Grooming Tips for Poodle Owners

If you are considering getting a poodle, and you want to groom her yourself, you should know that they have different needs from other breeds. The coat of the poodle is curly, so things can easily become entangled, hence, your poodle needs to be brushed daily.

The best thing to do when you get a poodle is to groom them regularly from the time they come home to you as a puppy. This gets them used to it and will make your poodle far more cooperative when it is time to groom.

Reward your dog as you go. This establishes time to groom as a good time for both of you. When you begin to groom, start with the body. Part the fur along the spine and from that point brush gently. This will take some time, as you must groom the whole body including the legs. Next do the ears. A poodle has a lot of hair on the ears and often the hair will grow into the ears. You must keep this trimmed or it can cause ear infections.

When you are ready to groom the head of your poodle, hold her steady by placing your hand under the dog's mouth. Then use a metal comb to brush the top of the head. This is called the topknot. The last thing to do to groom your poodle is the tail. This is done with a brush.

The next thing to decide is if you want to give your poodle a show cut or if you are satisfied with the natural way her fur grows. Unless you have taken courses on how to groom, it's wiser to take your dog to a professional if you want her cut.

Another thing you must remember to take care of when you groom your poodle is their nails. This is easy for dogs with white nails, but you must be very careful with dogs with dark nails so that you don't cut too low and make them bleed.