How to Home Groom a Poodle
Home grooming a poodle doesn’t require a lot of skill. It mainly requires patience and a basic understanding of how he should look: The puffy ears, tuft of hair over the forehead and close shave everywhere else are features goals of a good groom. Most of all, he should just look like a well groomed poodle even though you did the grooming yourself.
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Instructions
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Give your poodle a bath. Preferably, do it in the backyard where there’s a lot space. Use mild soap designed for pets, applying it first around the neck and working it all over her body with warm water. After a few minutes, the dirt (and fleas) should lift. Rinse your dog thoroughly, and towel dry and then blow dry her.
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Keep a picture of a groomed poodle handy. This is especially helpful if you have never groomed a poodle before. Use it as your guide, especially as you style your poodle’s hair. If your cut starts to make your poodle look like another breed and nothing like the poodle in the picture, you will know that you are messing up.
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Clip your poodle’s nails. Firmly hold each foot with one hand while you trim his nails with the other. Don’t cut too close, and use a specialized nail trimmer created just for dogs. Most people use a guillotine trimmer.
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Cut your poodle's hair. Using a pair of clippers, make sure you give him the traditional lamb cut. Start between the toes and work around his body. Be mindful to cut the hair on his legs, sides, back and neck to the same length (1/2 to 1 inch). Do not use the clippers to cut his ears or forehead.
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Comb and style your poodle. With a comb, pull through your dog’s hair. It will pull out any excess hair or uneven spots. Then even the hair out with a pair of scissors, and focus on your poodle’s ears and forehead area. Comb the hair in each and trim. The hair in each area should be rounded and puffy like a lamb.
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Tie bows onto your poodle’s ears. Pull up a tuft of hair on each ear and tie a bow onto it. Pretty bows will give your poodle a finished, stylish look.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't let your clippers get too hot because they'll burn your poodle's skin.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Caio Spassapan
