From California with love of Poodle

[oley]

Пока искала обложки с пуделями, нашла кое-что другое интересное!

Книга A History And Description Of The Modern Dogs Of Great Britain And Ireland. (Non-Sporting Division) автора Rawdon Briggs Lee 1894 года издания. В ней целая глава из 7 частей посвящена пуделю.

Много смешного с позиции современного человека. Например, что пудель, конечно, отличный компаньон, но по сравнению с другими породами слишком вонюч...

Some of my readers may wonder why a dog with all the intelligence and faithfulness of the poodle is not the most popular of his variety. Scientists have told us that his "cerebral cavity is more capacious than in other dogs, that the frontal sinuses are fully developed, and that the general formation of the head and skull exhibit every indication of extraordinary intelligence." But the poodle is, like most dogs with curly coats, a rather strong smelling animal, and not always quite a pleasant companion to have in the house. In other respects no animal could be better adapted for the purposes of a companion, for he is sensible, a good follower out of doors, seldom fights or quarrels, moreover he is a perfect specimen of faithfulness.

Общее впечатление: автор бесконечно восхищён талантами пуделя. И даже приводит "научные" подтверждения его исключительным способностям. Очень красиво описывает и трогательно! Интересно, что согласно его свидетельствам роль пуделя как охотничей собаки ещё 120 лет назад сошла на нет:

Much more could be written about the poodle as a sporting dog, but as one of the Modern Dogs of Great Britain he is used only as a pet and companion, purely a fancy dog and as a performer on the stage, in the circus, or in the streets. He is a "show dog" in the proper acceptation of the term, and although there are other varieties of the canine race taught to perform tricks of various kinds, the poodle is accepted as the performing dog par excellence. It is he who stands on his head, climbs ladders, walks on rolling barrels, turns somersaults both backwards and forwards, feigns death, and performs a host of other accomplishments of which terriers are his imitators.
...
As I write, I should say there are now in 1893, at least half-a-dozen troupes of performing dogs in the metropolis, and each contains several poodles.

Вторая моя находка — фотоальбом австрийской(?) цирковой труппы, гастролировавшей в США в 1927-м году, а потом в течение последующих десяти лет по всей Европе. И у них, конечно же, пудели! Вот такие :)



Фотоальбом был обнаружен в 2001-м году.