# How do you train a poodle to hold for grooming?



## critterclipper (Jun 13, 2010)

Start EARLY!!! They should come from the breeder prepared for it. (❤ ❤❤mine for doing this!!!) The key is that you stay calm, work in short periods of time like 5-10 minute sessions. Always end on a good note: if she only tolerates 8 minutes then stop at 7 before she melts down. Stopping when they protest (struggling, biting, screaming anything) only reinforces that behavior. I will be back with more later!


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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

Chanter is 3 and he still gets impatient after awhile! I don't know how the groomers at the salon do it b/c they say Chanter was great! (Really?).

Anyways, start early, a little bit every day.
good luck!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Start early. . Your puppy should have been bathed, dried, clipped and scissored weekly prior to coming to you.

And - it's business time on the grooming table. No time spent practicing here. I just get it done. At 3 weeks, I jumped right in and clipped my puppies' faces, feet, tails and bathed and dried them. 

I ignore any pulling away or harmless gnawing at my hand to get me to stop. I just keep going and they learn their efforts are wasted.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

When I got Misha, she had had her face feet and tail done 3 times already. I got her home and within a couple of days she was getting groomed. She has been done regularly ever since. Her groomers attitude was, you are a poodle, get used to it!. 

I cringe when I see people on here with a 6 month old puppy ask when they should take their pup in for a first grooming....the answer is 5 months ago!


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## Eliza2014 (Jul 18, 2014)

Thanks for all your replies, they're very helpful.


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## hunny518 (Jun 5, 2012)

I see others have already given advice I would have, I'll try not to repeat but only add to what the others have said. Another thing that may help is getting your puppy up on something higher. I usually recommend the washer or dryer to clients. Make sure to put a mat down or something so they don't feel like they are slipping. Sometimes getting them up high takes them out of their comfort zone and gives you more control. Don't be afraid to say a form "NO" when they try to bite or growl. Do not stop ever during undesirable behavior. Wait until they stop and then praise them while they are behaving and reward if you feel its necessary. Poodles are smart and catch on super fast. I know because I am a groomer, I had an advantage because I have all the right tools and experience to deal with this. From the day I brought my girl home at 9 weeks old, she has been brushed and combed daily and now she is 2 yrs old. Also, being a show dog it was extremely important for me to train her to be perfect for the table. She lays down and goes right to sleep when I brush her and often is on my table for 5-7 Hrs for full grooming and never fusses. 

I started out with short 5-8 min sessions and gradually extended it. Puppies have short attention spans and little patience so you want to keep it enjoyable and interesting while they learn grooming etiquette

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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

This is a very helpful post. I have been combing Dulcie every day since I brought her home and she has had one professional grooming. She does get mouthy after the comb or brush and I can distract her with a toothbrush for quite a while (which is handy because it also gets the teeth brushed!) but I find as she is getting older, she is getting less patient. I will have to try putting her up on the washing machine with a mat. Definitely that might be easier all around!


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

My grooming table is the very best investment I have made so far. For your show dog you also want to teach them to lay on their side for some parts of the grooming. Line brushing is much easier if the dog is on their side and drying that show mane in layers works better also...

Apollo I taught to down then "relax" which means lay flat on your side. Grin not only does it help with his grooming but it also counts as a trick towards his trick dog title. It was actually easy to teach as it is the first half of learning to roll over. ;-) I still need to teach that trick to Phoenix and I better do it soon his mane is getting to long to brush while he is standing up.


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## hunny518 (Jun 5, 2012)

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## 5monkeys (Jul 1, 2014)

We got our spoo at 8wks. I groomed him at 10wks and 12wks(last week). I'll be doing this every 2wks to get him used to it. The 2nd time, he did significantly better. I have not done his face and feet. Those i may just have an actual groomer do until i have the confidence to do them myself. Daily brushing and giving treats during the grooming help keep him happy and relaxed. I don't have much experience but so far, so good.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Good idea to make sure they're up high when working on them. I use a grooming table. But anything up high will work. They definitely feel like they can't go anywhere that way. Mine had already had their ffs shaved a few times when I got them. 

But what I did was kept the brushing, shaving, "sessions" very short, a minute or so and there were lots of treats and praise. I tried not to go past the point where they were having a hard time holding still but end when they were really being "good" and where they got lots of reinforcement/reward. I'd mess with their ears a little bit too. I did this a couple two, three times a day. 

Dremeling was a much more gradual desensitizing/conditioning process and was a separate "exercise." Anyhow, I didn't use any scolding or anything...wanted to make sure they associated this whole, arduous process with a really nice, social time. 

Now, occasionally, if they move around when they need to hold still, I'll tell them, "hold still" firmly. But if I need to really brush up on their training, if they begin to regress in earnest, I am sure to reinforce them when they_ are _standing still and give them feed back that this is what I like and make sure to make it worth their while. (yummy treats for good behavior or whatever they really love best) It is a long time to stand still and it's understandable that they would get restless. 

They do need to hold still because they can be hurt if they don't...one slip with the scissors, a nick with the clippers. But if taken gradually, they can learn to hold still quite well and be comfortable with doing so as well.


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

I agree, start early, and it is business. Just do it and get it done. You need the dog up on a table, washer/dryer if a puppy and be firm. Praise when they are good, correct when they aren't. Firm and gentle. And don't let them decide when you are done. You are just teaching them that they call the shots.


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## bwainscott (May 7, 2013)

one of my most invaluable tools as a groomer is my Groomers Helper. it was used in the very beginning and used every time she's on the table. like a horse if you have decent amount of control of the head you can have better control of the body. now when she's clipped in place she knows that it's business time. at 8months I can work in her for an hour without fussing. 

also I don't know if it helped or not, but if she ever stepped off the table as a younger pup, I calmly hoisted her back up. now if her tweenger feet slip, she's the one that calmly picks herself back up.


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## hunny518 (Jun 5, 2012)

I don't recommend the groomers helper at all when training a puppy. Especially a show puppy. It doesn't properly train them table etiquette, plus, a show poodle should be taught to lay on the table for drying and brushing.


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## Bellesdad0417 (May 18, 2014)

From a training perspective that will lend itself to grooming, every time Finn comes in from outside I make him present his feet even if I don't have a towel to wipe them I handle his feet.


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## bwainscott (May 7, 2013)

oh gosh, sorry. I must have misread. you are right show pups and helpers do not go together. I have a pup that I'm working on for competitive grooming.


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## Eliza2014 (Jul 18, 2014)

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I think my biggest problem will be myself; to be diligent, consistent and patient. If I do those things then I'm sure she will be the best groomed dog on the block.


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