GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 
Toy - under 28cm (11”)
Colour: Black, silver, blue, white or cream with black pigmentation.
Brown or liver and matching pigment.
Coat: Very profuse, dense and harsh in texture. Coat may be clipped to suit different tastes.
Gait: Free and light movement with strong hind drive. 
These proud aristocratic dogs are eye catchers on the street or in the showring. A moderate stop divides a finely chiselled long skull and muzzle, and the well feathered low set ears are pendant. The head carriage is proud and the neck runs into a short, strong back with a rather high set docked tail which is carried away from the body at a slight angle. Fore and hindquarters are strong and well angulated and the feet have tightly arched toes.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Poodles are renowned for their intelligence and being acutely sensitive to their owners’ moods, they often excel in obedience classes. However, the Poodle demands something in return, and that is love - in fact loads of love. Shutting them in the yard alone will totally destroy their spirits. ‘Poodle owners choose different clips for their dogs - be it a puppy clip, lion clip, continental clip, etc. If not showing, a simple puppy clip is popular.
HISTORY
Believed to have originated from the old Spanish water dogs. The name Poodle derives from the German word ‘pudeln’ which means to splash in the water. An excellent retriever of injured water birds and ducks, a smaller variety was established later and became the forerunner of the modern Miniature. In order to facilitate the dog’s progress in water, hunters shaved much of the hair off the hindquarters, leaving the coat on the chest and fore parts for warmth, and bracelets of hair on the leg joints for  protection against injury. The custom of tying a bright ribbon on the topknot, was for identification of their dogs when at work retrieving. Over the years, the above customs have been maintained by people showing Poodles.