We all know poodles as those cute and graceful dogs that you might see poking out of a celebrity's handbag. But actually, there's a lot more to this dog breed than that! If you want to find out, keep reading!

Poodles not your cup of tea? Weird.... but never mind, we have plenty more amazing facts to choose from! Just have a look at these bear hibernation facts, these giant squid facts, or even these snoozy sloth facts!

1. There are three types of poodle

And each one is cuter than the last! The 3 types are: standards, miniature and toy. Standard is the biggest, then miniature, and toy is the smallest at a teeny 28cm tall! Which one is your favourite?

2. They come from Germany

This is surprising because poodles are also the national dog of France! Dog historians (yes, that is a real job) have traced poodles back to Medieval Germany, where they were traditional hunting dogs. Fancy that!

3. Wait, hunting dogs??

That's right! Poodles were originally bred to hunt ducks, and were so good at it they were called "water dogs". Over the years poodles have become more and more dainty looking, and its hard to know if they'd still be any good at hunting. They might be, but poodle owners these days don't go duck hunting very often!

4. Their haircut helped them hunt

The classic poodle hairdo is also because of their hunting background! Poodles were shaved on their backs and legs to help them swim better in water, with fur kept on the feet and neck to stay warm. They don't look much like hunters - but they were!

5. They're very intelligent

Poodles are very smart dogs, and can learn new tricks very quickly. It was because of this that they became regular performers in French circuses, and were easily trained to balance on balls and do different routines. It was probably also because they look pretty funny!

6. There are LOADS of crossover breeds

What do you get when you breed a poodle with a cocker spaniel? A cockapoo. And with a labrador? A labradoodle. And a schnauzer? A schnoodle. These aren't jokes - but very real mixes between poodles and other dog breeds! And there are SO MANY!

7. Poodles are decent sled dogs

Poodles may not be as fast or as strong as huskies when it comes to pulling sleds through ice and snow, but they do have one advantage. Poodles are very aware of their owners, and unlike huskies they'll stop if their owner falls off the back of the sled! Huskies on the other hand will keep on going regardless! Not ideal if you fall off in a storm!

8. Poodle fur never stops growing

This means they need to be regularly groomed, otherwise their fur matts up and turns into dreadlocks!

9. Elvis was a big fan of poodles

Elvis kept a whole bunch of poodles, and gave them names like "Champagne" and "Honey". In fact, Elvis would regularly give poodles to people as gifts! Maybe poodles were the inspiration for his song "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog"?

10. A poodle has worked out how to use a lift

Remember we said poodles were really smart? Well, Nala the teacup poodle lives in an American nursing home and has figured out how to use the elevator to move from floor to floor, and does it regularly to say hi to the patients there!

11. Other poodles have important jobs too

It's not just Nala with an important job! Because of their intelligence, poodles are often used as guide dogs, therapy dogs, and even truffle hunters! Truffles are very stinky and valuable lumps of fungus that are much sought after by fancy chefs. So next time you see truffle oil in the posh part of the supermarket you'll know it could have been a poodle that helped put it there!

12. Poodles are record-breakers!

One particuar poodle has got in the Guinness book of Records an impressive number of times! Sailor the poodle has smashed the world record for climbing stairs the fastest on hind legs, managing to climb 20 stairs in only 18 seconds! He's also been recognised as the fastest dog in the world when it comes to walking on top of a large ball for 10 metres - doing it in only 33 seconds! And if that isn't impressive, we don't know what is!