How to Groom a Poodle

Poodle Cuts are Easier Than You Think

By Shelly Navarro, ABCPG

Faithful companion and capable hunting dog, the Poodle has been a friend to man since it first came to be in Germany as a water retriever far back in the 15^th century. Today, Poodles are more likely to be seen in a family home than out in the field or lake, but one thing remains undeniably unchanged: The Poodle’s thick curly coat.

A Poodle’s Coat Makes Grooming Fun

One of the many exciting parts of owning a Poodle is that  dog groomers have created so many different cuts for that thick, curly coat. As a Poodle owner, you should try new cuts and looks for your dog in order to truly get the most fun, style and function that only a Poodle’s coat can deliver. One unique cut you can try out is the Dutch Clip. This Poodle cut is a fairly easy haircut you can do at home by following just a few simple steps.

How to Groom a Poodle Dutch Clip

Trim Your Poodle’s Hair

Begin by giving your Poodle clean feet. Clean feet is a term dog groomers use to refer to the shaving of hair on a dog’s feet. Since we are only trimming a Poodle, a #10 blade will suffice on all clipping described here.

Remove all hair on the sides of each toe and in between the toes and pads on all four feet. Move to the dog’s tail and clip approximately one-quarter up from the base, leaving a pompom at the end.

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Do a Sanitary Trim

Next, perform a sanitary trim. Clip hair away from the dog’s belly button to the groin and around the rectal area. Return to the base of her tail and clip a straight line, going against the grain, from your Poodle’s back all the way to her withers. At your Poodle’s flank, clip away another strip of hair, but this time to the dog’s stomach. Now, move to the area where a collar would fall. From that collar line, clip the hair neck all the way up to the base of the ear and jawline.

Clean Face

Give your Poodle a clean face by removing hair from the cheeks, muzzle and mouth from the corner of her eye all the way down. With curved shears, you are going to shape the hair left on the body. When doing this cut, everything should be rounded and full. There shouldn’t be sharp edges when your scissoring is complete.

When finished, use a slicker brush and comb to fluff the coat out and double check for stray hairs in the process too. Once you are satisfied with the coat’s shape, you are all done!

Now that you have a fun new look for your Poodle, go show it off. Your Poodle is sure to turn heads on her daily walks.

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