# Best cut for someone.....



## tannerokeefe (Dec 14, 2008)

What is the best cut for someone with no experience in owning/maintaining a poodle? I saw the Lamb cut and that looked nice. Also what kind of grooming tools should I keep at home for maintenence between groomings?


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## Sam I Am (Jul 6, 2008)

You can stretch the time between professional groomings with very little tools. I like to keep their faces and feet clean, so a good set of clippers. If you're nervous about using them use a #10 blade. That will get them fairly clean looking and there is no way you can go wrong with it. You definitely need a wide toothed comb, the adult coat is dense and most brushes won't go through it well enough to remove knots and a comb with finer teeth will take you forever. I personally couldn't live without my dryer. It's certainly not the best, but a regular hairdryer just doesn't cut it. You can get them for a decent price at Petedge.com. But not everyone is as picky as me, so you may not need one, I just don't like the kinky curly look. I keep ours in what I guess you would call a puppy cut, all one length. Usually alot longer in the winter than in the summer. I love them looking all poofy


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

If your just doing face, feet and tail clipping I would highly recommend a cordless clipper. They are a lot quieter, easier to handle (lighter) for beginners, and stay cooler longer and on the Moser Arco you can vary the length of the blade from a #9 right up to a #40 (for when your feeling very adverturous :rofl 

I found with T who is a little wriggler and cause I am learning I spend an awful amount of time just standing there with the clippers running waiting for him to sit still before I can actually clip anything. The Wahl ones (corded) I have got get really hot, really fast so then your sitting around waiting for blades to cool down and you can guarantee that's when the pup will be at his quietest and you'll just want to be getting in there and getting him finished.

They are probably the best piece of equipment I have bought.

I have T in a puppy clip but then he is only 5 and a bit months old :smile: I am going to try and put him in the "modern" for next winter as he will be 12 months old by then and should have a nice coat for that clip. I really hate the shaved down look and T's puppy clip is about 1 inch all over which is as short as I am planning on going. It is summer here, and can get to over 40 deg C and we go to the beach alot but I find this length is OK and washes and dries fairly quickly. 

I also wouldn't be without a dryer. I'm with Sam I Am and hate the kinky curly look and love the fluffy puppy poofy look. I use a force dryer and find it works really well. 

The bare minimum for tools I reckon are a pin brush, slicker brush and medium/wide comb. If you are going to take him to a professional every 5 - 6 weeks they can pluck ears and trim nails so you can probably get away without doing those, if your going to stretch professional grooming out to 3 months or so then you will need to do these things in between and need the tools to do it. 

Anyway I could go on but I have written an epic already :biggrin: I just love grooming and could talk about it all day!


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## mercymoon (Aug 29, 2008)

Something simple is a puppy clip, that where the face is kept shaved,
the feet, and part of the tail. Easy cut and easy to maintain. 
I use a cordless clipper (The Wahl Pro Series) with different
blade attachments to use if you want the hair a certain length.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Personaly I really like the modern and if I loose patience trying to grow Jazz into the fabulous puppy lion then I will put her into a modern. Lamb clips can be done in any length you desire from very short to hand scissored all over so I usualy recommend those to clients. The benifit with the lamb clip is that since the legs are left fuller than the body you don't end up with the chicken leg look that poodles seem to get when their legs are clipped as short as the body or when they are shaved down. I have to say that an inch all over is a nice look on a poodle. Thats about where Jazz is now and I haven't brushed her ummmmm... ever. Right now she only needs to be brushed when we do our weekly grooming/ bath. 

Here is a picture of a clip I do on Jazz's best friend Nikki. It's #40 on the feet, #15 face and tail, and a 1/2 inch gaurd comb over a #40 on the body except the belly. The belly and legs are scissored in to be in proportion to the body. The hair on the legs and belly is longer than that on the body to get the shape we were going for. It's something between a lamb clip and very loose interpretation of a modern. (she doesn't have good enough hair yet- she's 7 months old, very soft cotton coat)





here is Jazz at an inch all over, my clients try to call this a puppy clip, I beleive if you want to get all anal about it it's really a kennel or sporting clip. I don't allow clients to ask for generalized cuts, nobody in my salon gets a "puppy' or a 'teddy bear" or a "summer cut'' becaue there is no standarized rule book for those cuts. They can be done a variety of different ways. Almost everyone has a different deffinition on how short short is or how long is long. When deciding on a clip for your mostly what you need to think about it how much hair you want left on the dog after it is groomed. I can shave a dog's body bald and still achieve a lamb clip if I desire. Whatever you decide keep in mind that the cut can be taylored to your specific needs as far as length and style.


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

Gorgeous grooming Wonderpup, I really hope one day I can get a beautiful finish like Nikki's on T. How long have you been grooming for?


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## Cardi2008 (Sep 26, 2008)

Shave him down. That's how we like here in the Cardi household. Short, clean, and good looking. No one seems to know what he is either.....but they all just love him! They all say he is the such a good looking dog.


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## tannerokeefe (Dec 14, 2008)

thanks!! is there anywhere that lists all the different cuts along wiyh pics?


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## SECRETO (Aug 20, 2008)

I know this sounds crazy but my first grooming attemp was the Continental Clip without the rosettes. I actually did quite well and I now prefer to shave most of the body and avoid scissoring if I can. The continental cut is not for everyone but I really like the cut.

Again, I know that sounds crazy but thats what I started with.


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## tannerokeefe (Dec 14, 2008)

what is the continental?


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

I think it's called "The International Guide to Poodle Clipping and Grooming" by Shirlee Kalstone is a great book which gives you lots of different clips and also heaps of info on bathing, brushing etc ... for the pet poodle owner. I have it but it's down in the grooming area and I am too lazy to go down a look for it :biggrin:

The Continental is one of the adult clips you can show in - I suppose it's what everyone thinks of when they think fru fru poodle clip! See below


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

English Saddle Clip - also allowable in the show ring but not seen very often now as most people go with the continental. Apologies for the bad pic it was the best I could find.


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

And how gorgeous is this - puppy clip for up to 12 months of age in the show ring.










If it wasn't coming into summer here I would be attempting to put T into this.


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

Couldn't find a nice one of the modern clip, there is one in the Kalstone book.


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## tannerokeefe (Dec 14, 2008)

Blue Fox said:


> And how gorgeous is this - puppy clip for up to 12 months of age in the show ring.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



so the Puppy Clip isnt good for a summer cut? what would you reccomend?


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## Purple Poodle (May 5, 2008)

For most pet owners I recommend a Sporting (with or without pompons) or a Modified Lamb

Easy to keep in the Summer and you can let the coat be a bit longer in the Winter.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Blue Fox said:


> Gorgeous grooming Wonderpup, I really hope one day I can get a beautiful finish like Nikki's on T. How long have you been grooming for?


I've only been grooming professionally for four years, but I've been training and showing dogs since I was very young, something like 15 years or so now, I think I was 8 or 9 when I started. 

One of the most popular trims for grooming competitions is the Modern soooo 
here are some examples of Intergroom winners. The poodle winners are both sporting Modern trims. 
http://www.intergroom.com/awards/2006winners.html

here are more examples of winners of the Petco Poodle Tournament 
http://www.groomertogroomer.com/gke06_world_grooming_games_winners.htm
I poodle in the middle is in a german trim the other two appear to be lamb trims... they don't look like moderns to me personaly. 

here is a site that has some drawings of various clips
http://www.mountbethelpoodles.com/gpage.html
The Miami which it labled on this site as the summer/binki clip is stylish and very easy to maintain depending on how long you decide you want the body. You can clip the body really short in this clip and it still looks good. The only parts you have to brush is the topknot, ears, and then poms on the legs and tail. 

If you take your dog to a groomer do take a picture of what you want. Some of these clips go by different names and a groomer who doesn't really really know his or her poodle styles may give you their version of what they think you asked for. You could end up with something you really dislike. Also be very clear on how much hair you want left on your dog when you get it cliped. My deffinition of "short but fluffy", or "Short but not shaved or not to short" is a #2 gaurd comb. Other groomers will have other deffinitions and you may end up with a dog who's hair is sooo long you have a lot more brushing to do than you were prepared for OR you will end up with a naked dog. I worked with a groomer for up uintil just reccently who shaved just about everything. If you asked for "short" you got a naked dog back. If you asked for just a little off, you got nothing off. She had deffinitions for things like "puppy clips" and teddy bears, and summer cuts and she never bothered to ask the client if that was what they REALLY wanted. We had a lot of unhappy people. Sooo like I said be very clear and very specific on how much hair and how you want it clipped. LoL Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?
*stepping down off soap box*


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

Those moderns at Intergroom are exactly what i want to put T in next year after coat change. I'm sure with ym skills it'll look nothing like that to start with but what the hey he's going to be clipped into something so might as well give it a bash :smile:

Great links WonderPup


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## Jako (Mar 4, 2008)

I personally like the German clip. 

For a new poodle owner, all one short length or a lamb clip (short body, longer legs) would probably be easiest to maintain.


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## SECRETO (Aug 20, 2008)

I did this cut easily with my old boy Mikey. He was in a long puppy clip when I got him and I needed a quick fix I could do myself.

The first one was after I clipped his hair off but didn't shape his head yet.

Second one is him all finished with his top knot shaped.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

that looks like an easy to maintain length. *sigh* if only I could get my hands on a poodle with a huge coat and permission to do as I please with it. I'd do that groom for free! Jazz is sooooo short it's killing me!! Anyone up for a sunny florida vacation ???


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

I am taking Ginger and Teddy to be groomed Friday and I am saad that I will have her cut them sort because I can't maintain right not (having surgery on shoulder) but ginger's hair right now is soooo fluffy I wish I could keep her long! It will grow back - I tell myself!


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

I can't wait for our warm wetaher to be over just so I can grow T back long. I was nearly in tears cutting his puppy coat for the first time the other week LoL. Mind you it is much easier to brush, wash and dry this length but I don't care I'll spend the time to keep it looking good once it's long again.


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## spoofan (Dec 11, 2008)

Gunther came to me this summer in the show puppy cut.
While it certainly looked beautiful,his baby hair was matting terribly.
Unless one is prepared to brush every day,shorter trim is far more desirable.
Having him in the lamb trim is more practical and even that is a challenge to keep from matting.


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

How old is he spoofan? T hasn't started coat change yet and I am dreading it!


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