Etymologically, the French word “caniche” comes from “cane”, a French term indicating the female duck. Originally, this dog was used to hunt waterfowl. It descends from the Barbet of which it has retained many characteristics. The breeders made an effort to obtain original and uniformly colored subjects.
From the seventeenth century onwards, the hunting use of the breed was gradually abandoned and the poodle made its triumphal entry into the courts of Europe as living room dogs. The subjects of the breed thus begin to be perfumed and rouged. Finally, with the arrival of the second empire and the belle epoque, the poodle became the living room dog par excellence, significantly called chien de dame (lady’s dog) and hand in hand the art of grooming developed thanks also to settling, on the bank of the Seine, of the first dog groomers’ shops as a subject of pure companionship, it proved to be fundamental for the concept we have of the homeless.
The Poodle is currently the most requested breed in the world, due to its characteristic joy and affection. Reason why the selection is undergoing strong contractions. Not all breed correctly but favoring the popular demand for a dog that is different from the original standard. The preference for a short muzzle and round eyes combined with the very small dimensions required is jeopardizing the good continuation and maintenance of the typicality of our beloved poodle breed.
The phenomenon is part of the selection based on “neoteny”, in my opinion the result of a rampant need for tender and cuddly images, which contrast the harshness and aggressiveness to which daily life subjects us. The character regression necessary to make a dog more manageable and tameable, has been accompanied by a regression of the morphological characteristics of the adult towards the infantile aspect, so much so that the dog in neoteny has characteristics similar to those of the puppy and therefore preferred to the typical characteristics of the true bum breed.
