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Poodles are often renowned for their signature beautiful, curly coats. But you might be wondering what kind of care and grooming it takes to keep this coat in peak condition.
Thankfully, our comprehensive Poodle grooming guide can give you an excellent idea of what to expect when it comes to the needs of your Poodle’s coat and how you can go about fulfilling them.
While Poodles in popular culture and in the media are often depicted as being trimmed neatly in all different styles, Poodle owners actually don’t need to give their dogs haircuts. Those who want to give their Poodles haircuts do so either out of personal preference or if they compete with their dog in a show ring.
Once again, cutting your Poodle’s hair is not necessary, as it will not grow out of control if it is left to continue growing. This means you can effectively allow your Poodle’s hair to grow as long as you would like it to before you decide to give them a trim or get them trimmed by a professional groomer.
Alternatively, you can give your Poodle a haircut as often as every four to eight weeks if you would like to keep your dog’s coat looking spiffy. You should generally only give them a trim if they’ve been bathed, so you can kill two birds with one stone by taking your Poodle to a professional groomer this often.
If you are interested in cutting some curly Poodle hair, or if you want to get your dog’s hair styled by a professional groomer, there is a wide variety of cuts to choose from.
Not all of these hairstyles are meant for looks, though, as Poodles were originally bred to be water-retrieving dogs, and some of these styles are meant to increase their mobility on land and in the water when they are retrieving birds.
The teddy bear clip is a popular hairstyle that is given to many different dog breeds, but it can be customised somewhat when given to a Poodle. This cut usually entails cutting the entire body one length; however, some owners choose not to shave the face or feet. The hair on the dog’s head is also often cut into a round shape.
This haircut will give your dog a rather cute stuffed animal look that many owners find to be adorable.
The lamb clip is another popular style many owners choose for their dogs. This entails leaving your dog’s hair longer on its legs and shorter on its body. This haircut will prevent your Poodle from looking like it has stick legs, which will especially be an issue if you have a Standard Poodle.
This trim does not really have a specific length, so you can cut it to your liking or ask your groomer to do so.
The continental clip is standard cut for Show Poodles and requires a lot of maintenance, time, and patience to keep up with. This haircut entails leaving balls of fur around the bottom of the legs to keep the joints warm, which improves speed and agility. The back half of the body is shaved very short to improve speed and mobility when in the water as well.
The area around your Poodle’s face will also be shaved short to improve its vision and prevent any debris from getting in its eyes and snout. Finally, some fur is left on the tail tip to reduce the possibility of frostbite if your Poodle was to fetch a dead bird from a frigid lake or dam!
To groom your Poodle at home, you will need Poodle grooming tools like a slicker brush. If you only plan on grooming your Poodle and not giving it a haircut, you will still need a pair of scissors to get rid of mats.
If you have the time, it would be a good idea to brush your Poodle’s coat every day, as this will help to prevent mats and tangles from getting too serious.
You should gently brush your dog from head to toe with the slicker brush to remove any mats and tangles. If there are some that won’t budge with the brush, then you should carefully cut them with scissors. If mats are left for too long, they can cause issues for your dog’s skin.
If you want to learn how to cut any of the hairstyles mentioned above, you should watch some YouTube videos and follow along, as this will be easier than following a written guide.
You should generally bathe your Poodle once every 4 to 8 weeks, depending on how often they get dirty. You should fill your bathtub about 1/4 to 1/3 full with lukewarm water, depending on what type of Poodle you have.
You should make sure to only use dog shampoo, as it will not contain any harmful ingredients. Lather your dog from head to toe until its coat is covered in shampoo. You can then rinse them and dry them off gently using a towel.
Dog grooming does not only consist of looking after your dog’s coat; there are various other processes that need to be followed to keep your dog happy and healthy.
To clean your dog’s ears, you need a cotton ball and some dog ear wash. Pour some dog ear wash on the cotton ball, and gently clean out the visible portion of your dog’s ears. Using a cotton bud could damage your dog’s ear canal, and you should never clean deeper than necessary.
Use a guillotine-style nail clipper for your Poodle, and be careful not to cut too close the quick, as this will cause your dog to bleed. You should observe a groomer or vet do this on your dog first if you are nervous, as it will help you get an idea of how far up you need to cut.
You should use a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste when brushing your dog’s teeth. Brush gently around the gums and teeth, and then rinse the toothbrush and do this process again to remove excess toothpaste.
Experts recommend that you begin grooming your Poodle puppy when they are between 11 and 16 weeks old. Any sooner, and it will be too early, as your Poodle puppy will have likely only been weaned off its mother.
You should bathe your Poodle once every 4 to 8 weeks if they get dirty regularly, or once every 3 months if they don’t often get dirty.
Poodles can benefit from professional grooming, but it is by no means a necessity to get your Poodle professionally groomed often.
If you aren’t worried about your dog’s hairstyle, then grooming won’t take all that much time.
Shaving your Poodle in Summer can help it cope with the heat, but be careful not to shave them too close, or your dog could end up getting sunburn.
The Poodle is one of the most popular breeds of all time, and if you keep up with your dog’s grooming and keep it happy and healthy, it will not be long before you understand why.
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