GROOMING YOUR OWN POODLE

SO YOU WANT TO GROOM YOUR OWN POODLE

Good for you! You will find it is a great way to bond with your dog, to learn great patience, and to save you A LOT of money!

There are a list of things that you will need if you want to do your own grooming.

First and Foremost you will want a book on grooming. The best book in the whole world and what I consider to be my bible on the poodle is:

SHIRLEE KALSTONE's book

POODLE CLIPPING AND GROOMING: The International Reference

This is a comprehensive book all about poodle grooming and different cuts and also gives a lot of important information on poodle conformation.

Next you will need your equipment. Now these items may be a little expensive to purchase but they will pay for themselves very quickly, espcially when you take into account that a typical grooming depending upon where you live can on a toy cost upwards of 50-60 dollars and on a standard can cost upward of 100 dollars.
Now the following list are the grooming items that I like the best and have used for years and years in my grooming buisness. There are a variety of different brands out there that you can try. You can get most of these items at the following locations:

Most products can be found at any of these stores. Be sure and shop around for the best prices available.
Petedge, Ryans pet, KV vet and Revival Animal Health

List of Equipment Needed (see pictures below)

1- Good set of clippers

I use Laube but Andis clippers are also very good and a little less expensive. They run well and do not get as hot as the Oster clippers do.

NOTE: Clippers bought at Walmart are NOT good enough for grooming dogs no matter what the package claims or shows.

2- Blades you will need

These blades are detachable and no matter the brand will usually fit your clippers.

3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 30. The smaller the number on the blade the longer it leaves the hair. 15 and 30 are traditionally used of the feet and face. I prefer 30 or even a 40 for show dogs.

3- You will want a nice set of finishing clippers. These are smaller and work great for small faces and feet and are also great for puppies as they are much quieter.

4- Good pairs of scissors- You will want a straight pair and a curved pair. Curves are best for top knots and pom-pons.

If you are grooming toy poodles you will want scissors that are 6-8 inches in length. If you are grooming standard poodles you will want scissors that are 9-10 inches in length. These can be any brand you want and any price you want to spend. Usually the better brands are more money and will hold their sharpness a lot longer.

5- You will need a comb for getting out those mats clear to the skin.

6-You will need a slicker brush of some sort for regular coat brushing.

7- You will want a pin brush for fluff drying the coat out.

8- Nail clippers - I recommend the Plier type and NOT the guillotine type as they are much easier to handle.

9- Some styptic powder- great to have on hand for when you accidentally clip a nail too short.

10- A pair of hemostats for plucking the hair inside of your dogs ears to prevent infections.

11- A blow Dryer- even a human hand held dryer that has low heat setting will work. I do recommend having a forced air dryer. Especially for standard poodles as it will dry them much faster.

12- A grooming table with an arm- now be this bought from one of the above mentioned stores or if home made, this will make life a lot easier when grooming your poodle.

13- A good dog shampoo suited for your individual poodles needs. If you are working with show coats you will also need conditioners when bathing and spray on condtioners for brushing the coat.

ANDIS 2 SPEED CLIPPERS

MOSER FINISHING CLIPPERS

CON AIR PET 10 BLADE

SHEARS

SLICKER BRUSH

PIN BRUSH

COMB

NAIL CLIPPERS

HEMOSTATS

STYPTIC POWDER

DOUBLEK 2 SPEED DRYER

GROOMING TABLE

GROOMING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

* Be patient

* Be firm but gentle

* Do not give up. Practice makes perfect.

* If you dog is inclined to bite then do not be afraid to muzzle him while grooming. He will get used to it and begin to like it soon if you are gentle.

* Talk in a soft high pitched happy voice constantly while grooming and praising your dog.

* Bribery works. If your dog has a favorite treat and you are having a hard time grooming do not be afraid to treat your dog.

* Never leave your dog unattended on the grooming table even if it is just to grab something quick. They could jump off the table and get seriously injured.

* Do not be afraid to use that grooming arm on your table. Believe me it makes life a lot easier.

* Play with your dogs feet and face while playing. This will make grooming a lot easier for you if your dog is use to having its feet and face played with.

* If you are tired quit grooming even if you are not finished. Being tired makes you make mistakes.

* If your dog dose not like what you are doing, do not stop. This is rewarding your dog for bad behavior. Work through the problem. If your dog learns you will give in to him he will run all over you.

* If you are having a hard time shaving your dogs feet, then pick up your dog and tuck him under your arm. You have a lot more control this way. Your dog may struggle at first but once he knows that he can not get away he will settle down.

* If you are having a hard time shaving your dogs face, try running the clippers over his face with them OFF. This way he gets used to the sensation. Once you have had good luck with this try turning them on and running them over his face without shaving. Soon it will become second nature.

* If you are still having a hard time shaving your dogs face, then turn your dog to face the wall and shave his face from behind. I know this is hard for you to see but it really dose help. Once he is use to this then turn him back around and continue with normal grooming.

* If you are having a hard time with brushing and combing, take the brush and comb with you while you sit together and watch TV. Brush gently and slowly. Soon your dog will love being brushed.

* Go slow with the dryer. They really will get use to it.

* Change blades often as they can heat up quickly. NOTE: Most finishers will not get hot no matter how long they are running.

* Be careful with the close blades like the 15 and 30 blades. They heat up fast and can burn your dog. Not recommended for lighter colored poodles unless you really know what you are doing.

* Have the quick stop ready when you are doing the nails just in case of clipping the nail too short. NOTE: on young dogs and puppies this bleeding will stop quickly, but on older dogs or dogs with bleeding disorders be careful. Start with just taking the tips off and work your way up.

* If you clip your dogs toenails while they are in the bath the nails are a bit softer from the water and if you clip too short its an easy way to clean up the blood.

* On small or very young puppies human fingernail or toenail clippers are easier to use than dog toe nail clippers.

* A & D ointment that is use for diaper rash works great on clipper burn.

* Watch out for the webbing between the toes as you can nick it easy.

* Watch out for the skin between the body and where the leg joins the body. It is very easy to catch with your bigger blades and cut. This is also true of the skin at the arm pit.

* If you do cut your dog DO NOT PANIC. It happens to the best of us. Especially if you dog moves at just the right moment. Get the bleeding stopped, sterilize the area with alcohol or betadine and use some super glue (YES I said Super glue) to glue the wound shut. Then once it is dry (do not get your fingers stuck to your dog) then apply some neosporin. You do not need to rush your dog off to the Vet. You really can handle this yourself.

* Do not worry. Most dogs are very forgiving!

* Before bathing place cotton balls in your dogs ears to keep the water out.

* Do not forget if you have a toy or miniature poodle you need to express the anal glads. This IS very stinky and gross but HAS TO BE DONE. I recommend doing this while you are bathing so that you can rinse it away.

* To empty anal glands: Grasp the dogs tail in your non-dominate hand and pull it up tight. With your dominate hand place your middle finger on one side of your dogs anus and your thumb on the other side. You should be able to feel those internal glands. They usually feel like small round BB's. Squeeze firmly but gently while milking it out. You should see either a light brownish liquid or a dark almost coffee ground looking substance come out. It will vary in look and this is ok. Do not worry if you do not get this the first couple of times you try. Sometimes it takes a bit of practice. Just try it the next time your dog is in the bath.

* You need to remember to pluck the hair from your dogs ears. Use your hemostats. Do not be afraid to get in there and get that hair. I will not lie to you, it does hurt your dog just a bit (It is a lot like you plucking your eyebrows, the faster you do it the less it hurts). But you need to think of what will hurt less in the long run. A painful yeast or other ear infection or a little bit of plucking.

* Then clean your dogs ears with an ear cleaning solution of some kind. I have a recipe for making your own ear cleaner here on my site. Get down in with some Q-tips and get that dirt and oil out. NOTE: DO NOT WORRY ABOUT GOING IN TOO FAR. There is no way you can hurt your dogs ear drum.

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