It is conceded by many that the larger breed, or Standard Poodle, is the oldest of the three varieties.  It gained special 'fame' as a water-worker and was used in France primarily as a retriever.  It was so widely used by hunters as a retriever that portions of its coat were shorn to help it swim more efficiently in the water.  The patches of hair left on the body were left as a means to protect vital organs and joints susceptible to the cold.  From here came the custom of clipping, which captivated the French then, and now so the owners of Poodles everywhere.

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The Poodle's ancestors were acknowledged to be good swimmers, with the exception of the smaller 'truffle' dog, which never went near the water.  Truffle hunting was widely practiced in England, Spain and Germany, where the edible fungus has always been a delicacy.  It has been suggested that the Poodle was crossed with a terrier to produce the ideal truffle hunter (a smaller version with smaller feet, that did less damage to the truffles it was hunting.)

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There is evidence to show that the smaller breeds of Poodle (the Miniatures and Toys) became known shortly after the Standard breed.  Drawings by the German artist, Albrecht Durer, establish the breed in the 15th and 16th centuries.  It was the principal pet dog of the latter 18th century in Spain, as shown by the paintings of the Spanish artist, Goya.  France also had Toy Poodles as pampered favorites during the reign of Louis XVI at about the same period.  A 'sleeve dog' attributed to the West Indies became popular as the White Cuban in 18th Century England.