The Poodle is a formal dog breed that comes in three varieties: Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, and Toy Poodle. The origin of the breed is still discussed, with a prominent dispute over whether the poodle descends from Germany as a type of water dog, or from the French Barbet. The poodle is a breed that has been present in Europe for centuries in some form or another, and it first debuted on the Continent long before heading to the British Isles let alone North America or East Asia or Australia.