Someone might want to mention to Rover that poodles aren't French, they're German. The name comes from Pudlehund. Puddle hound. Poodles were bred as duck dogs. They don't shed, which is why you have to have them groomed. The fancy cut was created to protect the dog's joints, since they were supposed to swim out and fetch the duck from the water. Toy poodles were bred as lap dogs, of course. The first poodles were large, like Irish water spaniels or Portugese waterdogs. The French for poodle is Caniche. I was raised with poodles, so I know a lot of poodle trivia.