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Are Poodles Hunting Dogs?

Portrait of a Tan poodle wearing a collar and an orange vest outdoors with blurred natural background.

Poodles are definitely great hunting dogs because this breed was developed for this purpose (hunting and retrieving). They specialized in waterfowl hunting and used to fetch ducks, geese, or other water game for their owners.

Standard Poodles are particularly popular as hunting companions because they are the oldest type of poodles. They were bred long before the toy and miniature versions, and some of them are still used as water dogs.

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Why Poodles are Great Hunters?

Poodle running down ice covered trail in the woods

Poodles were originally developed as waterdogs in Germany and were called “puddling” (a German word which means “splashing in water”). Due to their remarkable retrieving abilities, Poodles also became quite popular in England over the years. The following are some important traits that allow Poodles to excel in the field of hunting.

Easy to Train

Although poodles are highly intelligent canines, they are quite obedient and can be easily trained. According to Stanley Coren (a canine psychologist), poodles are the second smartest dogs for work and obedience. These canines can learn new commands with less than five replications and has a success rate of more than 95% for well-known commands. This perfect combination of intelligence and obedience helps owners to mold these furry dogs into the perfect hunting buddy.

Waterproof Coat

Dark brown poodle standing in shallow water at a lakes edge with ducks a small distance away in the water.

Other than their hunting abilities and working principles, the unique coat of Poodles also assists them to hunt well. It protects them against water while your pooch is on the mission to retrieve ducks, geese, and other aquatic animals. This waterproof coat is particularly useful when they have to swim in marshlands, swamps, and lakes.

Although the coat of a poodle can have different textures (dense, curly, or wavy), it is usually single-layered. Hence, the dog won’t weigh up when his/her hair will get wet. This gives poodles extra ease to retrieve or hunt in the water as they can keep moving freely. Other than being waterproof, the coats of this breed are also very beautiful and stylish.

Active Breed

These popular canines are extremely active because they were bred to be this way. That’s why the American Kennel Club included poodles in the list of 15 most active dog breeds. Being waterdogs, swimming is one of the main reasons behind their active nature. It provides them with great physical stimulation and improves their strength and stamina. All these characteristics enable them to swim through marshes and lakes and hunt waterfowls for their owners.

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