The Pre-1600 Poodle,
   Uses 

In the court and in the home...

As already mentioned, the poodles original use was as a retriever of water fowl.

There is debate about whether the standard poodle, the largest of the varieties, was developed first and then the smaller varieties of poodle or wheter the three sizes of poodle were refined concurrently. What is known is that both larger poodles were used as retrievers, and the smaller variety of the poodle was a companion animal in the middle ages.

But this general use should not be seen as a hard rule. Indeed in the court of Charles VI the Poodle (under the name Barbet or Caniche) was a popular member of the court. This is depicted in the illumination of the Amiens Peace Parleys (1392) depicted by Jean Froissart, Chronicles fol. 141 Flandres, Bruges 15th Century. Negotiations between France and England, as King Charles VI, his uncles, and John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, look on. (BNF, FR 2646) This manuscript illumination demonstrates the importance given to poodles in the French court at the time of Charles VI.

Here a grey colored (also called blue) poodle is present and waits at the feet of his master, the King of France.

The Pudel's popularity as a sporting dog spread across Europe. Evidence of the poodles widespread popularity comes from the accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland. The accounts for the year 1600 record an expenditure for “Ane water dogge for his majesty the King.” Expenses were paid for the dog as well as for a man to accompany the animal to Scotland. Now the question can be asked where was the dog coming from, for that could well be the determining factor between a water spaniel and a water dogge (a poodle). Reading the surrounding entries of the accounts further we can see that the man to accompany the dog was also to bring a cross bow with him from a German maker. So this indicates that the dog was of Germanic origins and not of Spanish origins.

The portrait of Catherine of Mecklenburg by Lucas Crannach the Elder demonstrates the importance placed on the Pudel as a companion animal in the homes of the upper levels of Germanic society. This small cream colored dog is in a style of cut known as a lion cut, which was particular to the pudel. The back half of the dog is cropped and the front allowed to grow long. The portrait was painted in 1514, but the dog cannot be firmly called a pudel because the ears are pricked and upright on the head. Clearer examples of pudels as companion animals come from the works of the artist Memling.

Hans Memling - the Allegory of Vanity 1445

This is an example of a pudel in a smaller size. And it sports a cream colored coat and the distinctive forward ears. The face appears to be closely trimmed with a mustache left at the muzzle.

Hans Memling - Bathsheba

In this canvas a poodle is just visible at the left edge, it is standing near the maids skirts. In this case although we cannot see the tail of the poodle, the face and the fall of the ears is sufficient to convince me that this is a poodle.

On to Pitfalls