Poodles are a group of formal dog breeds, the Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle. The origin of the breed is still discussed, with a prominent dispute over whether the poodle descends from Germany as a type of water dog, or from the French Barbet.

Ranked second most intelligent dog breed just behind the Border Collie,[6] the poodle is skillful in many dog sports and activities, including agility, obedience, tracking to herding, circus performers and assistance dogs.

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France and Germany's main kennel clubs, claim the breed descends from the French Barbet. When the breed was officially recognized by the FCI, in order to avoid any possible dispute between two founding members, Germany recognized the Poodle as a dog originating from France. The progenitor of the breed might have also been crossed with the Hungarian Puli. 

The British Kennel Club states that the breed originates in Germany, as do the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club, stating: "Despite the Poodle’s association with France, the breed originated as a duck hunter in Germany..."The Oxford English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary both trace the etymology of Poodle to the German Pudel, which itself comes from Pudelhund. The word Pudel in turn comes from Low German pud(d)eln meaning "[to] splash in water"

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The poodle has contributed to many other dog breeds, such as the Miniature Schnauzer, Standard Schnauzer, and dogs of the Bichon type in order to either save those breeds from extinction, reduce size, or by dog fanciers to improve their appearance.