Grooming Poodles

Poodles are expensive primarily due to the grooming costs, so learning to do this yourself will save money and offer time to bond with your pet. Grooming poodles might seem hard, but it's actually a task that just about anyone can learn to do. To increase your skills you just need patience, and willingness.

It takes about three hours to groom a standard poodle once the skill is mastered, but you may need to divide the task over multiple days during the learning process. This is both to give you a break, and for your poodle. If you don't learn to perform this task yourself, you will need to carefully select a professional to do perform this maintenance task periodically. Talking to other poodle owners is a good way to find a good groomer.

We can look at some books and I can suggest some cuts, but you'll have to decide which trim you prefer. Poodle fur works well with many different styles, but your choice will depend on your willingness to devote time to the dog's grooming. Why you keep your poodle will make a difference too, because show poodles have a very limited range of acceptable trims.

All show poodles must have a variation on the traditional lion cut, of which there are three variations on this kind of poodle grooming - continental, English saddle, and puppy. However, they're all related to the traditional "poodle" cut that we know so well. Originally, this cut was created to help these dogs swim more effectively while retrieving birds from the water, as a long mane of fur on the chest protected the lungs and heart, and the tufts on the legs offered joint protection.

When it comes to non-competing poodles, you have much more to choose from. If you opt for a shorter trim, you'll find maintenance easier, especially during the winter months when it's easier to dry. Longer trims are showier, but they'll require more maintenance, so check some grooming books, or take a look at a few poodles to figure out what you prefer.

Most people choose to clip the fur at the base of the tail and on the feet and face very short, as this works better for the dog's hygiene, since long hair can trap food. Short clipped feet don't pick up grass seeds, and mean that your dog won't track in as much dirt, and remember that shorter coats are easier to wash and dry, and they don't need as much brushing as a fluffy, long coat. To keep your clippers and scissors in good shape use high quality equipment, and always wash your poodle before grooming. Although it's more expensive to start with, it'll make poodle grooming much easier.

Poodle grooming is an important part of owning a poodle. Find out how grooming poodles properly can really be a fun thing for you to do with your dog.

-Melinda Smith