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Poodle Post



The dog who modeled for the drawings in the book is a Standard Poodle. His full name is Blackbird. He was named for the late great Jazz Saxophonist Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, the song ‘Blackbird’ written by Lennon and McCartney and because it’s funny to have a dog named Bird.

The Standard Poodle is classified as a Gun Dog. In Germany the breed were known as Duck Dogs for their retrieving abilities. Poodles have also worked as circus performers, guard dogs and pulled carts delivering milk door to door. They were so admired in France that they were dubbed the French Poodle.

Poodles have hair not fur so they need to have it cut or it would grow and grow like Rapunzel’s. Bird gets a simple crew-cut every few months and we leave it at that.

The Poodle who appears in Counting in the Studio loves going to the beach, sipping water from a jug, sleeping next to his boy, and working in the studio which means, sitting patiently, offering his opinion when asked, barking if the garbage truck is too noisy and just being good company.

Would you like to know more about the Standard Poodle?

Would you like to see more drawings of dogs that have visited the artist’s studio? Please follow this link.   http://www.meganwilliamson.com/dogs.html

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