Grooming your dog – Part 11
January 14, 2011 
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Grooming is one of the essential requirements of caring for a Poodle. This particular breed of dog doesn’t shed hair the way most dogs do, but does need a regular haircut and grooming regimen.
Professionals agree that it is best to introduce your poodle to the clippers at the earliest possible time. If you have a puppy, the more familiar that puppy becomes with clippers, nail clippers, tweezers, brushing and other grooming paraphernalia, the more comfortable they will be in the future when they find themselves in dire need of a good grooming.
During a grooming episode, each of the following should be considered:
Shampooing with consideration of delicate skin. Poodles have especially delicate skin and do require a gentle shampoo that won’t irritate skin.
Flea & Tick Prevention methods like Frontline or Biospot are excellent for avoiding flea and tick problems with any dog.
Clipping hair while taking into consideration that clippers do get hot and you will need to continuously lubricate the clippers while stopping the clippers for cooling off periods. Also, you will find that some areas require extra time. TAKE TIME to clip carefully in order to keep from burning your pet with the clippers, something that can happen when clipping to closely to the skin.
Clipping nails with specialty clippers designed for dogs. During this process, the person doing the clipping should be extra careful not to clip to closely as it is easy to clip a nail too closely and the toenail will bleed & be painful for the dog if you clip into the qwik.
Long-handled, round-ended hemostats that look like large tweezers should be used when Tweezing in the inner ear. Tweezing of the ear hair is essential for the poodle due to ear infections and wax buildup, but should be done very carefully as this area is quite sensitive for the dog. After tweezing, use cotton swabs or Q-Tips dipped in alcohol or peroxide to clean the inner ear.
Dental hygiene encourages owners to use a canine toothpaste and specialty tooth brush for dogs, following up with treats intended to reduce tarter and plaque. Poodles seem to be susceptible to dental problems so this is definitely a part of the grooming process you won’t want to forget.
You will want to consider, according to the current weather conditions, that the poodle might be cold after grooming and you will want to select a special dog sweater or fleece coat for this instance.
Grooming can be a disaster or, if you master the art of grooming, a wonderful experience for both you and your poodle. The grooming process is time consuming but is essential for anyone who enjoys that special bond that only a poodle seems capable of.
