# Shaggy Poodles?



## Critterluvr (Jul 28, 2014)

I was wondering if anybody keeps their Poodle's hair a little longer, more "shaggier" looking? I love the clean shaven look on the Poodles faces but was hoping to be able to keep it's all over hair a little longer than the usual Poodle clip. Is this possible without constant matting?
(I'm thinking 2 or 3 inches?)
Thanks for any input!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

If you don't clip, you groom. No mats either way. Grooming every 2 days min should suffice.
Eric.


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

We would let our old spoo get pretty long before getting her clipped...probably about 3in all over and we would brush her daily or else she would matt. You would have to brush/comb daily to keep it matt free though.


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## kcp1227 (Jan 25, 2013)

This is how Dash looked until a couple of weeks ago. I had him shorter on his body and long legs. Also had his top knot a little on the long side. 
Now he looks like this. 









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## kcp1227 (Jan 25, 2013)

He's washed about once a week. Haven't had an issue with matting this far. 


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I kept Molly's coat very long except for face and feet for over a year and it does require a lot of brushing/grooming to keep it mat free.....it was sooo soft and cuddly but after a year I now have her in a kind of modified conti/lion clip......takes less time to groom! Here are a couple of pics, one of her in the first year and one of her now! I don't think I will ever have her in a very short all-over type clip but of course I am retired and have the time to maintain it!!!:bounce:


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## Critterluvr (Jul 28, 2014)

Yes, love that first pic of Dash - that's the coat length I'm thinking of!
So not too high of maintenance, as long as it's brushed frequently?


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Not all of them matt much. Jazz is not matting now that he is through coat change. I brush his ears, topknot and tail a couple times a week, but his body I leave curly - no matts.  It's a few inches long, but I am getting ready to trim it back due to the summer heat.


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## kcp1227 (Jan 25, 2013)

I honestly brush him about once a week (even in the first pic). He's still in puppy coat, but has a really good coat from what I can tell. We'll see how he holds up through coat change lol. 


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

It really depends upon the coat of the dog. Teaka can go probably 5 or 6 days without matting, but skipping even one day and mats begin to form on Tangee. Timi is almost 6 months old and never even had a snag, let alone a mat. When not brushed, her hair forms soft little ringlets.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Mine are like poofy fluffy balls extremely huggable babies at the moment!! I love it, I wanna shave them because of the heat but haven't gotten to it yet  not too many mats at all and I can shave the mats off soon  just keep brushing and combing them and they usually stay mat free or almost mat fee now that they have their adult coat 


















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## FlyingNimbus (Jun 1, 2014)

I had Nimbus looking shaggy for ages, even his face! He had a cute fuzzy beard and a long coat I actually just cut his coat though because he's been swimming in the sea often and he was getting knotty and there was tonnes of sand around. His coat's probably an inch in length now I can't wait for it to grow back for winter though  I did groom him every day though, maybe 10- 20 minuets but sometimes I combed through all his hair just to make sure no mats. He looks all gangly now 
If you do keep your poodle longer be aware of the places they mat the most, like armpits and behind the ears. Also I don't really let Nim wear his collar inside as it breaks the hair around the neck and knots it up to so he always wears a snazzy bandanna instead.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I believe from your intro thread that you are considering a smaller poodle, which would be much easier to keep well brushed than a standard. Poppy tends to have something of a shaggy look much of the time simply because I am idle, and put off getting the clippers and grooming table out! I take her down to 1 to 3 centimetres on her body and legs when I do clip her, which is more like half to one inch - three inches would be a huge amount of coat on a small dog, especially around the face. I think you could get the relaxed, shaggy dog look you like with only an inch or two of coat, and perhaps go for the very elegant curly retriever look in summer or when life gets muddy!


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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

I brush Chanter every single day.


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## Bizzeemamanj (Apr 14, 2014)

Hi! Cooper is longer all over - nothing is shaved except the bottom of his feet. He's definitely shaggy. My experience reflects Eric's statement. I have to groom him every other day. A good full brush with a metal comb, clean his eyes and face, check his ear, clean his bum, check his nails. If I don't, he will mat more easily, especially on his legs and behind his ears.

He also goes to the groomer every 3 weeks: he gets a full groom every other time, and a "sanitary" groom in between. I'm willing to do it all though, because I think he looks so cute a bit shaggy and he enjoys his grooming time, both with me and at the groomers.

ETA - Lou! Your fluffy guys inspired my decision to leave Cooper a bit "shaggier". I even showed their picture to my groomer. They just look so adorable!


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## Critterluvr (Jul 28, 2014)

Thank you guys for all of your helpful input and especially the pics of your dogs!

I know now that it IS possible to keep them a little on the shaggy side.... I don't mind the extra grooming time, my kids are (pretty much) grown and I only work part time so I spend a lot of time with my dogs.
Yes I'm looking at a smaller Poodle, probably 20 ish lbs. I have my eye on a little black phantom with a white chest, he's 2 weeks right now.....


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I keep Lily longer in the winter, about an inch and a half to two. It does take constant combing to avoid matting though. I always shave her face, feet, tail.


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Sounds like we've won you over :biggrin:

Pippin (toy) has incredibly thick hair and will mat if I don't keep on top of it as she's also a rufty-tufty outdoor into everything girl so I tend to keep her very short in the summer and let it grow to about half an inch in the winter. She gets ringlets... 

Pushkin (mini) has thin soft hair (bad hair, breed-wise) and his forms little individual crinkles rather than curls. I tend to keep his fur longer to protect his skin but he doesn't mat as easily apart from under the armpits.

The smaller dogs are not a huge deal to keep decent as long as you don't let things get bad, and unless you want the gorgeous combed-out fluffy look like MollyMuiMa! Sounds like you would have the time to do it, and as long as you've got the right equipment (worth getting good stuff) you can easily maintain them at home. Pippin hasn't been to a professional groomer since she was a pup and in coat change (hence the tatty look lol) as I do them myself. Lou and Apollo are a superb example of the longer look  

The puppy hair generally mats though - you really have to keep on top of that, but you need the dog to get used to grooming anyway so it serves two purposes.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Poodles are like living topiary, and you can do some pretty wild grooms so long as you have the time and/or money to maintain them. Do a Google image search for "poodle hairstyles" and you'll see what I mean. Plenty of examples of shaggy clips on poodles of every size and color!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

*Zombie Poodle*

Ok so this is a bit far afield from the OP's question, but when I did a poodle haircuts image search here is one of the cooler things I found.

Zombie Poodle – Post Apocalypse Pet - Funny Pictures, Unusual Pictures, WTF Pictures, Funny, Where Are They Now


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> Ok so this is a bit far afield from the OP's question, but when I did a poodle haircuts image search here is one of the cooler things I found.
> 
> Zombie Poodle – Post Apocalypse Pet - Funny Pictures, Unusual Pictures, WTF Pictures, Funny, Where Are They Now


Gobsmackingly clever but.... Ewwww...!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

There were cute ones too.

http://puppytoob.toobnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/05/Poodle_Haircut_4.jpg


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> Zombie Poodle – Post Apocalypse Pet - Funny Pictures, Unusual Pictures, WTF Pictures, Funny, Where Are They Now


Okay, that's just creepy...


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## Critterluvr (Jul 28, 2014)

I can't help but think when I opened the links of those pictures..."those poor dogs". Each to his own I guess?

Saw a video of Lou's dogs, LOVE their shaggy look!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I wouldn't do anything like that myself. It must take a long time and I can't imagine trying to get Lily to stand still for it, but I did think they were interesting in their own way.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Their shaggy look "might" look "careless"  but it takes a lot of work to keep them comfortable!  hehehehe 

Especially because mats can pull on the skin and hurt .. Even bleed! That should never be allowed to happen to a pup  
So I brush and comb! but if for some reason there's a mat I missed .. I shave it off!!! 

Their comfort comes first , and the "appearance" second  

They hate being shaved down to nuthin'!!! They act like they know they look silly haha!! 

One of the first few times Lou got shaved by my great friend (Ellyisme, very talent groomer!) Lou was sooooo sad about it and before the groomer was done Lou wouldn't even look in her eyes, had her head down , totally disappointed and sad as if she was like:

"Whyyyyy??!  why am I nekkid!!  "

Hahaha!!









But then... They get to playing and running and forget all about it!! 









Thank goodness it grows back! 


















PS. 



Bizzeemamanj said:


> ETA - Lou! Your fluffy guys inspired my decision to leave Cooper a bit "shaggier". I even showed their picture to my groomer. They just look so adorable!





Critterluvr said:


> Saw a video of Lou's dogs, LOVE their shaggy look!


THANK YOU!! I'm happy to hear you like their look  I say "they are ANGELS in the most fluffy and huggable form"


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## the big E (Jul 5, 2014)

Critterluvr said:


> I was wondering if anybody keeps their Poodle's hair a little longer, more "shaggier" looking? I love the clean shaven look on the Poodles faces but was hoping to be able to keep it's all over hair a little longer than the usual Poodle clip. Is this possible without constant matting?
> (I'm thinking 2 or 3 inches?)
> Thanks for any input!


This is as long as I've ever let mine get. At that point it is a daily comb job not a brush. You have to make sure you get down to the skin or it will be a quick disaster. Honestly don't think I could handle it any longer.


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## AgilityChick (Jul 9, 2014)

E - how many inches long is that? That is approximately how long I am planning on keeping my girl. As a groomer, I actually find line-brushing and combing enjoyable, so bring on the long styles!


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