# can you tell me how to get this jacket look...



## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

For one thing, the dog in the photo has an incredibly narrow front conformationally. More narrow than is desirable; you do want some chest on a poodle between the legs, and a well sprung ribcage. They're active dogs, they need a good large set of heart and lungs in there! This dog looks like it has a no ribcage!

However, I can tell you that the legs look very long because they are shaved clear up and over the elbows; you can see the actual bump of the elbow joint at the top. That means the bottom part of the jacket along the bottommost part of the ribcage is taken very short, and the sides are blended from there to get that super round look.

Stella has a lot more substance to her than the dog in the photo. I consider it a good thing. Poodles aren't supposed to be waifish and waspy skinny. But if you want to disguise the width of her chest a bit, you'll probably need to grow her jacket out a bit more so you can shape it to be more rounded on the sides. It's weird, I know, to grow more width to disguise width, but that's the only way you will be able to get a more rounded jacket. Right now it looks like you might be scissoring with the body contours (or using a guardcomb), so you're seeing more of her natural shape under the coat.


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks Lavillerose! Your suggestions are helpful. And I appreciate your info on conformation. Ill try the shaping you suggest and post photos when she gets a little longer. She is about 2 months longer than in the photo I posted above...it just seems the longer she gets the dumpier she gets..lol Looks shorter and fatter.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

A narrow chest is not ideal in a standard poodle, but is extremely common! Stella's front assembly looks correctly spaced - you do not want the front legs close together. Millie's front legs, for example, are much too narrow.

What you want to do is grow out Stella's jacket hair and have it rounded more. Part of the broad look you are seeing is coming from her jacket being so short. Growing it out and rounding it will create the look you are looking for!


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## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

Lol, I understand more than you realize. I'm four months into growing Albi out to look like a Bichon. She's got two extra inches on either side for the sole purpose of making her look short and fat. People think she must weigh 30lbs when she's really 15lbs!

I have two months to go to hopefully get a little more length on her face, but at this point I just want my poodle back.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

If you ask Lucy, she's very easy to work with! She drew lines on a picture of stacked Vienna to better show me how to make a low tail set appear higher. I'm sure she would be more than happy to help you! She grooms all her own girls.


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## catsaqqara (May 20, 2011)

The jacket is shaved up past the elbows and the chest is not past the elbows. Bambi has a deep chest that is right at her elbows so I shave her chest really close, Jaden has a shallow chest so I let it grow and scissor it. 

It looks like you should shave her elbows and cut the hair on the lowest part of her chest shorter so it is not below the elbows. And it looks like she needs more hair on the sides and front of the chest. Also Mimi's jacket is curved at the bottom and not straight across in between her legs. It looks like roughly a 15-20 degree angle from the center of her chest out past her elbows then its curved up from there.


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

I did send Lucy an email when I posted this....I havent gotten a responce. I know she is super busy...and she just had an annual event at her house. Im hoping to do some more scissor work this weekend!! Thanks everyone


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

The poodle in the picture has elbows that turn out because the chest is so narrow. Stella's wider spaced legs look good to me. I LOVE Stella's muscley thighs. Too many poodles don't have enough substance for me. I suppose there is a point at which a poodle is too muscular, which hinders poodliness. 

To me, Stella looks terrific. Other than maybe growing it out a half an inch, I like her jacket just the way you have it.


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## Anntig (Jun 9, 2010)

Hey there hope you don't mind, I had a wee play with your pic to see if I could show you how more length would make a difference and while I'm not the greatest editor it does give you a rough idea of how more under the chest and on the sides would look.
Oh and BTW Your girl is gorgeous and could pull off any look


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

*Thanks.*



Anntig said:


> Hey there hope you don't mind, I had a wee play with your pic to see if I could show you how more length would make a difference and while I'm not the greatest editor it does give you a rough idea of how more under the chest and on the sides would look.
> Oh and BTW Your girl is gorgeous and could pull off any look
> View attachment 21242


Hey that's great. Thank you. A picture is worth a thousand words! That is just how I want her to look :act-up:


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

lavillerose said:


> Lol, I understand more than you realize. I'm four months into growing Albi out to look like a Bichon. She's got two extra inches on either side for the sole purpose of making her look short and fat. People think she must weigh 30lbs when she's really 15lbs!
> 
> I have two months to go to hopefully get a little more length on her face, but at this point I just want my poodle back.


Wow amazing how different poodles can look with different hair! why are you growing her into a bichon?


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

ChocolateMillie said:


> A narrow chest is not ideal in a standard poodle, but is extremely common! Stella's front assembly looks correctly spaced - you do not want the front legs close together. Millie's front legs, for example, are much too narrow.
> 
> What you want to do is grow out Stella's jacket hair and have it rounded more. Part of the broad look you are seeing is coming from her jacket being so short. Growing it out and rounding it will create the look you are looking for!


Thank you CM part of the problem is i want that rounded look but not all the hair to deal with. Lol but you are right. I need more hair to sculpt. I've been trying to keep it short for ease of care. But I guess I have to have more hair to get the rounded look.


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

*Thank you*



catsaqqara said:


> The jacket is shaved up past the elbows and the chest is not past the elbows. Bambi has a deep chest that is right at her elbows so I shave her chest really close, Jaden has a shallow chest so I let it grow and scissor it.
> 
> It looks like you should shave her elbows and cut the hair on the lowest part of her chest shorter so it is not below the elbows. And it looks like she needs more hair on the sides and front of the chest. Also Mimi's jacket is curved at the bottom and not straight across in between her legs. It looks like roughly a 15-20 degree angle from the center of her chest out past her elbows then its curved up from there.


So shave the elbows and take more off the bottom of the chest. Meaning underneath. Do many people shave up over the elbows? I didn't realize that her elbows were shaved until you guys pointed it out!


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## catsaqqara (May 20, 2011)

I don't think many people shave the elbows, I'm not sure. When Bambi was in the same cut I shaved the elbows and then let the jacket hair hang down to meet her elbows because Bambi's hair is funky there.


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