Grooming - Before you pick up the clippers and shears.

One of the fun things about showing your Standard Poodle is the crowds of people who "Ooo" and Ahh" as the group of Poodles, "groomed to the nines" enters the show ring. I think most folks assume that there must be some sort of wizardry to get the bushels of hair brushed up and banded into the style that is a part of the show-poodles's required cut.

Actually, I would agree that although it's not wizardry to groom the Poodle's hair, show groomers and handlers spend years developing the art of grooming a Standard Poodle to emphasize the dog's assets and play down the weaknesses. 

I am going to assume that you are not reading this web page because you want to groom and show a Poodle, but because you are tired of paying the grooming fees to your local groomer every 4 to 6 weeks. So...

 LET'S GROOM THE PET POODLE

Before beginning the process of grooming your dog or puppy their are several essential, and a few nice to haves to make the process easier on you and your dog.

Grooming Supplies Required: (Please see our Poodle Store for recommended grooming products.)

1. Shampoo - I use Classic Pantene shampoo on my adult dogs. On my puppies I use Johnson & Johnson Baby shampoo. Both of these shampoos clean and rinse out fairly easily if you use it sparingly. If I have a dog with special coat problems, such as itchy skin, I use a dog shampoo specially formulated to address the problem. I am not saying you have to use Pantene, only that it has been successful for me. There are thousands of dog shampoos on the market and you should use whatever works best for you.

2. Conditioner - I use Classic Pantene conditioner. Follow the directions for conditioning hair when you first use the product, but you may have to do a bit of adjusting. I use 1/4 conditioner to 3/4 water. If you are using a dog product, you mopst often can rely on the directions provided.

3. A grooming table - While I suppose you could groom your poodle on the floor, you will end up with a terrible back ache and most likely an inferior grooming. You can't groom a dog while you are standing above it, bent over, looking down on it and if you are sitting on the floor it is very hard to control your dog while grooming it. Invest in a quality table that is large enough to hold your full grown dog. I do not use a grooming arm since I train my puppies from their first grooming to stand and lay on the table, but if you have a dog that won't stand still and jumps of the table get a grooming arm to  help control it while grooming.

4. A dryer. If you are starting out with a puppy, a hand-dryer will work fine. You will however, begin to notice the length of time it is taking you to dry your dog as it grows is getting longer and longer. I use the hand dryer on my puppies until they are comfortable with it and then introduce the high velocity dryer on low speed for their bodies. I continue to use the hair dryer on their topknots and faces until they are comfortable with the high velocity dryer.

It takes about 8 hours with a hand dryer to dry a Standard Poodle in a sporting trim. At some point, you will realize that it is time to invest in a high velocity dryer. I like the dual dryers with both heat and high velocity functions. They are less expensive than purchasing two dryers and they work quite well.

5. Shears - Now is not the time to get cheap. Buy a pair of the best straight shears you can afford, You will also need a pair of curved shears to trim the curved areas of hair on your Poodle.

6. Clippers - Buy a pair of quality clippers. There is a huge difference between cheap and quality clippers. I have several pairs of clippers, but the one that I use most is the Wahl Arco SE. It has an adjustable blade that ranges from size 9 to 40. You can use the guard combs that come with your clippers or a #07 blade to leave the blanket of hair required in most pet trims.

You will also need clipper coolant to cool the clippers when they become hot. Canned air, like the type used to clean a computer, will help clean the hair out of the clippers. It will make your clippers quieter and function more efficently.

Brushes and Combs - You will need a large slicker brush for a Standard Poodle. You will also need a pin brush with the pins set in a rubber cushion. You will additionally need a wide -tooth comb and a Greyhound comb.

7. A tub - Your bath tub will work quite well, although I am dreaming of the day that I can afford a professional tub to save my back. I connect a length of hose to the shower head and put a garden nozzle on the hose connection to direct the water and make the rinsing process easier.

8. Towels - You will need at least 3 bath towels for a Standard Poodle.

Spray bottles - You will need at least one spray bottle to moisten you Poodle's hair while grooming.

9. Nail clippers, nail grinder, and nail clotting powder.

THE BATH

I like to fill my tub with water, just deep enough to cover your poodle when it is laying on its side. I then stir in enough shampoo into the tub to get the water moderately foamy. Put your dog in the tub, on its side, with its head out of the water. Whle protecting its eyes, using a bowl, gently pour the sudsy water over your dog. Work the shampoo into its hair. Turn you dog over and do the other side. Then work the shampoo into its topknot and ears.  When you are sure your dog is REALLY, REALLY clean - dirty hair mats - rinse, rinse, rinse. This is the part of the goomer process that many pet groomers shortcut. You have to get the soap out of the dog. Soap left in the hair attracts dirt and a dirty coat mats. When you are sure you have all of the soap out of your dog, rinse again for good measure.

THE CONDITIONING

I mix 1 part conditioner to 3 parts water in an old shampoo bottle. I start at the head, ears and mane and work the conditioner down the dog while standing from front to back on each side. Then I rinse the conditioner out. Make sure that the conditioner is thoroughly rinsed from the hair.

THE DRYING

This is the point that, while looking at your dog with all of that wet hair, you will wish you had taken the dog to the groomers. You will start to realize that they reallly do earn all that money they charge you. But you have purchased all of the stuff to groom your own dog so you should give it a try - at least once. I drape my Poodle's head with a towel held in place with a clip (I dry this area last and I want it to remain damp.) Dry your dog with a towel - allow it to shake a few times - and then using the third towel dry the tummy, lower legs and feet.

I start the drying process with the high velocity dryer and the dog standing. I blow most of the excess water off the dog until my Poodle is damp.

Teach your Poodle to quietly lie on the grooming table on its side. (This is best taught while your dog is a puppy.) Be firm, but do not scare your dog. You want the association with the grooming table to be positive. I  lay my dog on its left side - it doesn't really matter which side you begin on - I brush the right side hair first, because that is the side the judge judges in conformation shows. 

I begin at the mane area, sectioning off small sections and brushing the hair up and toward the backbone. I work from the mane down to the belly and then back to the tail. It soesn't really matter what drying sequence you use to dry you Poodle's hair. But you should develop a logical sequence for brushing.

I never brush dry hair. If the hair has dryed, moisten it with water or conditioner. If your Poodle's hair is short, you will find it easer to use a slicker brush in the short sections. I always use a pin brush on the topknot and ears. My dogs love to be brushed, and will usually fall asleep.

Your goal is to brush all of your Poodle's hair out until it is straight. Curly hair cannot be scissored to create the velevety look to the coat and guard combs pull and snag on the curls causing holes in the coat. If you find a matt, try to gently break it apart with your fingerts.Then use your slicker brush to gently pull it apart. I never use dematting combs or rakes on my dog's coat. They will leave large holes in your dog's coat before your know it.