Poodles have a long hunting history in Europe. They were originally bred to be water retrievers. The name "poodle" comes from the German word Pudelhund -- "pudeln" means "to splash" and "hund" means "dog." It was shortened to Pudel -- or poodle, in English.
Retrievers were originally bred to help hunters find birds or other game and bring them back undamaged. For this sort of job, the dog needed a “soft,” gentle mouth, where he would carefully carry the prey without damaging it.
