The Toy Poodle was bred down from the Standard Poodle in the United States during the early 19th century. The Standard Poodle originated over 400 years ago in Germany, bred to be a duck retriever, with a thick coat to protect it against cold water, great swimming skills, and extreme intelligence. The name Poodle comes from the German word "pudelin", meaning to splash in water. The traditional and still-popular coat grooming style that you see many Poodles sport used to serve a purpose: it kept extra fur off so that the Poodle wouldn't be weighed down or get snagged on anything while swimming, but the tufts, or "pompons" protected vital organs against the cold.