Poodle Coffee Mug

Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding. Poodles have taken top honors in many conformation shows, including "Best in Show" at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1991 and 2002, and at the World Dog Show in 2007 and 2010. They are believed to have originated in Germany, where the breed was known as the Pudelhund. Pudel (cognate with the English word "puddle"), is derived from the Low German verb meaning "to splash about", and the word Hund in German means "dog". The breed was standardized in France, where it was commonly used as a water retriever. Poodles are crossed with other breeds for various reasons, and the resulting puppies (called designer dogs) are described by whimsical portmanteau words, such as cockapoo or spoodle (Cocker Spaniel), goldendoodle, labradoodle (Labrador), Schnoodle (Schnauzer), pekepoos (Pekingese), Cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles) and many others.