How to Groom a Poodle

The Standard Poodle has a voluminous, wiry, curly coat. Although the stereotypical poodle is snow-white in color, they come in other colors such as brown and black. Poodles are distinguished and aristocratic in manner and you should make sure to keep your pet poodle well-groomed and styled. Their grooming regimen is fairly demanding, requiring a full grooming every 4 to 6 weeks and a general grooming at least once a week. Read on to learn how.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Metal combs
• Slicker brush
• Mat rake
• Splitter

1. Brush out your Standard Poodle's double coat with metal combs and a slicker brush. The guard coat protects the thick undercoat, but the undercoat can matt and tangle if you don't comb through it regularly. The undercoat is somewhat soft and cotton-like in texture which makes it very susceptible to unruly matting, a tendency that's intensified by the curly shape of the hair. Standard Poodles shed very little hair, if any.

2. Use a mat rake and a splitter to help remove particularly well-knotted clumps of hair. Be careful not to tug or pull on the hair to avoid hurting your dog.

3. Check the ears regularly for ear mites. Poodles tend to have a lot of ear hair growth, which should be trimmed back if too copious.

4. Scale the dog's teeth fairly regularly. Consult a professional if you're unsure how to properly and safely scale your poodle's teeth.

5. Decide what cut you think looks best on your dog. As with most breeds, there are different rules for trim on a pet and a show dog. However, with Poodles, even the regular pets are cut many different ways. The most popular choice for pets is the "Lamb Trim." It's the easiest to maintain, as the hair is cut to the same length all over the body.

Tips & Warnings

• Poodles are incredible smart and are one of the most trainable breeds. Although some people don't like their stately appearance and manner, Standard Poodles are generally very friendly dogs.
• Other names for the Standard Poodle are the Caniche, Barbone and Chien Canne.
• If a Poodle's coat is not well maintained, you or a groomer may have to remove the entire coat. After a certain point, detangling becomes far too painful--it's cruel to put the animal through such an experience due to the owner's neglect.

Resources

• Visit Petgroomer for instructions for many different Poodle coat cuts.