in 90 of those races.  In 1988, with a part-Poodle team, Suter placed 38th out of 52 starters in the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.  He subsequently ran the Iditarod with an all-Poodle team; his team entered and finished the race in 1989, 1990, and 1991.  John Suter, "Poodle Sled Dogs in Alaska", Poodle Variety, August-September 1998, p.34.

• Website Alaska Mushing Poodles in the Iditarod! a new website which includes "The Poodle Man Song" by Dave Reno.