I have known a lot of poodles. They are intelligent, full of energy and often have bigger than life personalities. But what amazes me the most is how self-assured some of the tiny poodles are. I once knew a toy poodle who was the boss of a dog training class. She was owned by the actual human trainer but this dog spend most of her time keeping all the other dogs in line. It didn't matter that she weighed around five pounds and most of the "students" were large hounds and shepherds.
During WII, poodle was one of the official breeds that was obtained for war service, utilizing their extraordinary ability to learn and keen senses.
Next time when you are at a dog park, just check out some of the martial arts moves that some poodles have. You might be pleasantly surprised...