POODLE GROOMING
When considering buying a poodle don't forget that your pet will require an immense amount of grooming. The thick poodle coat needs a great deal of care and attention to keep it both comfortable for the dog and easy to manage for the owner.
Cost should be taken into account as poodles need to be clipped every 6-8 weeks. Some owners even get their poodles clipped every 4 weeks. And unless you've been trained in dog grooming it's a good idea to leave it to the experts as poodles do have a very difficult to manage coat.
Poodles should be brushed daily to avoid matting and help keep their coat in top condition. The regular grooming routine should also include nail clipping, ear cleaning and teeth brushing.
To get a puppy used to clipping they should be introduced to it at an early age. After all, a growing poodle will spend a lot of its time being clipped, so it's worth educating it as soon as possible. The dog should see the grooming process as a serious time, not a time for fun and frolics. Grooming should be done in a safe and calm environment so the poodle feels comfortable. The grooming table should be at waist height and not slippery. A doggy treat given at the end of each grooming session will teach your poodle that standing still for half an hour or so gets its rewards!
History of Clipping
Top knots, ribbons, pompons .. believe it or not poodles weren't historically clipped for decorative purposes. Their origins as retrieving water dogs meant that hunters clipped them to make them more agile and faster in water. Being water dogs the clipping also helped prevent matting of the coat, making things much more comfortable for the poodle.
The dressing up aspect of poodle culture probably comes from the French, who adore dressing up their pet and parading them as a spectacle. As time has passed and it has become popular to show poodles this pride in the appearance of poodles can be seen in some of the spectacular clips for show dogs.
Style of Clip
There are three main styles of clip for poodles. Official shows will only accept particular clips as standard.
Puppy Clip - mainly for poodles under one year old. The coat is left long (making it quite difficult to maintain this style) and the face, throat, base of tail and feet are shaved. A pompon is left on the end of the tail.
Continental Clip - this is the most popular show clip. Look at any photograph of poodles in show and you'll see the continental clip. The face, throat, feet and part of the tail are shaved. The tops of the legs and hind quarters are also shaved, leaving pompons (also known as bracelets or puffs) on the ankles.
English Saddle Clip - this clip is very similar to the continental except the hindquarters are not shaved.
Other various styles of clip include the sporting, kennel, Dutch and bikini, all which serve to make the poodle a glamorous and smart dog.