Circus Inspired Dog Names

In the grand scheme of doggy intelligence, we now know that Border Collies reign supreme as the brainiest breed around thanks to modern science. But long before there had ever been such a statement, it was actually Poodles, widely considered to be a close contender, who held the limelight in more ways than one. 

The history of performing poodles goes all the way back to 18th century England, when a showman named Crawley taught a troupe of Poodles with regal names like Marquis of Gaillerdain and Madame de Poncette to dance to the rhythm of music. For its time, the act was quite impressive, as the dogs showed an innate ability to find the beat and move to the cadence of different songs. 

But the 19th century took their abilities one step further. Instead of one simple task, the Poodles that followed the esteemed Londoners were able to perform a variety of tasks, many of which were purposely human in nature and quite convincing at that. In turn, many were dressed as people as well, including one act that had two “commoner” dogs carrying in a “lady dog” dressed as an aristocrat. The two carrying dogs seated her at a table with a traditional meal spread and she proceeded to eat, accompanied by two waiter dogs dressed in appropriate attire. The same troupe would when disappear offstage only to have others reappear as soldiers who would attack a toy fort. At the time, the acting company employed around 80 dogs, most of them Poodles, the rest smaller spaniel-types. 

The evolution of Poodle performance didn’t stop there either. Within a few years, there were dogs that were able to complete somersaults: backwards, forwards, sideways, and multiple at a time. They were trained to “take a hand” at cards and dominos, tightrope walk on two legs, or even four with a monkey riding on their backs. They were even trained to throw punches like boxers and were given the aesthetic dressings to make the show convincing. By the late 1800s, there were at least a half-dozen dog-based troupes performing in Europe, almost all of which contained at least some, if not a majority of Poodles. 

Since then, many dogs trained to perform similar tasks were much of the same and for good reason. While other dogs may have required less maintenance and took up less space in a traveling caravan, the intelligence of the Standard Poodle was nearly undeniable, as they were able to learn tasks at a much faster rate than nearly any other and thanks to their hypoallergenic and fluffy coats, could be perfectly stylized to fit just about any act, forever cementing them in circus lore.