To:  French Kennel Club Poodle Standard Committee

         Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

We are a group of Poodle breeders and exhibitors around the world, who are appealing to the FCI and French Kennel Club Poodle Standard Committee to include the Red color in the list of colors allowed by the FCI Poodle standard.

Currently the FCI Poodle standard recognizes the Apricot color and prohibits the Red one. There are several problematic aspects related to this situation that legalizing the Red color can solve.

Both red and apricot colors are relatively rare in poodles and therefore a very limited gene pool is available for breeding. The introduction of the Red poodle will increase the existing gene pool for apricot and red breeders; this will benefit the breed by providing a more diverse breeding program for the breeders of apricot poodles. The diversity will improve the overall poodle genetic health and longevity of the breed. Limiting the gene pool is detrimental to the breed and in the long run will create problems that will be difficult, if not impossible to overcome. 

Currently both Red and Apricot poodles are registered by the breeders as the same color, Apricot, within the FCI. This situation prevents the breeders from correctly identifying the proper color in the pedigree and restricts their breeding program accordingly.

One of the arguments in the past against legalization of the Red color was that Red poodles fade very quickly. Latest scientific research proves that the fading gene exists regardless of the color. The experience of Red poodle breeders around the world over past 20 years demonstrates outstanding lines of Red dogs that keep their color over all their lives and forward it to their offspring.

On the other hand since currently only Apricot dogs can be shown in the FCI rings, the breeders prefer to include in the breeding program the Red dogs that have the early fading gene. This situation harms both Apricot and Red color breeding since it spreads the early fading gene among various Apricot and Red lines.

The goal of all breeders of purebred dogs should be to improve the breed.

A good poodle should be an intelligent and elegant dog that has the correct conformation to move soundly and proudly.  It should reflect the standard of the breed.  A poodle should be judged on its merits both physical and mental, color should be the last consideration when choosing excellence and therefore color should not hinder a poodle from the show ring or a breeding program.

We appeal to the French Poodle Standard committee and the FCI to help preserve and to promote red poodles and the tremendous strides made over the last generation by accepting the Red poodle within the FCI.

Attached is the material courteously provided by Poodle breeders around the world in support of this Petition.

http://redpoodlefcipetition.tripod.com