Best Tips for Poodle Grooming

Haircut and Grooming Needs

Poodles have only one coat of fur and no undercoat. The coat is typically dense and curly, with very little shedding. Dead hair must be brushed off the coat before it becomes entangled with the rest of the fur.

1. Brush the fur thoroughly with an upward stroke with a slicker brush. Use a detangler, possibly in conjunction with a spray that dissolves tangles and knots, to remove all matting in the fur. There may be tangled balls of fur that need to be cut off with a trimmer or scissors. Finally, use a comb to remove any excess loose hair from the fur.

2. Use a quality ear cleaner and a piece of cotton to clean dog's ears. Dab the cotton in the ears until all dirt and debris are removed. Carefully use tweezers to remove any extra hair from the ear.

3. Use an eye cleaner on a cotton pad and clean around the eyes.

4. Use a decent nail clipper to trim the dog's nail tips. Avoid going too far in because doing so can cause it to bleed and hurt your nails.

5. Shave the fur on the dog's paws. You can use the Moser Max45 clipper with it's blade or use the Oster blade #7F. Trim first between the pads of the feet and then on top of the paws until no more hairs stick out. You can also use any other dog trimmer with an Oster blade 15 or dog grooming scissors. 

6. Use the Moser Max50 with the same blade to trim the dog's face. Fold one ear back and trim from the center base of the ear out to the outer corner of the eye. From the outer corner to the eye, trim under the eye to the inner corner, and from between the eyes down to the tip of the nose. From the bottom of the ears, trim down to the beginning of the neck. From the line you just trimmed, trim under the dog's jaw up towards the tip of the dog's nose. Repeat the same process on the other side, so that in the end you have trimmed the entire face and down towards the beginning of the neck.

7. With the Moser Max45 directly with the blade provided (or another trimmer with Oster blade 10) trim the tail 1/3 of the length from the root.

8. Using an Oster blade 7F, trim the dog under the belly from the crotch to the navel and the inside of the thighs.

9. Trim around the anus with the blade that comes with the Moser Max50 or use a blade similar to Oster 10 or 15. Do not let the blade come into contact with the skin, and leave approximately 10 mm fur on both sides.

10. Comb through the coat to remove any excess loose hair. 

11. Place a piece of cotton wool in each of the dog's ears before bathing. This keeps water from entering the ear canal. If your Poodle has white fur, use Biogance White Snow shampoo. After bathing, blow dry the coat and brush the fur with a slicker brush.

12. Continue to brush the dog as you dry the fur using a wide toothed comb in upward movements.

13. Cut the fur to the same length between 2.5-5 cm, or whatever length you desire, with a good pair of scissors. You can also use a spacer/guide comb on your trimmer.

14. Cut the hair on the front legs from the ankles down neatly and roundly.

15. Brush and trim the fur to match the fur on the body with the wide-toothed comb.

16. Brush down at the ankles on the fur of the hind legs and clip all the way around.

17. Cut the fur on the tail into a round shape.

18. Comb back the fur on the head and cut around the edge in front, over the eyes, and to the ears. With a comb, lift the remaining hair up and clip it at the crown. Allow it to blend in around the neck and down to the ears.

19. Brush the whole coat again, and remove any hairs and tufts that may be sticking out.

The Poodle should be groomed every 6 to 8 weeks, depending on how thick the fur is and how quickly it grows.