Appearance
According to the AKC standard, a Poodle should be of moderate build, neither heavy or insubstantial. It should have an elegant, balanced appearance, and should carry itself in a "proud" or "dignified" manner.Most Poodles are proportionally long-legged dogs. They have dense, curly, non-shedding fur that grows year-round and requires regular grooming. Most are solid-colored, and many registries only allow solid colors in conformation shows. "Parti" (short for parti-colored) Poodles have large patches of colors. "Phantom" Poodles have the color pattern of a black-and-tan dog, although not necessarily black and tan. Solid colored Poodles may either "hold" their color (i.e., stay more or less the same color throughout their lives) or "fade" or "clear" to a lighter shade. Usually, the ears and the thicker guard hairs hold more of the original color than other fur.
The tail is usually docked in the US, less often in Europe. These days, tails, when docked, are left much longer than in times past. "Bunny tails" (very short-docked tails) are now rarely seen except among puppy millers.