VARIETIES OF POODLES. 195 



" 6. The Chest and Body The chest should be broad and fairly deep, while the loin 

 should be muscular without being thick and ungainly, and well arched beneath. 



"7. The Tail, which is usually considerably docked in puppyhood, should be carried 

 jauntily at about an angle of 45 degrees with his back. A drooping tail is a great dis- 

 figurement. 



" 8. The Colour should be either pure white or pure black, though it is difficult to obtain 

 the latter without a blemish of white on the chest. 



" 9. The Feet should be slightly webbed, and when clipped the fingers should appear 

 distinct and well-shapen. 



" 10. The Coat of a Poodle differs considerably, ranging from the wiry horse-hair of the 

 Russian to the curly wool of the French ; or, again, to the long ringlets of the corded breed ; 

 so that it is difficult to lay down any general rule, save that the hair should be exceedingly 

 thick and of a fine springy texture, which, while completely free from grease, should wear a 

 well-groomed glossy aspect. 



" If possible, it would be well to see him have a run, as there is a wavy snake-like motion 

 imparted to the back of every well-bred Poodle, which decreases as age creeps on, when he 

 becomes more staid and sober. Care should be taken in purchasing puppies not to part 

 them too early from their mother, or to expose them to cold, as infantile Poodles are ex- 

 ceedingly delicate, and are rapidly carried off by an attack of bronchitis or pneumonia." 



In the present day we find mention by numerous authorities of at least three or four 

 different varieties of Poodle. Some writers, indeed, extend the number of distinct sorts to even 

 more, but we confess that the difference between some of the varieties appears to us to be so 

 subtle as to become hardly discernible. For our own part we feel strongly inclined, from 

 conversations we have held with gentlemen interested in and acquainted with the breeding of 

 Poodles, to divide that breed into but two distinct classes, viz., the curly-coated and the corded- 

 coated Poodle. The former is most certainly the commoner variety, and may in its turn be 

 sub-divided into two branches, viz., the large and the small sized, as the structural development 

 of each sub-variety is essentially the same. Those Continental authorities, on the other hand, 

 who add a third or medium-sized to the curly-coated variety, by doing so, in our opinion, 

 open the door to difficulties in breeding which we think could easily be done away with. 

 When the chief distinction between dogs of a similar type resolves itself merely into a matter 

 of weight, it can hardly be successfully contended that the animals belong to different breeds, 

 and if only for simplicity sake this slight distinction might be advantageously abolished in the 

 interests of the breed. Such expressions as "Der grosse Pudel," " Der mittlere Pudel," and " Der 

 kleine Pudel," look well on paper, but when these formidable adjectives are simply translated 

 into large, middle-sized, and small, their value comes to be considerably discounted ; and we 

 do not believe that even those writers, who for their reputation's sake have to notice them, 

 really believe in the desirability of such distinctions being perpetuated. 



The large-sized Poodle is essentially a Continental sportsman's dog, and is by many of 

 them considered in that capacity almost a paragon of perfection. He is quickly broken to gun, 

 and can be taught anything in the way of tricks. His devotion to his master is beyond any 

 question, and, as a descendant of the Cams Aquaticus, it may be surmised that he takes to 

 water kindly. Under such circumstances it can hardly be surprising that the Poodle is a 

 general favourite, and set great store by in countries where the good qualities of our English 

 sporting dogs are either unknown, or the dogs themselves cannot be procured. 



