Grooming the Standard Poodle

The Poodle is a very high maintenance breed, but the cost of grooming is a small price to pay for canine companionship that is without equal.

Unlike other animals which have fur, the Poodle coat is comprised of hair, similar to that of a human, and it never stops growing. In young puppies, their hair is soft and can vary between soft waves to pronounced curls. As the puppy grows, so does the time required for grooming. As the Standard Poodle puppy matures, he will go through a coat change. When this occurs varies from dog to dog, but it usually happens when the puppy is between 9 and 18 months. During this coat change, it may be necessary to brush your poodle on a daily basis to prevent him from becoming matted.

There are as many different pet styles as there are groomers, but there are only 3 allowed trims on poodles competing in the conformation ring.

Up to 1 year of age, the poodle is allowed to have a Puppy Clip

After turning 1 year of age, the poodle must be put into one of the two adult trims allowed

They are the Continental clip* Pictured: Ch. Ridgewood Starry Starry Nite, CD

and the English Saddle trim Pictured: Ch. Litilann's Absotivly Rosie

*A modified Continental trim is also acceptable for competing in the breed ring.

Hip Rosettes are optional as per the breed standard.

In all clips, the hair of the topknot may be left free or held in place by elastic bands.

Many poodle owners learn to groom their dogs themselves, and to that end, there are several very good books to aid in learning how to groom a poodle. This is just one of the books available.