# Sporting Clip



## DivinityPoodles (Jan 23, 2012)

I know there are similar threads but I want to be very specific here...

I am trying to figure out the sporting clip especially related to showing in UKC conformation.

I know the body hair cannot be longer than 1" and the legs can be slightly longer. How long is slightly and how long is the top knot supposed to be? Do the ears have to be long or can they be shaved down to an inch? Does there have to be a pom pom on the tail? Must the feet be shaved? Base of tail? 

Pictures I have seen vary sooooo much and I am no professional so am looking for advice from all of you. Please?

Thanks
(if the clip is what I hope, maybe I can show Cale and Autumn in conformation... yay!!)


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

The sporting clip does vary from very basic to quite stylized. The wonderful thing about UKC is that they accept it in all forms. Usually the dogs in UKC have either a full scissored topknot like mine did, or they are tied up. Here are some pictures of my girl in a sporting clip as a puppy when she was showing in UKC. It can be shorter than this, too. We left her a little fluffy and I did not have the best groomer, either. We did bellbottoms on her legs.  This would be a modified type of sporting clip, I suppose, but she did great in UKC with it. I will always remember the disgusted look on someones face when she won over their dog in full continental. You will see the other clips, but most of the dogs are in some sort of modified, easier to care for clip:

























Here's a picture when we let her get really, really fluffy too









It didn't matter that much, honestly. We made sure she was freshly washed and brushed the day before with her face done about a week before showing.


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## DivinityPoodles (Jan 23, 2012)

You have a beautiful dog outwest!! Thanks for the pics!

Normally, I don't do Cale's feet (we like cookie monster feet), I just shave underneath & between his toes, I also only shave his but and not all the way around the dock of his tail and I don't leave a pom pom. Any idea if that matters? I only saw a few pics that did not have the dock of the tail done or a pom pom but it looked like those dogs were actually hunting so hmmm....

I think I am going to shave him the rest of the way down today to get rid of whats left of the felting. Good heavens he was a mess!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

You're welcome. I will say I haven't seen a poodle shown without the feet being shaved. Feet are an important aspect of correct poodle conformation, so they want to see them. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but they all seem to have the tail shaved with at least a small poof (not all have a big puff). You want to show where the tail joins the back. That doesn't mean they have to have a puff on the tail, I suppose. The idea with UKC is the form of the dog and the movement are far more important than the length of their hair. They do feel the topknot and in some cases split it to get the texture of the hair. 

I always wanted to have one of those nice poodle trims for my girl, but since I don't groom myself I could never get one (pet groomer). The breeder did do a quick fix on her once, which helped a lot. 

You don't have to have a huge topknot, but I would make sure there is a bit of puff up there. 

Keep in mind I am NOT a grooming expert by any means. I experienced lots of frustration with my groomer over her sporting trims. I can offer what worked for my girl and didn't hurt her at all.


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## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

I think the UKC under the Poodle has the accepted clips. I would think BUT do not know that you would have to have 1. shaved feet, 2. shaved face, 3. shaved base of tail with Pom (length of pom is of owner peference), 4. I think that the ears should be longer than 1" at the base of the ear but I think you possibly need to check the length of your dogs ear leather. Ear leathers that tend on the longer more correct length might not need a great deal of hair past the leather, if you have a short ear leather then you would have to grow out more hair to give the illusion of longer ears.
I also think that you can have style & have less than 1" on certain parts of the body & then longer flair on the legs, crest, TK.


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## DivinityPoodles (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks!

Still confused but less so now. I'll have to shave off the coat change and then go from there


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## cavon (Aug 10, 2010)

here is how my boy was groomed for UKC shows. Must have done something right since he won BIS 3 times and RBIS once!!! :cheers2::cheers2::cheers2::clover:


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## DivinityPoodles (Jan 23, 2012)

Thank you for sharing.
He's beautiful!! or... I guess handsome is more appropriate lol.

I think if we decide to go this route we may go shorter just for ease of care. 

Do you hunt with Finnegan? If so, how long do you keep his coat?


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

cavon said:


> here is how my boy was groomed for UKC shows. Must have done something right since he won BIS 3 times and RBIS once!!! :cheers2::cheers2::cheers2::clover:


IMO, Finnegan does EVERYTHING right!!:nod:


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