
Poodle (Standard)
The Standard Poodle is a noble, elegant and well-balanced dog, with a slender muzzle and long neck. The famous coat is dense and curly and often styled, but beneath that is a lean, athletic and sporting dog.








The Standard Poodle breed is prone to:
- Hip dysplasia
- Gastric dilatation volvulus
- Progressive retinal atrophy which is an inherited disorder where part of the eye degenerates and wastes away which can result in blindness.
- Von Willebrand's disease which is where a dog produces insufficient or faulty clotting factors which can result in uncontrolled bleeding.
- Hereditary cataracts which is a condition where the lens in the eye becomes cloudy and this can result in blindness.
- Addison's disease¹ a condition where a dog's body is unable to produce a normal level of natural steroid (called cortisol).
- Intervertebral disc disease a condition where there us abnormality in the discs which act to cushion the bones in the spine.
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca³ (dry eye) which is a painful condition where the tear gland stops working properly.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Hip dysplasia breeding scheme
- Eye screening scheme
¹A. M. Oberbauer, 'Genetic evaluation of Addison's disease in the Portuguese Water Dog', 2006, BMC Veterinary Research
²J. H. Rossmeisl, 'Acute adverse events associated with ventral slot decompression in 546 dogs with cervical intervertebral disc disease', Veterinary Surgery 2013
³N. Rees, 'Diploma Case Study: Parotid Duct Transposition for Dry Eye', 1998, Taylor and Francis
Do not underestimate the Standard Poodle, despite gaining a foppish and silly reputation due to the exaggerated hair-cuts of the show dogs, the Standard Poodle is a clever, quick-witted and athletic dog. They are high-spirited and fun loving, make great watch dogs and will adore taking part in any activity their owners choose to indulge in!