Welcome To
Curly Country Kennels

Poodles have a fascinating history that's full of surprises. Originally bred in Germany as waterfowl hunters, poodles were later standardized as a breed in France. The origin of the poodle as a sporting dog is often masked by the more regal, elite look today’s poodle carries. True to their origins, they’re highly skilled in agility, obedience, and tracking tasks and can be helpful in herding.  

Poodles are obedient, lively, loyal dogs and make great family companions, service dogs and therapy dogs.. Their average lifespan is between 12 and 15 years.

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SIZES:

Standard poodles weigh between 45 and 70 pounds, Miniature poodles between 15 and 17 pounds & Toy poodles weighing between 6 and 9 pounds. With a 4th size being "Moyen" which isn't recognized in the USA. Moyen means "medium" in French and refers to a fourth size of poodle which was created and is recognized in Europe. You will also hear this size referred to as Klein, which is the German term. Here in the US we consider Moyen poodles to be about 15" - 20" at the shoulder and about 20 to 35 pounds. 

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MERLE POODLES:

There is a lot of controversy regarding merle Poodles. The beginning of the Poodle itself dates back as far as the 1800s, with official recognition first in England in 1874. The first existence of a merle Poodle dates back to the 1970s. Because merle is such a complicated gene (taboo to some) there are claims that it was hidden in the breed until reappearing, or that at some point some breeder(s) had to have falsified paperwork and introduced a non-poodle and then bred back in to Poodles. Personally, we could believe either of these scenarios. Should the latter be true, while I don’t condone false papers, I do believe this is and has always been apart of breed progression/creation, throughout the history of domesticated dogs. I do believe that merle Poodles are now part of the breed, whether one likes it or not, and always will be. We are here to help educate about the merle gene and share these beautiful poodles and there unique color pattern. 
There are many examples of new breeds, new colors, or new varieties being accepted by kennel clubs over time. Most recently being the Biewer Terrier, which historically was just a Parti colored/Biewer Yorkshire Terrier. The Biewer Terrier (parti Yorkie) was first documented in the 1980s, (and was considered a disqualification) while the Yorkshire Terrier in it’s original blue/tan and black/tan varieties were first given recognition in the mid 1800s. The AKC & UKC gave them their own toy breed recognition as Biewer Terriers in 2016 (UKC) and 2021 (AKC).
You will find that parti colored and merle poodles are still considered disqualifications for the show ring in both the CKC and AKC (despite the fact Parti is a proven original Poodle color, kennel club standards are partially based on personal preference in regards to accepted colors). The UKC however, allows parti-colored dogs in the show ring. 
For now, the merle Poodle seems to come down to a love it or hate it decision, and we know it’s here to stay. We strive to provide puppies, both merle and other colors such as Parti and Phantom.
Note: Merle Poodles are perfectly healthy, it is the process of merle to merle breedings that cause health issues in varying severity. We do don’t perform or condone the breeding of merle to merle EVER. 

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GROOMING:

Caring for your poodle requires routine grooming and brushing. Most owners keep their poodle’s coat trimmed short. If you want your poodle’s coat to be longer you’ll need to give them a deep daily brushing to avoid matting. Best tools i recommend to use are a good slicker brush and a metal comb to make sure you are brushing all the way to the skin and not just the top part of the coat.

If you’re taking your poodle to a groomer they’ll need an appointment every 6-8 weeks for a bath and grooming. Poodles are considered to have a relatively non-shedding coat and are great for households whose members have dog allergies.