# grooming for dummies



## hillbilly (Apr 17, 2014)

Hi, planning on getting a minature poodle in the next few weeks. I would like to keep her in a fancier coat but have some questions. 
1. How long in between professional grooms for a continental cut? Can I extend it by doing brushing, bathing, and shaving the close areas inbetween?

2. Do you have to have an expensive professional dog dryer if you just have one dog? couldn't i just use a human dryer on a cool setting?

3. Clippers come in dramatically different prices, which would be a good one for someone home grooming one dog? (I have a 1980s Oster Lucky Dog clipper I used on a schnauzer that worked great on him.)

4. Which blades do I need and which snap on combs?

(I know someone who used to groom for years who can help me with the mechanics of actually doing it but she talks like I need a 1000 worth of equipment!) By the way- we are not showing the dog in the show ring (hopefully obedience and agility).


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## blacky55667 (Dec 29, 2013)

Okay... i can answer a few of these questions...

1. How long in between professional grooms for a continental cut? Can I extend it by doing brushing, bathing, and shaving the close areas inbetween?

I would say probably 4wks if your doing some simple grooming

2. Do you have to have an expensive professional dog dryer if you just have one dog? couldn't i just use a human dryer on a cool setting?

it takes *F-O-R-E-V-E-R* with a human hair dryer especially with that much hair that a Continental has. its pretty much impossible because once your done the head the tail has already naturally dried (meaning that its more curly and not fluffy because it dried before you could 
blow it) 

3. Clippers come in dramatically different prices, which would be a good one for someone home grooming one dog? (I have a 1980s Oster Lucky Dog clipper I used on a schnauzer that worked great on him.)

i need to know this my self... my clippers have been filing me...

4. Which blades do I need and which snap on combs?

i just like to start with a base blade (usually a 10) then anything shorter than a 10 i buy a new blade and anything longer than a 10 i buy a attachment. I'm just starting out as a groomer so im not 100% on this question

also i don't mean to crush your dreams of the clip but its really hard to let your dog have fun (Roll in the mud, walk through leaves, take a dip in the lake, agility, etc) because you spend so much time and money on it. Even if you let your do all that stuff you would have to be bathing, brushing, blowing CONSTANTLY to keep up and it can also kinda hard for the dog to do this stuff in a continental. its pretty i know, but really not meant for a pet... a HCC (historical correct continental) might be better! BTW those pretty show dogs are always kept in bands when not in a show for those reasons. here's a pic

https://www.google.com/search?q=ban...F2008%2F04%2Fthe_hair_of_the_dog.html;453;337

woha long link XD

I don't wanna seen harsh if i did i just want to tell you why that clip may not work for you


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## blacky55667 (Dec 29, 2013)

also i see we are both in nc what breeder are you going to?...showcaseminiaturepoodles...?


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## hillbilly (Apr 17, 2014)

Joyview kennel in the Raleigh area. We are in the Asheville area in the northwest. There are not very many minature poodle breeders in the area- we looked in SC, TN, and NC before I found a breeder I liked.


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## hillbilly (Apr 17, 2014)

hate to hear all that... Mommy really likes the continental clip (daughter could care less). I don't want to do the puppy all over clip- one because it is not my favorite but also because it is not very flashy. My daughter was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder so we are hoping this dog will let her get more positive social opportunities by having children and adults notice her dog and give her an easy topic to talk about. Is there some other clips that are more unusual than the puppy cut but might be alittle easier to maintain?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Puppy coat is very soft, and doesn't really hold the more complex cuts. The Scandinavian puppy clip might work, especially if you modify the top knot a little. I think that you will find that a poodle puppy with shaved nose, toes and tail is adorable enough to get attention wherever you go! When the puppy is older, and the coat is a little harsher, there are lots of possibilities - the Miami is popular in the States, or the HCC (a less extreme version of the Continental) could work. As blacky says, dogs in show coat Continental clips are kept banded much of the time to avoid damage to the coat, and can look very weird to anyone not accustomed to it - perhaps not the best thing for your daughter. And maintaining the coat is a LOT of work - many of those on here who show practically have a party when their dog finishes its show career, and they can reduce the hair to more manageable proportions! No reason why you shouldn't try it, of course, and see how you get on.


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## blacky55667 (Dec 29, 2013)

You might be able to make the new pup a ESA (emotional support animal)! if you are interested on the kinda thing just send me a msg i can help with laws, training, etc


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

1. How long in between professional grooms for a continental cut? Can I extend it by doing brushing, bathing, and shaving the close areas inbetween?

Puppy coat won't do well with a continental cut and when they go through coat change you may have issues with mats even if you brush often. I would go with a more simple clip for a puppy. When I had my toy poodle in a continental I was bringing him in every 2 weeks. I am a groomer so I can easily do that, but it really was necessary. All of that hair gets dirty faster and tangles quickly. I don't have him in a continental cut any more. It was too much maintenance for me since I am in school and am very busy. Now I bring him in every 3 weeks for a full grooming. He is in a fox clip at the moment. 

2. Do you have to have an expensive professional dog dryer if you just have one dog? couldn't i just use a human dryer on a cool setting?

A force dryer makes a huge difference. You won't get a very fluffy poodle with a human hair dryer, it just does not have the power. If you are planning on having a longer hair style then the force dryer is necessary unless you don't bathe at home. 

3. Clippers come in dramatically different prices, which would be a good one for someone home grooming one dog? (I have a 1980s Oster Lucky Dog clipper I used on a schnauzer that worked great on him.)

I like Andis. From what I hear the Oster clippers are no longer considered to be good clippers. Wahl is decent.

4. Which blades do I need and which snap on combs?

For basics you need a 10 for sanitary trim and a 30 for feet and 15 for face. For snap on combs you might as well just get the Wahl set. You can use these with almost any blades and clippers.

As for fun cuts that wouldn't require so much maintenance you could try the Miami, Fox cut, or the Town and Country cut.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Unless you're going to show, a pet/puppy cut is SO much easier to maintain and still looks great (face/throat, sanitary, tail, feet). I'm not a professional groomer, but I've learned to groom my pet poodles over the years myself. I've gotten good advice on this forum, as well as Googling techniques on YouTube (especially for the feet, ears, and topknot!).

I have a cheap Wahl trimmer for the feet that I got at Tractor Supply (probably a 30 blade), as well as a nice Andis Ultra Edge 2 Speed. I have the 10 blade that came with it (hardly ever use it), and I also bought a 15 blade (for the face/tail/sanitary), a 4FC for the body in summer (9.5 mm - pretty short), and a 5/8 HT for the body (longer - 16 mm for winter). These clippers and blades paid for themselves after only a few grooms, since I pay $55/full groom where I live, for a toy poodle.

I tend to clip the body every 5-6 weeks, but the shaved parts every 3 weeks. I like my dogs to looks freshly groomed, and I don't like the fuzzy look. If you don't mind the scruffy look, you can go longer between grooms.

I brush at least 3x per week. I find if I go longer, there are more tangles to deal with.

Would I love to have my dog professionally groomed every time? You betcha! However, b/c I'm so particular, it's not economically feasible.


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

One thing to consider, as fjm has already touched on - there are a lot of people out there who (for whatever reason) find the show cuts a source of fun and/or derision, and for some reason don't mind being vocal about it! Just thinking about what you said about your little girl here.

I've had lots of people comment how cute my mini and toy are in their basic cuts, and some even saying that they were pleased they weren't all poofed up with pompoms. Pushkin is currently in a kind of Town and Country, Pippin is in a utility clip I guess... short all over anyway apart from topknot.

Also, as they're both very much outdoor dogs (trails/beach/woods etc) they are constantly picking stuff up in their fur which, if it were longer, would mean even MORE grooming than they already get.

I use Andis Ultra Edge 2 speed clippers (also have Wahl but prefer the Andis) with #10 and #5 blades plus clip on combs. I find the #10 short enough for my two for fft. Yes, they're a bit pricey but you soon recoup your costs. Also the best thing I bought was a proper grooming table with arm and noose (lol). The dogs know as soon as it appears that it's brush time!


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## blacky55667 (Dec 29, 2013)

i get tons of attention with my poodle in a miami... or in any clip... all people love poos


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

I get loads of attention with my little girl too..... she is only in a simple cut, I don't know what's it called but here is a pic 










As long as your little dog will be well socialized and friendly you will get the attention no matter what cut you use on her...... I think behaviour of the dog is more important than the way they look (though being cute doesn't hurt either)  

For the clip I do, I don't need a professional hairdryer, I just use my own, attached to a holder so I got two hands free to brush while I dry.... I can get her fluffy alright.


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## hillbilly (Apr 17, 2014)

Thank you all for the help. I think I will just start buying the grooming equipment alittle at a time. It will all pay for itself in cutting down on professional grooming. 

I have been looking around the internet for pictures of the various cuts that you all have recommended. What I have been thinking of as the continental is actually the HCC without hip rosettes. I couldn't really find a great picture of the Fox cut so am unsure about it. I like the Bedlington Trim. I didn't care for the Town and Country. Really liked what one person called a Summer cut which may be a bikini or miami. In it the dog was shaved all the way down to what looked like just a nap of hair-like velvet, and poms on the four legs and feet and some hair on the topknot/ears with a shaved face. I liked the contrast between the close clip of the body and the poms/head-- it also looked very good for a home groomer as it didn't seem very complicated compared to the other clips. I guess the great take home message is there are lots of clips out there to try, and ways to modify, so we can just have fun with it. So different from my current Rottie and Beagle!


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

I find these videos very useful, even if I don't intend to do the exact trim they do, I still learn loads, like how to hold a dog and so on... these ladies explain it really well.


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

Here's my 2 cents worth...

For the first year I've had Luce (my mini poo) I kept her in a fluffy clip. I kept the face fluffy, tail fluffy and just shaved the feet - easier to clean. I swear this puppy is a people magnet!! She is very friendly and loves people and all dogs too.

I recommend enrolling in a puppy 101 class with your daughter. People will be so impressed when the puppy sits, lays down and stays. It will really help with the bonding between the 2 of them. Hopefully the puppy you get will be confident and friendly, IMHO that will be the most important part of the puppy helping your daughter in social settings. The puppy will want to meat people and will wiggle and wag it's tail - who would not want to ask about a puppy like that?!?! And, when the puppy is fluffy and soft!! People will be ooohing and aaaahhhing over how soft it is!! People love a fluffy puppy!

The pictures below are over the last year and the last one is the last time she was groomed. The last one is very easy to maintain and I can see her pretty face 

Best wishes to you and your daughter with the new puppy, looking forward to seeing pictures!


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

I forgot to post this:

POODLE HAIR CUTS A-D

Scroll down and look at the left to see the other E- Z clips.


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## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

Manxcat said:


> One thing to consider, as fjm has already touched on - there are a lot of people out there who (for whatever reason) find the show cuts a source of fun and/or derision, and for some reason don't mind being vocal about it! Just thinking about what you said about your little girl here.
> 
> I've had lots of people comment how cute my mini and toy are in their basic cuts, and some even saying that they were pleased they weren't all poofed up with pompoms. Pushkin is currently in a kind of Town and Country, Pippin is in a utility clip I guess... short all over anyway apart from topknot.
> 
> ...









During the winter my standard and mini are in what i would call a puppy clip,quite long all over,but with shaved face,feet and base of tail. They have just been put into a short lamb trim for the summer. It was a shock to begin with,but the break from the hours of brushing has been really nice! To keep a poodle in a longer coat is hard work,and does involve daily thorough brushing and combing to prevent mats. I shave my poodles face,feet and tail every 10 days or so as I love their fft to be very short. As puppies their fur is so soft so wouldn't hold a continental cut too well. You also find the general public hate this cut sadly.
Everyone who sees my two always says how nice they look,and when the black standard poodle Ricky won Crufts this year,I had so many people say to me Billy looks so much nicer in a sensible haircut. My two get so much attention wherever they go however they are clipped.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

hillbilly said:


> Really liked what one person called a Summer cut which may be a bikini or miami. In it the dog was shaved all the way down to what looked like just a nap of hair-like velvet, and poms on the four legs and feet and some hair on the topknot/ears with a shaved face. I liked the contrast between the close clip of the body and the poms/head-- it also looked very good for a home groomer as it didn't seem very complicated compared to the other clips. I guess the great take home message is there are lots of clips out there to try, and ways to modify, so we can just have fun with it. So different from my current Rottie and Beagle!


We have Jazz in a semi-Miami now. Her topknot is rounded, not long and flowing, and her ears and entire tail are shaved (the tail part was a mistake--we'll let that grow out at least a bit), but she does have the poms on her ankles and that beautiful plush body coat. My husband calls her the velveteen dog. Hard to keep your hands off.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I kept Jack in a show puppy clip with tied up topknot until he was 1 and then put him in an english saddle at 1 with a tied up topknot. It was fun for me! I love to groom. It wasn't until he showed me how miserable it was for him that I ended up scissoring his topknot instead, and just yesterday I 'bobbed' his ears because he kept chewing off chunks of his lovely, long ears. And now he's in a Miami 

The Shirley Kalstone book is very good for learning how to groom also.


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