Grooming
​Grooming your poodle on a regular basis is an integral part of your poodles health and well being.  It increases blood flow to skin, which in turn keeps it healthy, removes dirt and dander, and keeps matts and tangles at bay.  Having a matted coat can be very uncomfortable for your poodle; as the hair tightens into a knot or tangle it pulls on the skin.  Sometimes debris twigs can get caught in the hair causing irritation, possible cuts, and infection.
Your poodles nails need to be trimmed regularly.  At every professional grooming session, a groomer will trim nails but you can learn this at home as they need to be kept short and tidy
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You can of course bath your dog at home, use a mild shampoo, preferably canine shampoo, rinse well, towel dry then dry with a WARM hair dryer; do not blow into your dogs nose, ears, or eyes with dryer.  Brush while drying for a smoother finish.
Grooming on a weekly basis also creates a bond between poodles and owners. A medium slicker brush, available at most good pet stores, is a good brush to have for your pet, also a medium/fine comb. You can brush your dog with slicker brush; then comb to make sure you have correctly groomed all the hair.  It is recommended you get your dog professionally groomed about every 6-8 weeks. They will clip necessary areas like feet, face, and tail, trim nails and clean ears.

PLEASE feel free to contact the club if you need tips on grooming your poodle or indeed groomers in your area
     The grooming and clipping  of poodles has come a long way from its early days as a means to improve its ability to swim, help it avoid snagging on undergrowth, and keep its joints warm and protected from the cold.
These days it could be considered a near art form.  If you have decided to clip and groom your poodle yourself, you'll need a good set of electric clippers, a good pair of scissors, also a clear and concise book or video to teach you how to do it.
There are four primary show-quality clips for poodles:

1.  The Puppy Show Clip: As its name implies, the puppy clip is intended for poodles less than a year old and allows the coat to be left long while calling for the face, throat, feet and base of the tail to be shaved. The entire shaven foot is visible. There is a pompon on the end of the tail. In order to give a neat appearance and a smooth unbroken line, shaping of the coat is permissible.
2.  English Saddle Clip: The face, throat, feet, forelegs and base of the tail are shaved, leaving puffs on the forelegs and a pompon on the end of the tail. The hindquarters are covered with a short blanket of hair except for a curved shaved area on each flank and two shaved bands on each hind leg. The entire shaven foot and a portion of the shaven leg above the puff are visible. The rest of the body is left in full coat but may be shaped in order to insure overall balance.
3. Continental Clip:  The face, throat, feet, and base of the tail are shaved. The hindquarters are shaved with (optional) pompons on the hips. The legs are shaved, leaving bracelets on the hind legs and puffs on the forelegs. There is a pompon on the end of the tail. The entire shaven foot and a portion of the shaven foreleg above the puff are visible. The rest of the body is left in full coat but may be shaped in order to insure overall balance.
4. Sporting Clip:  The face, feet, throat, and base of the tail are shaved, leaving a scissored cap on the top of the head and a pompon on the end of the tail. The rest of the body, and legs are clipped or scissored to follow the outline of the dog leaving a short blanket of coat no longer than one inch in length. The hair on the legs may be slightly longer than that on the body.
In addition, there are several popular pet-quality clips including the Kennel, Dutch, Bikini, and Puppy Pet Clips.
There is no doubt that learning to groom and clip your poodle yourself will pay huge dividends in savings, confidence and knowledge for you, plus a great bond between you and your poodle.



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