How to Razor Comb a Poodle

Poodles have thick hair that requires near constant grooming. This is even more true if you plan to show your pet poodle. One of the best ways to manage a poodle's coat in between trips to the dog groomer is to use a razor comb to thin the hair.A razor comb is a special comb that is specially designed to cut the poodle's hair close to the root. While some razor combs are designed with a double-edged razor blade in the middle of the comb, the type of razor comb you should use for dog grooming has teeth that are designed to cut the hair.The advantage of the razor comb over clippers is that the affect of the razor comb looks more natural than hair that has been thinned with clippers or scissors.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Groom your poodle before you start thinning her hair with a razor comb. Give her a bath, wash her hair and let her dry completely. Make sure that your poodle is free of dead hair and tangles before you start to thin her coat.

2. Select an area of hair that you want to thin. If you have never tried to thin your poodle's hair by yourself before, find a spot that won't be noticeable if you take too much hair.

3. Comb through the selected section of hair with the razor comb. When you pull the comb away from your poodle, you will find that there is a large amount of hair wrapped around the comb's teeth. This hair has not been pulled from the poodle's skin; instead, the cutting edge on each of the comb's teeth has simply cut the hair right next to the skin.

4. Remove the freshly pulled hair from the comb's teeth and throw the hair away. Due to the large amount of hair that you will be removing from your poodle's coat, it helps to put a trashcan beside you in your grooming area.

5. Repeat the process until you have thinned every section of your poodle's coat. While you are using a razor comb to thin your poodle's coat, stop often and take a few steps away to view the overall appearance of your work. You will be able to see how well the thinned sections blend with the rest of the hair.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider your poodle's temperament before you start to use the razor comb. Although the razor comb doesn't actually hurt your dog, there is a slight tugging on the dog's skin that some sensitive dogs don't like. If your dog is especially sensitive, you should put a muzzle on him first and make sure you keep your face a safe distance away.