# When to start grooming for Standard Poodle?



## Beaumont (Apr 23, 2021)

When we picked up our poodle puppy, we were told by the breeder to not cut her hair too short until 6 months old. Or it will come in too wiry. 
As summer approaches, we'd like to cut her hair short. I've already done her muzzle but it wasn't a great job for my first time. 
I used a #10 for the muzzle. 
I wanted to cut the hair on her body short while she's still a puppy because she is so much smaller than our Mastiff puppy and all he does is drool on her. 
So I wanted to go mostly all short until she's older and too tall to just walk under the big dog and get all drooled up. 

So I guess my question is, how soon can I use a #10 on her? How old does she have to be? 
She is a Standard Poodle and known as a 'party poodle'. 

Thanks so much,


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Good breeders start clipping their puppies from 5 weeks old to get them used to the process. The hair thing is a myth, what does happen is that the normal coarser hair starts coming in at 6-8 months ish, in a process called coat change. Clipping a puppy just exposes the changing hair. You tend to want to keep a dog short during coat change, as they are prone to mats at that time. 

So shave her tomorrow if you want to, just be careful to avoid clipper burn.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

It's fine to clip the hair down. Poodles aren't a double coated breed, like a husky or something, where you will ruin the coat by cutting the guard hairs.

However, since you mention that she is a parti poodle, I would avoid going really short. Unlike a regular white poodle, which has dark skin under the white hair, a parti poodle has pink skin under the white spots. You run the risk of a sunburn under the white spots if you go too short.


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## Bailey_Whiskey (Jan 18, 2021)

I held out until Whiskey was 7.5 months before we went to do a big boy groom. We loved the fluff but the mats and tangles would appear right after brushing. Now he has about 2-4 inches length (shorter on the body, longer on the legs and topknot in the Asian style). 
I sometimes wish we did it earlier because the intense brushing coincided with my exams..now he’s so low maintenance, comparatively.


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## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

I was doing Happy's face and feet within 3 weeks of her coming home, which was in June. She couldn't have been more that 3 months old when I first shaved her down due to the heat. No ill effects on her coat.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

If you only have a 10 blade and don't want to get other sizes (or even if you do), I would recommend getting a set of metal clip on combs. The ones from Wahl are pretty much universal. 
Then you can shave her shorter but not naked like a 10 would be.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Start grooming right away - get puppy used to all kinds of grooming: brushing and combing, shampooing, drying, clipping sanitary, face, feet, body. Take in very small steps. You want to have a poodle that is well behaved in grooming.
I did not do a very good job of it and now Asta thinks grooming is a terrorist plot.
Finally started taking him to a professional groomer with poodle experience. He is very well behaved at the groomer. He does however HATE the force dryer, so she towels him down and that is okay with me - I like the tight curls.


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## Jbean (Feb 18, 2019)

I clip my dogs' bodies with a 5FC blade and use the 10 on face, feet, and tail. I also use a 30 blade and a snap on comb to keep the ears under control. My current dog was clipped every two weeks when he was little, just to get him used to it. Clipping absolutely does not change hair growth patterns.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I use a #10 for face, feet and sanitary. On the body & legs I use a 5 or 7, which is plenty short. It gives a little definition. I'm also not very good at this grooming and preferred taking my boy to his groomer. However now that I started doing this, its ok.


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## Beaumont (Apr 23, 2021)

We live in North Central WA. 
The way I'd hoped to manage grooming was about the weather we have here. Summers are 95-105. Winters are -5 to 30 with snow. 
We also have a lot of thistle weed and other annoying brush that likes to stick into fur. 
So my thoughts were, I'd keep her hair as short as possible in summer except on her head and ears because of heat. Also those weeds are easier to pick out of short hair. 
She's all black in colour, so I'd like to keep her as short as I can while still keeping her black in colour. 
Then in winter, let her hair grow out so she's not too cold when we walk outside. I'd still keep her paws short so the melted snow doesn't cause a problem with the fur on her paws.

When I was reading about dog breeds, I read about Standard Poodles being originally bread for water retrieval work. It simply said, original breeding for "water retrieval'. 
Since we have a pool, I was hoping we could do a bit of that. If she wants to swim, I"m more than happy to swim with her.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

10 is going to be much too short for the body, especially for a first clip. She’ll be very cold, be at increased risk of sunburn and the elements in general, and will also probably be quite itchy/miserable.

Based on my experiences with Peggy, 7 is the shortest I would recommend for a puppy, but a 5 would be a great place to start. It’s still very short, but won’t look or feel shaved.


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## AluePoodles (Jun 25, 2013)

Get yourself some metal snap on combs first and foremost! You can do so many different things with them! 

For my pet homes I recommend a yellow or dark blue for the bodies and depending on which you use, you can either scissor the legs or use a snap on comb that's one length above the one you used on the body. 

I find the blue/yellow combo takes a lot of hair off while also leaving enough to keep a cute shape and tweak as they grow! 

I use anywhere from a 10-30 on my FFT depending on the dog. Hopefully your breeder has been grooming since 3-4 weeks of age; if not, don't wait! Start now.

Good luck!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


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## Beaumont (Apr 23, 2021)

I have a 10 and a 7FC. I bought some snap on combs. 
Its a budget priced Andis. 
I want to go short enough that the thistle is easier to pick out and she's not too hot. But not so short that it would be a problem either. 
Fully willing to buy the right sized blade for this. 
Going to groomer this week for some things that I'm nervous about doing. I'm so worried that using the 10 on her paws will hurt the webbing between the toes.


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## AluePoodles (Jun 25, 2013)

Beaumont said:


> I have a 10 and a 7FC. I bought some snap on combs.
> Its a budget priced Andis.
> I want to go short enough that the thistle is easier to pick out and she's not too hot. But not so short that it would be a problem either.
> Fully willing to buy the right sized blade for this.
> Going to groomer this week for some things that I'm nervous about doing. I'm so worried that using the 10 on her paws will hurt the webbing between the toes.


For snap ons, you really want a 30 or 40 under them; longer blades don't get as clean of a cut and the teeth can break from the combs. 

For feet, I really recommend a cordless clipper like a Wahl Bravura. I don't use work horse clippers do to sensitive areas like FFT on any of my dogs. You can order them from Amazon and all grooming supply stores online. 

This is a picture of one of my pet puppies - I shaved his torso with the dark blue snap on, left his chest, crest, top knot, tail, and legs. I skimmed off his torso into his legs to give a transition and then lightly scissored his legs to match. Hopefully this helps give an idea of length.









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## Christy (Aug 21, 2013)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Good breeders start clipping their puppies from 5 weeks old to get them used to the process. The hair thing is a myth, what does happen is that the normal coarser hair starts coming in at 6-8 months ish, in a process called coat change. Clipping a puppy just exposes the changing hair. You tend to want to keep a dog short during coat change, as they are prone to mats at that time.
> 
> So shave her tomorrow if you want to, just be careful to avoid clipper burn.





Beaumont said:


> When we picked up our poodle puppy, we were told by the breeder to not cut her hair too short until 6 months old. Or it will come in too wiry.
> As summer approaches, we'd like to cut her hair short. I've already done her muzzle but it wasn't a great job for my first time.
> I used a #10 for the muzzle.
> I wanted to cut the hair on her body short while she's still a puppy because she is so much smaller than our Mastiff puppy and all he does is drool on her.
> ...


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## Christy (Aug 21, 2013)

Please don’t use a #10 blade on the body. Start with a 4 skip tooth or a #30 blade with a #2 comb (or guard). Either one of these will get a nice cut. Remember that just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you should go super short. The fur helps to keep the puppy cool. Good luck!


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## Beaumont (Apr 23, 2021)

Christy said:


> Please don’t use a #10 blade on the body. Start with a 4 skip tooth or a #30 blade with a #2 comb (or guard). Either one of these will get a nice cut. Remember that just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you should go super short. The fur helps to keep the puppy cool. Good luck!


Just want it short enough to make it easier to get little weeds and stickers out. And keep her cool. 

Here's another question though, we get cold winters. 
We're outside in it daily. 
Wondering how long is too long for warmth?


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## Fluffy Poodle 4 (Nov 29, 2020)

Beaumont said:


> Here's another question though, we get cold winters.
> We're outside in it daily.
> Wondering how long is too long for warmth?


Here in Minnesota, I usually keep our 2 standards at 1/2 inch of coat in the winter (it might grow to 1 inch between clippings). They seem fine most days. If we get a really cold snap, we usually put a jacket on them. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as too long for warmth, unless your dog is getting too warm inside the house. Also, extra coat means extra brushing and snowballs like to collect in longer coats.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

I have a 5-in-1 blade. The middle setting #15 won't cut the the webbing between my fingers. I've given Basil razor burn on a #10, and shorter as an amateur at home grooming parent. I'm not willing to go any shorter then #15, it's just not worth the risk since I trust #15.

#10 is pretty short for the body.... use the 7FC on the body. I just clipped Basil to that size, it's 3-3.2mm on her body, ears, and tail. We're in the city part of Seattle. It's a really good length. It's short enough to be low maintenance, protect their skin from the sun, and keep forest debris off their body.


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## Beaumont (Apr 23, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> I have a 5-in-1 blade. The middle setting #15 won't cut the the webbing between my fingers. I've given Basil razor burn on a #10, and shorter as an amateur at home grooming parent. I'm not willing to go any shorter then #15, it's just not worth the risk since I trust #15.
> 
> #10 is pretty short for the body.... use the 7FC on the body. I just clipped Basil to that size, it's 3-3.2mm on her body, ears, and tail. We're in the city part of Seattle. It's a really good length. It's short enough to be low maintenance, protect their skin from the sun, and keep forest debris off their body.
> 
> View attachment 476551


That picture is 7FC?
Thats about what I had envisioned.
Seattle eh? 
I just retired and came from the Seattle area. I live across the mountains now, about 25 minutes north east of Chelan. 
Its been a big adjustment to go from city to this far rural. 
We have to be seriously on the lookout for predators that will attack a puppy this small. Wildlife out here is no joke. 
I went from sitting still on 405 in traffic, to sitting still in a different kind of traffic jam, it was a cattle drive! LOL. 
Never seen that on the S curves! LOL
Thanks so much for posting that picture, it helps a lot!
I'm going to have to learn way more to get that fade you did on the legs down to the paws. That looks great!


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## Beaumont (Apr 23, 2021)

Another worry I have is plucking the ear hairs. That is not something I realized I'd have to face when we looked into buying a Standard Poodle.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Beaumont said:


> That picture is 7FC?
> Thats about what I had envisioned.
> Seattle eh?
> I just retired and came from the Seattle area. I live across the mountains now, about 25 minutes north east of Chelan.
> ...


That's awesome. My buddy worked for NOVA mapping out the rivers in Washington. Stories about getting chased up a tree by a moose, being stalked by bob cats, and hearing bears click their jaws as a warning.

Your going to love having a standard poodle. You might not want to consider pom poms (aka bracelettes) since your in the woods. There's a trail of debris behind your pup when they run like a rooster tail on a hydroplane during Seafair. The bracelettes catch a lot of debris like a mud flap. Cedars, redwoods, evergreen's stick to a poodle coat like velcro too, so you kinda sorta have to be attentive to that.

There's all sorts of different poodle styles to match your life style so it's not a chore.

If you would like to know more about pom pom/bracelettes, then check out this thread:









Anyone intersted in a pom poms/bracelet grow out challenge?


I want to have a season to grow out Basil pom poms 110%. It's loud, I love it, but we need to add some serious fullness and length. Basil looks like she's walking around in high heels with tassels. If I was a furMom, then I would head right down to Nordstroms and get a pair (free returns...




www.poodleforum.com


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Beaumont said:


> Another worry I have is plucking the ear hairs


Not necessarily. Best answer is, it depends. How hairy are your pups ears?

Too much plucking can be a problem, as can too little. Some can get away with simply trimming. 

from Should You Pluck Your Dog's Ear Hair? (preventivevet.com) 

_To Pluck or Not to Pluck?_
_Plucking the hair from the ear canal is a controversial topic in the dog grooming world. Some dog groomers claim that they see more ear infections in dogs that get their ears routinely plucked, while others claim just the opposite. Like so many other things in the world, the answer for whether or not you should pluck your dog’s ears is ... it depends! 

If your dog has chronic ear infections, plucking inside their ears can help with air circulation which helps keep moisture in the ear at bay. Plucking also makes giving ear medication easier and more effective since it can make its way all the way into the ear canal.

However, if your dog does not suffer from recurring ear infections, there is no medical reason to pluck their ears as long as the hair is well-trimmed or brushed out and not allowed to mat or block the ear opening. If you're worried about the amount of hair growing in your dog's ears, discuss with your vet what option is best for your dog. 
_


> _A great alternative to ear plucking is having your groomer trim down the inside of the dog’s ear flap and carefully trim the hair in the ear canal. Keeping it short will prevent the hair from blocking the flow of air or getting tangled in any ear wax._


_I asked our very own Dr. Jason Nicholas what he thinks about ear plucking: “I’d say it depends on the dog and their past ear condition history. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest it for all dogs with a lot of ear hair. But for those that get chronic wax build up, irritation, or infections, then yes, I’d suggest having that hair removed. I'd also recommend having their thyroid function tested and working with their vet to check for any food or environmental allergies. These are all common underlying causes of chronic ear problems.”_


and a fairly recent thread with plucking as the topic:








Plucking ear hair?


Hi. I'm planning to groom my future poodle myself. Recently, I read about plucking ear hairs. Is that really necessary, or only it the ear-hairs cause a problem. I am concerned that the dog would feel the plucking and that it would hurt. Thanks for your advice.




www.poodleforum.com


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

For ear health, I highly recommend purchasing Zymox + hydrocortisone. It is 100% effective as an ear infection preventative and will get rid of mild infection without additional treatment. If you do decide to pluck, I highly recommend always following with a drop of zymox and massage the ear canal to spread it around. If I pluck and do not use it, I will see infection soon after due to opening the pores. As a preventative it is good to add a drop every week or two or whenever the ears smell yeasty.

I choose to pluck because I find it hard to keep the ears truly infection free when there is hair in them. I also feel it gives a floppy-eared dog their best chance of hearing things clearly. Some poodles will not grow as much hair in the ears though.


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## Pcarperrn (Feb 10, 2021)

Beaumont said:


> When we picked up our poodle puppy, we were told by the breeder to not cut her hair too short until 6 months old. Or it will come in too wiry.
> As summer approaches, we'd like to cut her hair short. I've already done her muzzle but it wasn't a great job for my first time.
> I used a #10 for the muzzle.
> I wanted to cut the hair on her body short while she's still a puppy because she is so much smaller than our Mastiff puppy and all he does is drool on her.
> ...


You can cut them back whenever you would like. The puppy coat is softer and straighter than the adult coat. When the coat changes the hair gets a lot curlier and feels coarser.
I have different coat types in some of my adults...some are more coarse than others, like an Afro, others are very curly but the hair is softer.

I actually trim my puppies' muzzle and tips of toes the day their eyes open.
I re-trim every 2 weeks, by the time they are 2-3 months they are "old pros"
The key is to not do too much be gentle and make them feel safe. They are used to being touched and held since I sit with them in the whelping bed for at least an hour daily. 
Be sure the blade is cool, and I prefer the Andis clipper that doesn't make much noise. It usually takes me less than a minute to do them when they are little. My helper
holds them cupped in their hands at 2 weeks, and snuggles them until they are able to stand on the table for trimming.
I started this practice when I was showing American Cocker Spaniels (did muzzles and tops of ears). I never had a dog you had to manhandle to groom. By the time they were 4 months old they were like little statues when they were being groomed, and be done without someone holding them to keep them still. 
My feeling is when you start young, are gentle and patient they "don't know it's scary" and grooming can be a relaxing activity for you and your furbaby.


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## Pcarperrn (Feb 10, 2021)

Beaumont said:


> That picture is 7FC?
> Thats about what I had envisioned.
> Seattle eh?
> I just retired and came from the Seattle area. I live across the mountains now, about 25 minutes north east of Chelan.
> ...


The key to not burning the dog is frequently oiling the blade and check the temperature...they can get hot quickly.
There is a Kool Lube Spray that can help disinfect and cool the blades also.
Remember the bigger the number on your blades the shorter it cuts...a #15 will cut closer than a #10 (1/16"). 
The 7FC leaves the hair 1/8". Remember if you go against the grain/lay of the hair it will cut shorter.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

_Below is a list of the different clipper blade numbers and lengths of cuts. Each brand of clipper blade may vary slightly in length but they all are pretty much the same.

*Dog Clipper Blade Numbers and Lengths of Cut Single Blade Detachable Clippers*
Below is a list of the clipper blade numbers and the length of coat that is left on the dog after the clip._

_*Clipper Blade Number*__*Description of Cut*__Blade #3 or #3F__Cuts and leaves 1/2" or 13mm length of coat on the dog__Blade #4 or # 4F__Cuts and leaves approximately 3/8" or 9.5mm length of coat__Blade #5 or #5F__Cuts and leaves approximately 1/4" or 6mm length of coat__Blade #5/8 Toe Blade__Is specifically for clipping between the toes and feet__Blade #7 or #7F__Cuts and leaves approximately 1/8" or 3.2mm length of coat__Blade #7/8 Toe Blade__Is specifically for clipping between toes and feet__Blade #8 1/2__Cuts and leaves 7/64" or 2.8mm length of coat__Blade #9__Cuts and leaves approximately 5/64" or 2mm length of coat__Blade #10__Cuts and leaves 1/16" or 2mm length of coat__Blade #15__Cuts and leaves 1.2mm length of coat__Blade #30__Cuts and leaves 0.5mm length of coat__Blade #40 & #50__Are specifically for short surgical cuts_
_Different brands may have slightly different blade numbers however generally the lengths will be pretty much standard as the guide above.

*Recommended blade numbers for different lengths of cut for pet clipping:

Summer:* Blade number to use over the body – # 7; blade number for clipping around the anal area and underneath the dog’s hind leg area – #10.

*Winter: *Blade number to use over the body – # 4 or #5; blade number for clipping around the anal area and underneath the dog’s hind leg area – # 10.

If you use any shorter or longer over the dog’s body you may find the cut is too close to the skin and doesn’t look that nice or it is too long and it means you have to clip the dog more often to keep it tidy.

If you are doing specific breed clipping then you will need to follow the recommendations for that particular breed and it may be necessary to purchase more dog grooming equipment."_

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*Combs/Guards*
Combs/Guards slip over the blade to increase the cut length on any regular size clipper/trimmer. The combs/guards come in a lot of sizes. 

(I use a cordless 5 in 1 clipper so I can adjust the one clipper to 5 different lengths by moving a small lever to switch from #40, #30, #15, #10, and #9 without changing out the blade. I switch to the #30 or #40 when adding the combs.)













This chart shows the cut length of the detachable blades.



















Here's the Oster chart with blade recommendations for various cuts


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