Poodles get a bum rap, due to the edible minature ones carried around under feebs' arms, and the poor sad show ring dogs being unspeakably and cruelly groomed ringside by over-imaginative fellows who could use a little time digging ditches for a living, just so's they know reality when presented with it.
I competed in dog agility courses a bit back and just got the biggest kick out watching working standard-bred poodles. Dey IS da workinest gem'mans, i do say. Bright and energetic, their worst drawback was that liked to embellish a performance by mebbe doing the required action twice or throwing in a curvette and extra jump -- out of sheer joy at working.
Thru those poodle folks I found out about the existence of real full sized, standard bred hunting poodles, and would presume that they have not disappeared in the decades since then. My canine is Chesapeakes and will be 'til I can't, but were there not those wavyfurred brown dogs, a spirited, intelligent poodle would be just fine in blind or boat or field. They are not wimp dogs, as mentioned above, and will give a full day of hard work.
In fact, I do believe a good slidey-breeched gun or two would be lovely and appropriate for such a noble creature: perhaps a short Ten and a Sixteen, true thinking hunter's gauges.
Go French!!! ;~`)
