Although the Poodle has been known throughout Western Europe, its origin is controversial. It is certain that the Poodle descended from a now nearly extinct French water dog, the Barbet and possibly the Hungarian Water Hound. The name "Poodle" is derived from the German word "Pudel," which means one who plays in water. The Poodle was used as a gun dog. Originally the breed was used in Germany and France as a retriever of waterfowl. Hunters clipped the dog's thick coat to help him swim, leaving hair on the leg joints to protect them from extreme cold and sharp reeds. The French capitalized on the breeds high intelligence, trainability and innate showmanship and made the Poodle into a circus performer. His great popularity in that country led to the breed’s common name "French Poodle." In France, however, the Poodle is called the "Caniche," or duck dog. The Poodle has been used to sniff out truffles lying underground in the woods. Toy Poodles became royal favorites, particularly in the 18th century. The Toy and Miniature Poodles varieties were bred down from larger dogs, today known as Standard Poodles. The Standard Poodle is an elegant, medium to large-sized dog, with a profuse, but well groomed and clipped, wiry curly coat. The head and muzzle are long. The skull is a bit rounded, with a slight stop. Brown and cafe-au-lait colored Poodles have dark amber eyes, while apricot dogs may have amber eyes, but dark eyes are considered better. The coat may be groomed into three basic styles: the "pet clip”, with relatively short hair all over the entire body, the "English saddle clip," and the "Continental clip," with the rear half of the body shaved, bracelets left around the ankles, and pom-poms left on the tail and hips. The Standard Poodle has a delightful springy gait.