As you can see by my avatar, I'm partial to poodles. I had one when I was a young girl and fell in love with how smart and loving they were. Now, some 30 years later, I have another poodle, Gigi. In between that time I've had several other breeds of dogs, and I can personally say that poodles will always be my favorite dog. Gigi is just as smart as my first poodle, and I completely get why they are referred to as the velcro dog. She is always next to someone on the couch, a bed or walking around the house; she is a clinger.
Yes, there is a lot of maintenence involved and I bath her weekly or bi-weekly and brush her hair almost daily (it would get matted if I didn't). But that extra grooming is so worth it to me. Poodles have hair, not fur, so it doesn't shed like dogs that have fur because it is so curly. Even when I brush her, there is very limited hair in the brush. And her hair smells so nice all the time. No doggie smell with poodle hair, even when she is due for a bath. Plus, I just love to run my fingers through that soft, fluffy hair. That's the comment I hear most from people who pet her: She's so soft!