The Breed Standard states that Standard Poodles are active, intelligent, well balanced, elegant looking dogs. They have a sophisticated almost royal look to them and carry themselves very proudly.
Size: The Standard Poodle size is classified as any Poodle over 15 inches in height.
Skull: Moderately rounded head with a slight peak at the back. The foreface is long and straight with a slight chiseling that doesn’t fall away under the eyes. The chin is well defined, but not protruding. The lips are tight. The head must not be too large in proportion to the dog.
Eyes: The eyes are dark and almond shaped and should show an intelligent expression.
Ears: The ear leather should be long and wide and hanging close to the head, hanging slightly below eye level. The hair on the ears should be thickly feathered, but not excessively long.
Chest: Deep and moderately wide with well-sprung ribs.
Forequarters: The forequarters are muscular and strong. The shoulders slope well to the back and are approximately the same size as the upper forelegs.
Feet: The feet are small and tight, being proportionate to the body size. The toes are well arched and on thickened pads.
Topline: The topline is level from the highest point of the shoulder blade to the base of the tail with the exception of a slight hollow just behind the shoulder blades.
Hindquarters: The angulation of the hindquarters should balance the forequarters.
Proportion: The body measured from the breastbone to the point of the rump approximates the height from the highest point of the shoulders to the ground.
Colors: The Breed Standard states that Standard Poodles may be any solid color or shade of color. Clear colors are preferred, but “natural variations in the shading of the coat is not a fault.” There may be no white splashes or markings of any other kind. The official Standard Poodle colors are: black, white, apricot, brown, red, silver, blue, cream, cafe-au-lait and gray. Parti
and Phantom colors are becoming popular, but only the United Kennel Club allows them to be shown in the ring.
