Poodle Breed Standard
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The Poodle Breed Standard

is a set of guidelines which is used to insure that the animals produced by a breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed. It is also used in competition to judge a given animal against the hypothetical ideal specimen of that breed.

The Standard Poodle Breed Standard contains a narrative description of the breed and a long, often highly-detailed list of conformation points, any deviation from which is considered a fault and results in penalties against the individual animal. Some breed standards specify the percentages or number of points to be awarded for each characteristic, the total of which equals the dog's overall score.

 

Size: The Standard Poodle is over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulders. Any Poodle which is 15 inches or less in height shall be disqualified from competition as a Standard Poodle.

 

Proportion: To insure the desirable squarely built appearance, the length of the body measured from the breastbone to the point of the rump approximates the height from the highest point of the shoulders to the ground.

 

Substance: Bone and muscle of both forelegs and hind legs are in proportion to size of dog.

 

Head and Expression

Eyes: Very dark, oval in shape and set far enough apart and positioned to create an alert intelligent expression.

Major Faults: Eyes round, protruding, large or very light.

 

Ears: Hanging close to the head, set at or slightly below eye level. The ear leather is long, wide and thickly feathered; however, the ear fringe should not be of excessive length.

 

Skull: Moderately rounded, with a slight but definite stop. Cheekbones and muscles flat. Length from occiput to stop about the same as length of muzzle.

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Poodle Information

All about the Classically Suited Poodles and the Standard Poodle breed.
 

 

Muzzle: Long, straight and fine, with a slight chiseling under the eyes. Strong without lippiness. The chin definite enough to preclude snippiness.

Major fault: Lack of chin.

 

Teeth: white, strong, and with a scissors bite.

Major Faults: Undershot, Overshot, wry mouth.

 

Neck, Top line, Body

Neck: Well proportioned, strong and long enough to permit the head to be carried high and with dignity. Skin snug at throat. The neck rises from strong, smoothly muscled shoulders.
Major Fault: Ewe neck.

 

Top line: Is level, neither sloping nor roached, from the highest point of the shoulder blade to the base of the tail, with the exception of a slight hollow just behind the shoulder.

Standard Poode 2 time Westminster Winner

 

Body: (a) Chest: deep and moderately wide with well sprung ribs. (b) Loin: short, broad and muscular. (c) Tail: straight, set on high and carried up, docked of sufficient length to insure a balanced outline.

Major Faults: set low, curled, or carried over the back.

 

Forequarters: Strong, smoothly muscled shoulders. The shoulder blade is well laid back and approximately the same length as the upper foreleg. (a) Forelegs: straight and parallel when viewed from the front. When viewed from the side the elbow is directly below the highest point of the shoulder. The pasterns are strong. Dew claws may be removed.

Major Fault: Steep shoulders.

 

Feet: The feet are rather small, oval in shape with toes well arched and cushioned on thick firm pads. Nails short but not excessively shortened. The feet turn neither in nor out.

Major Fault: Paper or splay foot.

 

Hindquarters: The angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. (a) Hind legs straight and parallel when viewed from the rear. Muscular with width in the region of the stifles which are well bent; femur and tibia are about equal in length; hock to heel short and perpendicular to the ground. When standing, the rear toes are only slightly behind the point of rump. Dew claws may be removed.

Major Fault: Cow-hocks.

 

Color
The coat is an even and solid color at the skin. In blues, grays, silvers, browns, cafe-au-laits, apricots and creams the coat may show varying shades of the same color. This is frequently present in the somewhat darker feathering of the ears and in the tipping of the ruff. While clear colors are definitely preferred, such natural variation in the shading of the coat is not to be considered a fault. Brown and cafe-au-lait Poodles have liver-colored noses, eye rims and lips, dark toenails and dark amber eyes. Black, blue, gray, silver, cream and white Poodles have black noses, eye rims and lips, black or self-colored toenails and very dark eyes. In the apricots while the foregoing coloring is preferred, liver-colored noses, eye rims and lips, and amber eyes are permitted but are not desirable.

Major Faults: Color of nose, lips and eye rims incomplete, or of wrong color for color of dog. Parti-colored dogs shall be disqualified. The coat of a parti-colored dog is not an even solid color at the skin but is of two or more colors.

 

For more information on the Standard Poodle and the Breed Standard go to the AKC Web site at http://www.akc.org/breeds/poodle/

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