Corded Poodles always get a lot of attention, but there was a time when it wasn’t very welcomed, at least among some fanciers in the UK.  In the late 19th century, the Corded Poodle was shown as a separate and distinct breed because it was so strikingly different in appearance from other Poodles known then as “curly Poodles.”  Judges who felt that this difference was superficial rebelled, but Poodle owners pushed back.  The debate got so heated that a special committee meeting was convened at the Kennel Club in London to settle the matter once and for all. On February 1, 1898, the two sides of the issue were presented. Exhibitors demanded a separate class for the two Poodle types. The chairman, however, demanded that the idea be abandoned. He said, “If the coat be cut, or brushed, combed or fluffed, the Poodle is Curly; whereas if it be uncut and untouched by comb or brush and simply be kept from getting matted, its natural tendency is to form cords, and the dog is Corded.”

Eighty of the most prominent show judges in Europe signed a petition supporting the view of the chairman, and his argument prevailed. Officially, the corded Poodle ceased to exist, and only a few die-hard corded Poodle enthusiasts continued to prefer them.  These days, one still sees fewer corded Poodles than their brushed counterparts, but because grooming has come a long way from the days when cords were oiled and long enough to sweep the floor, today’s corded Poodle is, in our view, spectacular. Full disclosure. As Puli owners, we would be expected to say that.  To learn more about corded Poodle hair and its part in a hair coat study, read this. To see a corded Poodle shoot, look here, and to see a photograph of the very first Poodle to earn a championship in England (and he happened to be corded), go here.

Image of the July 2000 issue of AKC Gazette cover, the first time many people saw a corded Poodle.  The Poodle was “Carley,” also known as Ch. Somerset Sweet Success, owned by Charla Gordon and shown by Dennis McCoy.