How to Groom Poodles
Poodles come in all colors and carry a wiry, curly coat that can grow quickly. They need regular grooming to maintain their elegant and distinguished appearance. The regimen for a poodle is demanding, with a full grooming required every four to six weeks, and general primping twice a week.
You need
- Slicker brush
- Metal comb
- Mat rake
- Splitter
- Use the metal comb and slicker brush to comb out the poodle's hair. The outer guard coat protects a dense and thick undercoat. The undercoat mats easily and needs to be combed frequently. It is soft, cotton-like in texture and combined with the curly nature of the hair, it mats in an unruly and difficult to remove fashion. Poodles shed very little hair.
- Use a splitter and a mat rake to remove tangled masses. Try not to tug or pull sharply on the tangles to avoid hurting the poodle.
- Check inside the ears every upkeep session. The breed is susceptible to ear mites and they have a lot of ear hair growth that must be trimmed if it becomes unruly.
- Scrape the dog’s teeth to keep them in peak physical health. This is known as scaling.
- Determine how you want your poodle trimmed. There are specific rules if the poodle is entering shows, but pets can be styled any number of ways. The most popular trim for poodles is the “lamb trim,” which clips the hair to a short length evenly all over the body.
- Have the dog shaved of the mats if they become uncontrollable. At a certain point, detangling them becomes impossible if the coat has not been maintained.