Portuguese Water Dog for everyone. Because of their intelligence and working drive, they require regular intensive exercise as well as mental challenges. They are gentle and patient — but not "couch potatoes", and boredom can cause them to become destructive. One theory proposes that some of the dogs left the Asian steppes with the Goths, a confederation of German tribes. Some, (the Ostrogoths), went west and their dogs became the German poodle, called in German the poodle-hund or puddle-dog—that is, water-dog. Others, the Visigoths, went south to fight the Romans, and their dogs became the Lion Dog, groomed in the traditional lion cut.
Poodle the breed for hunting, with some success. The Canadian Kennel Club admitted the Standard Poodle for hunting trials in 1996 and the American Kennel Club in 1998, respectively. As of May 2017, the end results of 25 years of breeding to reawaken the hunting instinct have been a success. It has resulted in dogs that are very eager to please their masters. It has resulted in a gun dog with extreme intelligence, a relentless drive to catch its quarry, and strong swimming skills that requires special training: their aptitude is second only to the British Border Collie and thus the