# when to get full first grooming for my spoo?



## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

my spoo pup temperance is 5 months old and it's heading into summer here.

since i have had her, we've just had fft done. the last visit we shaved her belly a bit.

i'm wondering when folks generally do a full trim on their babies? she is black, has really curly hair, not too long ... my sister's white spoo has very straight hair that is a lot longer and is 7 weeks younger. her puppy looks like a white puff ball. 

i brush temperance and she sproings back into curls!!!

i would love temperance to have a miami/summer cut and wondering if i should wait a while longer. is that an okay cut for a pup or should i wait til she's older? i love the pom pom on the legs. i KNOW i want long top knot, ears, pom pom on tail and the legs.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

I would wait until she is about seven months od. Once you clip that coat off, they go from a cute little puppy to an adult in one visit to the groomers. You cannot glue it back on. If you put her in her adult haircut at seven months you get to avoid the dreaded coat change too!! BONUS!!! Maybe have the groomer clkip her back with a long comb in the interim. Maybe I am just a sap, but I like them to stay babies as long as possible because they are going to be adults for a long time, and their puppyhood is so short lived.


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

so you think i should wait a few months to get her closer to when her adult coat starts coming in? i can do that ...


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

You said she is five months now? I would wait and once she is seven months, clip her down anytime. You beat the coat change, but have her a puppy a bit longer. Be prepared though. You are in for quite a shock. She will not look anything like your fluffy little furball when she is done. She will be pretty and elegant, but no longer fluffy and cute.


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

yeah, you are right. it's just starting to get a bit warm here. .. but i'll wait til after the summer solstice. as good a time as any to get her all poofled.
and keep up w/ fft every few weeks. i love her face. so kissable ...


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## Oodlejpoodle's mom (Sep 11, 2009)

ArreauStandardPoodle said:


> I would wait until she is about seven months od. Once you clip that coat off, they go from a cute little puppy to an adult in one visit to the groomers. You cannot glue it back on. If you put her in her adult haircut at seven months you get to avoid the dreaded coat change too!! BONUS!!! Maybe have the groomer clkip her back with a long comb in the interim. Maybe I am just a sap, but I like them to stay babies as long as possible because they are going to be adults for a long time, and their puppyhood is so short lived.


Arreau I am with you on this as well, once that cute puppy coat is gone I just want to cry. Who does not want to cuddle with their big balls of fluff, please don't push the big girl's haircut (unless you can no longer handle it, i would rather see it cut then matted).


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

her coat is okay right now ... she needs a bath and good brushing which i'll give her tomorrow ... then i'm sure it will rain so she can go roll in the mud. ugh.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Ha,Ha,Ha!!! It never fails, does it?? Little stinkers!


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

my sister teases me about my chocolate poodle and i tease her about her apricot one. (she has a nice white one w/ red clay feet!)


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

That is hilarious!!!


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## Rockporters (Jan 14, 2010)

I love the fluffy puppy look. It also nicely hides some of their more awkward growth stages . Bathing puppies is like washing cars though... it always rains after LOL.


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## barkley (Apr 29, 2010)

My spoo is almost 6 months and I just got him groomed. Poor baby hated it. And now he looks more like a dog than a puppy. I agree... wait as long as you can! ps what is fft? maybe i should have just done that!


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

I would not wait because they need to get used to everything that professional grooming entails. Waiting till 7 months is entirely too long. I understand the stuff aboutn puppy fur and looking juvenile for as long as possible, but how bout monthly baths and blow outs and just "tipping" the fur?


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## creativeparti (Mar 9, 2009)

partial2poodles said:


> I would not wait because they need to get used to everything that professional grooming entails. Waiting till 7 months is entirely too long. I understand the stuff aboutn puppy fur and looking juvenile for as long as possible, but how bout monthly baths and blow outs and just "tipping" the fur?


Totally agree I had a 7month old wheaten terrier in for his first groom the other day he had never had anything done before not only was he matted but he got very upset because he had never experenced the grooming before... You will make your groomers life so much harder buy waiting till 7 months and your pups..


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

I think as long as you're doing the fft (which, btw barkley, is face, feet and tail! ) and making sure the pup knows the grooming table is nothing to be afraid of (including thorough brushing/combing until mat free, full baths, blow dry with HV dryer, ears, nails, etc...) the adult dog "shave down" can wait until the owner is ready for it (7 months isn't too long as long as you are diligent in doing SOME grooming very regularly - on a table - with equipment!)

I did have Lucybug clipped into her adult pattern when she was only about 5 months old. I loved her full puppy coat and it was very easy to care for, but I'm so used to her current "look" that I don't really miss the fluff!  Good luck with whatever you decide to do!


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## creativeparti (Mar 9, 2009)

plumcrazy said:


> I think as long as you're doing the fft (which, btw barkley, is face, feet and tail! ) and making sure the pup knows the grooming table is nothing to be afraid of (including thorough brushing/combing until mat free, full baths, blow dry with HV dryer, ears, nails, etc...) the adult dog "shave down" can wait until the owner is ready for it (7 months isn't too long as long as you are diligent in doing SOME grooming very regularly - on a table - with equipment!)
> 
> I did have Lucybug clipped into her adult pattern when she was only about 5 months old. I loved her full puppy coat and it was very easy to care for, but I'm so used to her current "look" that I don't really miss the fluff!  Good luck with whatever you decide to do!


I wish more owners where as senisable as you... So many ppl gets pups and don't put in the effort like u


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

partial2poodles said:


> I would not wait because they need to get used to everything that professional grooming entails. Waiting till 7 months is entirely too long. I understand the stuff about puppy fur and looking juvenile for as long as possible, but how bout monthly baths and blow outs and just "tipping" the fur?


I did not for one second think anyone would think I meant NOT to groom a puppy until it is seven months old!! Good heavens!!! I groom. I know how important it is to get a puppy used to being groomed. My pups are done at least twice (FFT, nails, ears, bath and blow out) before they leave here. My point was do the stuff you have to or should do, but don't take off the body coat and make it look like an adult too quickly lest you regret it because You have turned it into an adult is an hour.


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## grooming goddess (May 2, 2010)

As a professional groomer, I like to start puppies young (20 weeks), at least for FFT and a bath. They start learning what its all about.


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

ArreauStandardPoodle said:


> I did not for one second think anyone would think I meant NOT to groom a puppy until it is seven months old!! Good heavens!!! I groom. I know how important it is to get a puppy used to being groomed. My pups are done at least twice (FFT, nails, ears, bath and blow out) before they leave here. My point was do the stuff you have to or should do, but don't take off the body coat and make it look like an adult too quickly lest you regret it because You have turned it into an adult is an hour.


temperance has had her fft done at the groomers every 4-5 weeks since she was 6 weeks old. she gets her nails done too. at home i bath her every 2-3 weeks depending on her level of filth. (she's a very active pup & wrestles constantly w/ my lab x pup). i brush her weekly, but she has not used the dryer on her ... i only have a regular human blow dryer. i do use it on cool after she's mainly dry from towel so she is aware of them & doesn't bug out when i take her.

my cairns usually only get nails trimmed at the groomers. i kind of like them looking like dust mops. they've each had one full grooming in their 5 years of life. reminds me to run them in today for nails.


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## *heather* (Jul 30, 2009)

I think if the dog is getting warm in its puppy fluffy coat it's a good idea to take some of the length off and make him/her more comfortable! Rogan had a pro groom at about 5 months and I loved loved loved it!! It gave his body such nice shape instead of the rounded fur ball look and in my opinion he still totally looked puppyish! My groomer left his legs alone and just took a bit off his body, I have always done fft myself so she didn't have to touch them, but giving his body a minor trim made a huge difference in my own upkeep at home, less coat to worry about matting and he looked way more comfortable! I say, go for it!


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

i am going in today if i can for a fft for poof. if i can't get her in, i'm going to be out of town for a week and when i get back i may go ahead and get her in for her first adult groom. she'll be 6 months then.

i'm doing the bikini on her so she'll go pretty short and probably help bypass the transitional time.

i'm going to be away from her for a week. i already miss her!!!


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