Dog Grooming Hints

Grooming your toy poodle

A poodle is very intelligent with a proud look and loving personality. They were one of my favourite dogs to groom at the shop and one of my favourite pets. They are quick to learn and easy to get use to the requirements we bring upon them for a certain look. They are eager to please you and love the attention brought upon them at grooming time.

I worked with a local shelter and on one of my visits there sat this little toy poodle with sad eyes. They said that if they did not find a home for her soon they were going to put her down. She was older and belonged to a lady that had been put in a nursery home. She came home with me. Pepper (because of the grey hair in her black fur) was a very loving companion, but she had some bad experiences with grooming and hated her paws to be touched. It is an obstacle with older dogs, but they can overcome the fear with loving attention and making groom time less stressful.

Poodles need to be brushed with a slick and pin brush daily to keep the fur matt-free and clean. The ears should be checked for cleanliness and dryness regularly to reduce problems with infection. They barely shed at all, but their skin is sensitive and needs special attention when older to stay moist and healthy. Nails should be kept trim and clipping done regularly.

Clipping should be done every six weeks. Professional grooming is best for the attention needed, but if you would like to work with them yourselves the easiest cut is the puppy clip.

Get a quality set of clippers, as the curls in their coats can be tight and catch in the teeth of the blade. Brush out the coat for a smooth and matt-free finish before using the clippers. Get a #10 blade to trim between the pads and the entire foot. This blade should also be used on the stomach, around the anus, and about an inch up the tail for a puffy ball to be formed. On the nose and around the face to just over their eyes is also the #10 blade.

On the body use a #5F blade to clip over the entire body except tail and ears. Start from the base of the tail and work up to the head slowly, then down the sides and legs. This will give an even coat that is easy to manage.

Trim around the ears with a good set of scissors. Hold the ear between your first two fingers and follow the line of the ear for even hair to that shape. Around the head shape into a bowl-like ball and at the feet for even skirt around the paws. Brush the tail to the tip and hold between your finger to trim evenly, then at the base of the tail shake it a bit to fluffy it out. Trim around the fluff to a ball-like sphere on the end.

Bathing should be done after the grooming. Bath once a week with a quality shampoo; when they become older use a good oatmeal brand for their skin’s care as well. Use a dryer and brush as you are to get a nice fluff to the coat. If you have just given a clip, check after the drying for any faults in the trim and use scissors to clean it up.

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There are many different breeds of dogs out there. The choices are too numerous to count. With each breed of dog you also have different colors of coat they will have, and the texture of their coat. Some dogs have short hair while others have long. Some breeds have a straight coat, while others are wavy or curly.

Tamming the Curls

No matter which dog you choose, you will need to know how to properly groom them. If you have a dog that has a wavy or curly coat, you will want to know how to take care of their coat properly. A dog with a curly or wavy coat will take more time and attention to keep looking good than a dog with straight hair.

When caring for a dog with curly hair you will want to make sure you keep the coat a good length. If you let the coat get too long it will get tangled easily, and twigs and debris will get stuck in it. This is especially important to people who show their dog, or use their dog for hunting. It is easier for your dog to be helpful while hunting if he has a coat that is well maintained.

Cutting the Curls

Most curly haired dogs will need to have their coat cut. Two inches is the best length for the dogs coat. It does take time and practice to master cutting your dogs hair. Some people choose just to use a buzzer, this is an easy fast way of cutting your dogs coat. Others choose to use a scissor, which takes more practice. If your dog is going to be in dog shows you may want to take them to a place that specializes in dog grooming.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when grooming your dogs coat yourself, or between visits to the dog groomer. First you will want to make sure you brush the dogs entire coat to get rid of as dead coat as you can, this also gets rid of the tangles. A pin brush and or slicker brush usually work the best for this. Next you will want to use a comb to make sure you get every tangle. To ensure that you do not rip any hair out you will want to take your time.

After you are sure you have removed all the dead hair, and the tangles you are ready to proceed with the cutting. The first thing you will want to do is remove any extra hair. Remember you should leave the hair about two inches long, and it should be a pretty even cut. Now you will want to proceed to the foot, and the foot pads. You will want to cut any excess hair from between the paws, the make the paw blend in with the leg hair.

After you have finished with the legs and paws you are ready to continue towards the torso. You will want to make sure you cut off excess fuzz, and shape the hair in a way that flatters your breed of dog. You will want to make sure you take your time and do a good job. Stop periodically to look at you work. Having a picture of your breed of dog will be a big help. This way you have an idea of what you are going for.

After cutting your dogs hair you will want to give your dog a bath. After the bath all you need to do is towel dry your dog. By towel drying you are allowing the dogs natural curls to show. This will look much better than if you try and blow dry it.

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