Grooming

A large part of owning a poodle is the grooming that comes with the breed. Whether you choose to groom your dog yourself or take them to the groomers regularly, you should expect to spend a good amount of time and money on grooming your new poodle. If you don’t cut them they will mat up and grow hair down to the ground. Size does matter here. With a Standard Poodle you will end up paying around 60 dollars for a simple shave down. This can be done as little as twice a year if you like the shaggy look, or every 6 weeks for a cleaner look. I like mine shaved often and the face and feet done every 2 weeks, and let the body hair go for several months. Because of this I bought a pair of clippers and do it myself. Not really much trouble and it saves me tons!! Something to consider when getting a Standard. If the cost of grooming gets you down looking at one of the smaller versions (small standard, mini or toy) might be the answer.

Grooming your dog yourself, if you have the time, can be a really good way to bond you and your new puppy. Your puppy will be freshly groomed the morning that you received them so I do suggest waiting a night before bathing them again. If you have any questions about how to groom your dog however I am more than willing to assist you over the phone or in person when you pick up your new puppy.

I have found this website very helpful with a reference for a grooming reference from everything from ear care to types of haircuts.

Ear Hair

No matter how scrupulous you choose to be with your puppy's coat there are some things that are required about every three weeks. Poodles are unique in the amount of hair they have. This hair grows everywhere and because of this plucking out the ear hair of your poodle is required! Not being done will cause bad ear infections from the hair trapping in liquids and debris. This process is not a hard one though many choose not to do it themselves because pulling the ear hair does cause the dog discomfort. It will need to be done about every three weeks. Simply use hemostats and a tad bit of ear powder (not to much or you can cause clumps and infections) to allow for better grip on the hair and pull the hair out of the ear canal. I can demonstrate this when you pick up your puppy if you would like.

Ear Cleaning

As a water dog poodles are very susceptible to ear infections. In order to avoid this ear cleaning needs to be done every few weeks. I generally do this when I pull mines ear hair. Whether your dog swims or not this is necessary. Simply fill their ear canal with some ear cleaner massage just under their ear, allow them to shake their head and use a cotton ball to wipe out the debris in the canal and around it. Do this until there is no visible debris.

You must clean a poodle's ear every time it is bathed to ensure that the water is not retained in the ear.

FEET

I recommend cutting their feet simply because it will save your floors from having to mop or sweep every time your poodle goes outside. Clipping their feet can be the hardest part of the process and I suggest while playing or rubbing their bellies get in the habit of playing with their fit so that they can get accustomed to the feel of this. Before you received them I will have already started doing this and they will have been cut before but depending on the dog some will be less accepting of the allowing this but they all eventually grow immune to it.

You generally want to clip the feet at the joint right above the sole. Although some do clip it in "highwaters" up to where the second joint is and dewclaw would be; especially if their dog spends allot of time swimming or outdoors. This video is a good reference for feet!

SANITARY CUT

Like I said before poodles grow hair everywhere. Even if you allow your poodle to grow out for the shaggy look they will still need a sanitary cut. This cut is simply cutting around their privates for cleanliness. Depending on a male or female this cut will obviously change. But it is relatively easy to do and there is always a good reference book available.

FACE

Many people choose to shave their poodles face to keep it clean from eating and drinking. In a white or cream poodle the drinking can cause discoloration on the face.

This video is good to show you hot to set up good face lines.

BATHING

Depending on your expectations of your poodle you will have to bathe your dog anywhere from once a week to once every few months. Our male poodle loves to swim and play rough and so is normally shaved all over every two months during the summer. Although he by no means has the hair of the show poodles that many are used to, he is very happy and he only needs bathing about once every other month or when hes just gotten in something especially dirty and brushing him isn't needed in the summer due to his short coat.

My female poodle is much more laid back and so her hair is left longer and because of her light coloring she does receive baths about once every three weeks and does need brushing when she has got things caught in her fur and after baths.

If you expect to show your poodle you will obviously have to spend much more time grooming your poodle than I do. My poodles are primarily pets and with their personality they prefer it that way.

The most important thing about bathing is to make sure if your puppy has long hair to get wet clear to the skin and to get the shampoo COMPLETLEY out. This can be difficult with longer coats. The other very important thing about bathing is that you must use ear cleaner after each bath! Poodles retain water in their ears and the ear cleaner works as a swimmers ear medication of sorts and dries it out.

It is optional to also use dog conditioner on your puppy. As your puppy gets older if it’s hair get course or very long conditioner can help it brush though easier and retain it’s soft quality. It can also quicken the drying time of the coat.

Drying your poodle is also necessary especially in the first three years of their lives when poodles are very prone to matting. While blow-drying use a slicker or pin brush gently, for this will make the coat soft and fluffy. If you wait until the coat is dry to brush it the tight curls will return because they dry set and your dog will loose the fluffy look and will mat easier. When you receive your puppy it will have been bathed and dried starting at around 4 weeks once a week with increasing recurrence with age to get them used to the noises and sensations that go along with grooming.

Nail Clipping

This is not always required. My male doesn't need this because he runs and plays so often his nails stay short on their own. My female, on the other hand, needs it on her front paws but not her back. It is a very simple process. I recommend getting some dog nail clippers for relatively cheap. Depending on the pigment in your dog's nails this could be easy to fairly difficult. On a white dog with clear nails is very easy you will simply cut just before the pink inner part called the "quick" . In a dark dog with black nails it can be more difficult. You will cut just before the "hook" in the nail. If you have a mistake no fear, though nails bleed allot like our fingers it is simply a cut and will heal. You can either have Kwik Stop from the store or even baking powder or flour to stop the bleeding if you run out.

After clipping them I recommend using a dremel or a nail file if that's what you have to cut down the sharp edges created from cutting the nails. This is especially advisable to puppies that love to jump on children and legs and furniture.

Brushing

Depending on the length of your puppy's hair you will have to brush it almost never, to daily. If you choose to grow your poodle's hair out brushing it is necessary. The hair that the poodle shed gets caught in the rest of its hair causing it to mat. Proper brushing prevents tangles and matting, spreads the naturals oils of the skin, increases the blood circulation in the skin, plus, your poodle will actually enjoy it. I use a good pin brush for regular grooming; it is a bit less harsh on the hair than the slicker brush. The pin brush is also best for longer hair. A slicker brush is best on shorter hair to remove debris or matting.

Hair Clipping

This is the part of grooming that is the most time consuming. I do clip my own dogs as I find it good for the relationship as well as a way to save quite a bit of money. Although the original cost of supplies can be large, with a dog you will have for many many years over time it will be cheaper. When you receive your puppy it will have been clipped starting at around 4 weeks once a week with increasing recurrence with age to get them used to the noises and sensations that goes along with grooming.

Again depending on your preference this can be a very complicated cut like for shows or a very simple cut like that of my male. Again I am more than willing to help out in any way I can with questions you may have. My suggestion would be to start with a simpler cut that you like and slowly move up. My first few cuts did not turn out as I had planned but it is hair and it did grow back. Anyone can do this with practice. My 12 year old sister actually grooms mine regularly and is quite good at it.

If you desire to get into more complicated cuts do a little research. Andis offers some very helpful youtube videos on clipping different styles and parts of the poodle. There are many many books and charts available online as well.

Dixie Standards