Poodle body: back, chest, loin, croup, ribcage,An Illustrated Discussion of the Extended Australian Poodle Breed Standard
Poodle body: back, chest, loin, croup, ribcage,An Illustrated Discussion of the Extended Australian Poodle Breed Standard, Poodle Body

4th Edition 2023 by G J Ross.
Copyright © 2001-, G J Ross and J K McMahon
Poodle body: back, chest, loin, croup, ribcage,An Illustrated Discussion of the Extended Australian Poodle Breed Standard

 

BREED STANDARD
 BODY
Chest deep 1 and moderately wide 2. Ribs well sprung and rounded 3. Back short 4, strong, slightly hollowed 5; loins broad and muscular 6.


Discussion Notes:

1. The chest should extend down to the elbow(as illustrated in Figure A).

Figure A
Poodle body: back, chest, loin, croup, ribcage,

2. There should be sufficient room between the forelegs to allow this depth of chest without pinching it (as illustrated in Figure B).

Figure B
Incorrect

3. A slab-sided (flat) ribcage is incorrect, as also is barrel-shaped. The correct chest shape is almost oval with a gradual rounding towards the base. With a barrelled ribcage the elbows will be thrown out and loose ( as illustrated in Figure C) and will be particularly obvious when the dog is gaiting.

Figure C
Incorrect

4. The back of the Poodle should be straight and level with a short level croup (as illustrated in Figure D) and there should be no "falling away" over the croup (as illustrated in Figure E); a poor tail set/carriage will often indicate a croup that is not level.

Figure Dcorrect tail set

Figure EIncorrect tail set


5. From research conducted we find people's knowledge and understanding of this term "slightly hollowed" varies widely; it must be remembered that the first Poodle Breed Standard was based on dogs of that time and possibly the origin of "slightly hollowed" is hidden in history as the following indicates:

1886 The First Breed Standard, The Poodle Club (UK) stated: "Back: Short, strong and slightly curved"

1921 & 1934 Revised Standards, The Kennel Club (UK) stated: "Back: Short, strong and very slightly hollowed"

The present wording "slightly hollowed" was first used in 1921. Certainly it will be noted that there often is a very slight hollowing directly behind the highest point of the shoulders (the withers area) but there is no suggestion of a sway back; such a hollowing does not appear to serve any specific purpose anatomically except, possibly, to indicate the need for shoulders which are not restricted.

As stated previously, opinions vary widely amongst breeders and judges of the "why and where" and we were unable to draw any consensus on this point; we offer the above information for you to form your own opinion.

6. The loin of the Poodle is necessarily short to keep the whole dog in balance. A "broad and muscular" loin must be taken in context with a ribcage that is "moderately wide".

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