Did wild poodles ever roam the earth?
While the title and picture on the cover of David Feldmans book When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth is intriguing. The answer is Never. (Plus or minus a few strays.) The true history of the poodle is unknown but the concept that we know today started to appear in art and literature circa 1500. The poodle was most likely originated in Germany and then became popular in France lending forth to the term French poodle. Chances are that it did not exist before this time. However, as I stated the history is unknown and the breed that poodles are though to descend from, the water spaniel, have a long and mysterious past. But, once again to defer to historical references the poodle as we know it today has only existed as a show and hunting dog since the 1500s. More on the Poodle: (12/21/04) http://www.barkbytes.com/history/poodle.htm http://www.poodlehistory.org/ In Response to a comment: Feldman’s book is for children and it just poses questions such as “Why don’t you ever see a LIVE cornish
There may have been several prehistoric wild poodles, it was just difficult to recognize them. The wild poodle should not be confused with the pre-prehistoric Protomegapoodlemium, a truly gigantic beast with a defensive tail pom pom ten feet in diameter. In ancient times the wild poodle was unable to have itself groomed, eventually the hair grew so long the poodle was unable to move and was usually mistaken for a hair ball coughed up by the giant cave lion. It was not until the Pretentious Period and the appearance of the Henna Headed Turquoise Nailed Cigarette-Whiskey Voiced Loony Lady and later the Ascot Wearing Effeminate Homo effetes, which often still lived in the cave with his Mom the Loony Lady, and the invention of the flint clipper, that the wild poodle was able to get up and actually roam. Incidentally, it was the development of the clipper that led to the demise of Ausbabe’s “fan of the poodle.” With proper grooming the poodle was able to remain relatively cool and there was
When poodles were popularized it was due in part to their hunting capabilities and they were easy to see in the water due to their “poofy” fur. The fur was later shaped to keep their organs and joints warm in the water (like the puffs around their ankles and chest) but the puffs on the head and tail made them highly visible, while the shorn part made them agile in the water. Poodles never would have appeared in the wild naturally since so much selective breeding took place to get the fur the way that we see it today.
