Meet Gus. Gus is a poodle, but because of the restrictive nature of
the 
present-day standards, he
is a misfit. First, he is a particolor, which was once quite acceptable, but is no longer.
Many of the early prints depicting Poodles show them as particolor. These dogs were
medium-sized and generally black and white. They were originally used to hunt truffles,
aided by a Dachshund-type dog. The Poodles found the truffles and the Dachshund dug them
up. These dogs were originally found in France and were imported into England in the
nineteenth century. Even without the color bar, Gus would have little success at a
conformation show. At 15", he is technically a Miniature Poodle, but he is much more
stocky than the average Mini of today. He is probably closer to his ancestors.
Gus lives with Elizabeth in Michigan. At 11, Elizabeth says he is "outrageously
healthy", learns faster than any of the dogs he trains with, is calm, alert, eager to
please, responsive, a bit reserved with strangers, but good with kids and cats. What more
could you want?
Source: Parti-Colour Poodles by Ann Coppage (Vulcan), Our Poodle
(1977), pp. 19-25.
See also Finders (arrows and
truffles)
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