276 THE POODLE. 
Or all the domesticated Dogs, the PoopLE seems to be, take him all in all, the most 
obedient and the most intellectual. Accomplishments the most difficult are mastered by 
this clever animal, which displays an ease and intelligence in its performances that 
appear to be far beyond the ordinary canine capabilities. 
A barbarous custom is prevalent of removing the greater portion of the Poodle’s coat, 
leaving him but a ruff round the neck and legs, and a puff on the tip of the tail as the sole 
relic of his abundant fur. 
POODLE.— Canis familiaris. 
Such a deprivation is directly in opposition to the natural state of the Dog, which is 
furnished with a peculiarly luxuriant fur, hanging in long ringlets from every portion of 
the head, body, and limbs. The Poodle is not the only Dog that suffers a like tonsorial 
abridgment of coat ; for under the dry arches of the many bridges that cross the Seine, 
in Paris, may be daily seen a mournful spectacle. Numerous Dogs of every imaginable 
and unimaginable breed, lie helpless in the shade of the arch, their legs tied together, and 
their eyes contemplating with woeful looks the struggles of their fellows, who are being 
shorn of their natural covering, and protesting with mournful cries against the operation. 
There is a diminutive variety of the Poodle, which is termed the BarBer. This little 
Dog is possessed of all the intellectual powers of its larger relative, and on account of its 
comparatively small size, was formerly in great request asalady’s Dog. For this enviable 
post it is well fitted, as it is a cleanly little creature, very affectionate, and full of the 
oddest tricks and vagaries. 
Some years since, I made acquaintance with a comical little Dog, named “ Quiz,” which 
I believe to have been a Barbet, though no one had ventured definitely to refer the strange 
little creature to any known variety. 
He was very small, not larger than an ordinary rabbit, and was overwhelmed with 
such a torrent of corkscrew curls that his entire shape was concealed under their 
luxuriance ; and, when he was lying asleep on the sofa, he reminded the spectator of a 
loose armful of mop thrums. While reposing, his head was quite undistinguishable from 
