The Standard Poodle is well known for its intelligence and trainability. Because of this, the breed has been used in many different ways. Poodles have been seen doing tricks in the circus, they are used in search and rescue situations, they were originally bred as water retrievers, and have been found to make EXCELLENT assistance and companion dogs for disabled individuals.

These dogs are so in tune with their humans that it is amazing. I had a little boy in my daycare with Downs Syndrome. He wasn’t always the nicest or the most gentle with the dogs, but they never even thought about staying away from him. They followed him from room to room just waiting for him to pay attention to them. They aren’t nearly as concerned with the other children!
MY WORKING STANDARD POODLES.

Another benefit of using the Poodle as an assistance dog is that they don’t shed. This means that individuals who have airway conditions and can’t usually be around animals can have a poodle with no trouble!