220 ALL ABOUT DOGS 



ever long their coats were left alone. I speak from my 

 own experience, as I have had Poodles which were 

 never anything else but curly, whether clipped or un- 

 dipped, and others with coats that would soon become 

 corded if not attended to. I know this is not a general 

 opinion, but it is my impression of the breed. It used 

 to be supposed there were only two colours for Poodles, 

 black and white, but of late years we have seen some 

 very beautiful specimens black and white, red, brown, 

 slate colour, and grey, and different shades of those 

 colours, and so many new breeders and exhibitors of 

 these dogs have appeared in this country and abroad, 

 that I think they may be said to be in more favour than 

 ever, and at most of the larger shows command large 

 entries and attract a great deal of attention from the 

 public, I am told. I had the record entry of eighty 

 specimens at the Ladies' KA Show at Ranelagh Park, 

 1896. Of course, any breed which requires exceptional 

 care in its preparation, and which so soon gives evi- 

 dence of any neglect (as in the case of an unshaven and 

 untrimmed Poodle), will always have a limited number 

 of active adherents, but irrespective of their value for 

 sporting purposes (in the same way as the English and 

 Irish Water Spaniels and the Retrievers), all who have 

 kept any of them will know they are full of merit, good 

 tempered as a rule, born humourists, fond of children, 

 grand swimmers, excellent guards, and very affection- 

 ate and faithful to their owners and friends. A very 

 high authority, both as a breeder, exhibitor and 

 judge, has set out the points of a correct Poodle as fol- 

 lows : head long, straight and fine ; skull rather nar- 



