Dog shows are supposed to be about, well, dogs. But because our breeds are also a reflection of our cultural attitudes, sometimes they become about much more.
Consider, for example, the 2020 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. In the booming confines of Madison Square Garden on Best in Show night as judge Robert Slay surveyed the seven group winners, the consensus among the assembled dog folk was that this lineup was as good as any in recent memory. With quality so deep, virtually any of those canine contenders could’ve gotten the nod.
In the end, the winner was the black Standard Poodle, “Siba” (GCh. Stone Run Afternoon Tea). And then the controversy – outside the dog world, that is – began.
Not a Popularity Contest
Perhaps the biggest uproar in 2020 came from the commentary of CNN’s John Berman, who dismissed the Poodle as “elitist.” He opposed the passing over of the Golden Retriever, who, based on the whooping in the arena, was the crowd favorite.
But dog shows aren’t popularity contests. Dogs don’t win Best in Show based on how many of them are watching from home on couches across America. Instead, the decision hangs on how closely an individual dog meets the criteria of its standard, the detailed document that is the blueprint of a given breed.
“Hey, John!” the AKC posted in response to Berman’s tweets. “We’d be more than happy to educate you on the benefits of purpose-bred dogs — from heroic bomb-sniffing German Shepherd Dogs and Diabetic Alert Dachshunds to Poodles like Siba that represent dedication to responsible preservation breeding.”
After Wire Fox Terriers, which have been victorious at Westminster 15 times, Poodles are the winningest breed, with its three varieties claiming a total of 11 Bests in Show (five of them by Standards), though Siba’s 2020 win broke an almost two-decade-long dry spell. “Sage” (GCHG CH Surrey Sage), a 3-year-old Miniature Poodle, was the most recent winner, claiming the prize in 2024.
The Glamour of Show Dogs
Berman’s criticism of Siba in particular (and Poodles in general) centered on her elaborately coiffed appearance. In particular, he noted the bracelets on her wrists and her gravity-defying topknot. As Poodle experts patiently explain to anyone who will listen, the breed originated as a water dog. They were traditionally shaved down to increase their speed in the water, except for a few vital areas – including the chest and joints – where hair was left to keep them warm.
“A lot of these people watching on TV don’t know much about dog shows, and don’t understand that almost every breed is glamorized,” Shoemaker notes. “Look at any breed that has a coat.”
This style of grooming, which has become so prevalent in many coated breeds (including supposedly natural ones), can be considered just as over the top within the context of their breed. But it’s the Poodle that seems to draw a disproportionate amount of criticism from those outside the show world
Poodles: Happy and Versatile
This rather irrational sense of doggie entitlement surfaces in another component of Berman’s rant: the suggestion that somehow Siba was unhappy being required to glide around the ring – something Guilfoyle says is patently untrue to anyone fluent in canine body language.
“The way she showed – tailing wagging, literally smiling – reflected a dog that was very confident, very sure of herself, and very secure in what she was doing,” he says. “But for some, there was this perception that she belongs to very wealthy people and so she doesn’t have a life.”
Guilfoyle notes that the breed excels not just in hunt tests, but also in agility, obedience, and AKC Rally. “There are a lot – a lot – of dual champions,” he notes. Many Poodles have succeeded both in the show ring and in the field.
Some Poodle exhibitors – especially those whose dogs compete in performance events – have begun to experiment with a less intensive trim called the Modified Continental. Not as elaborate as the traditional Continental clip seen on Siba and most other show Poodles, the Modified Continental basically shortens the length of coat.
Will this more restrained cut catch on? Poodle grooming has changed over the centuries, so its ongoing evolution is anyone’s guess. But in the end, whether sculpted into “the haircut to end all haircuts,” as one Siba watcher phrased it, or shaved into a basic puppy clip, the one thing all fanciers can agree on is that the most important thing about a Poodle is on the inside.
Poodle Pomp Throughout the Centuries
Paul Lepiane, founder of Poodle Variety magazine and an avid student of all things dog, put together this quick history lesson for a friend who asked: “Why the crazy haircut?”
1600s
In the earliest dogs – as seen in a baroque-style self-portrait of the painter Rembrandt and his Poodle – the rear half was shaved and the front half covered in longer hair.
1870s
The Poodle’s distinctive coat made it an important contributor to the development of other breeds, including the Curly Coated Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, and Portuguese Water Dog.
1900s
As time goes on, the Poodle’s grooming pattern stays basically the same, but the hair gradually gets longer. The theory is that for a dog retrieving ducks in cold water, the hair left on the body keep the shoulders and internal organs warm. The shaved areas free the dog up to swim better. Gradually the hair left on the joints gets longer as well.
1940s
The 1940s marked a big leap forward, with better grooming products and electric hair blowers and dryers. The shaved rear legs were still popular, but from the 1940s through the 1960s, a version with wide cuffs covering most of the rear legs become increasingly popular.
1950s – 1960s
Poodle popularity skyrocketed in the 1950s, from “normal” in 1949 (2,165 registrations) to most popular among all breeds, with 58,000 registrations, in 1959. The breed continued to grow and remained number one until 1983, when Cocker Spaniels took over.
The 1960s were the height of the rage for long hair on the body, which almost totally covers the front legs, but with little on the top of the neck and head. During the 1950s and ’60s Poodles were thought of as “fashionable,” even though the grooming is every bit as extreme as today, albeit in different ways: much more length of body coat, but shorter topknots with less spray.
1970s – Today
Beginning in the 1970s, the style changes to much less hair under the dog and much more on the neck and head, which is considered much more elegant and athletic looking. This trim is still in vogue today, and is seen on most American show dogs.