The Poodle's distinctive haircut may have working roots, but since those early days of water retrieving in Europe, fashions have changed, and so has the poodle's 'do.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Paris and London were the focal point of the Western World. With Emperors, Kings and Princes galore, it was a magnificent stage of opulence and excess. The court of London was the most elegant and exotic, with foreign Princes and Maharajahs reflecting the strength of the British Empire. The luxury of the era was mind boggling, and one extraordinary aspect of the lifestyle was the amount of attention given to the subject of dogs.
Everybody who was anybody had a luxury dog. Salons just for poodles were extremely luxurious. Furnished with antiques, Queen Ann furniture, canine art, and many times, by invitation only. Do to the high demands of the poodle coat, only the wealthy could afford such a magnificent companion. Money was no object were aristocratic poodles were concerned. They wore collars and harnesses made of gold or silver, often studded with precious stones. Clothing for canines also reached a high point during this era, often coordinating with their mistresses' clothing. They were works of art.
Using only hand scissoring, elaborate designs were sketched into the curly coats. It was all too common to see a family's coat of arms and crests scissored into the hair. Groomers trimmed the poodles' tails to look like flags, and shaped their heads to give them mustaches and goatees. Some people believe the poodle's fancy pompon on the end of the tail was designed by the French to mock the English lion. Poodle grooming was often conducted on Sundays along the banks of the Seine River in Paris. A flea dip and scissoring would often fetch up to 30 pounds. For the final rinse, poodles were sent to retrieve a stick tossed into the Seine River.
 
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In the show ring, cuts have evolved-from those long cords to shaggy haircuts with shaved rear ends similar to those the Portuguese water dog wears, to the cuts acceptable today, complete with pompons and glamor, each including the topknot tied up with a ribbon.
The Puppy Show Clip: A long coat; the face, throat, feet and base of the tail are shaved; pompon at the end of the tail.
English Saddle Clip: The face, throat, feet, forelegs and base of the tail are shaved; with puffs on the forelegs and a pompon at the end of the tail; hindquarters are covered with a short blanket of hair.
Continental Clip: The face, throat, feet, forelegs and base of the tail are shaved. Pompons are on the forelegs, hindquarters and the end of the tail. In addition, rosettes are placed over the top of both back hips. The remaining body hair, or the main, is often hair sprayed into a bouffant 'do. This is the show-ring standard.
Sporting Clip: The face, feet, throat and base of the tail are shaved; scissored cap on top of the head; pompon at the end of the tail.
Pet Clips: While I cannot list them all (their are literally hundreds of pet clips variations) the most popular are the Miami Clip, Dutch Clip, Puppy Pet Clip, and Sporting Clip.
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Although every poodle is a winner in the eyes of its owner, most don't need to wear a long, glamorous show clip while sitting around on the coach at home. With a little attention and consistency, anyone can learn to easily groom a poodle.
Grooming is an essential part of keeping your poodle healthy, happy and looking good. It's important to plan on establishing a consistent grooming routine when you add a puppy to your family, or to start one with an older dog. Coat care is a large part of grooming your poodle, but taking care of its teeth, nails and ears should also be part of your dog's grooming regime.
Understanding the Poodle Coat: The Poodle coat is composed of individual hairs that grow continuously-meaning they can continue growing longer, rather than reaching a certain length and stopping. The Poodle coat grabs onto dead hair instead of shedding, which is why the breed is considered an excellent choice for anyone allergic to dogs. Because of this, it's extremely important that these dogs are brushed on a regular basis to remove dead hair. If not removed manually through brushing and bathing, the dead hair becomes severely matted. Poodles will also eventually go through a coat change. This can start around 6 months and last a couple of months for Toys. However, the adult coat may not fully grow in until 2 years of age.
To Groom or Not to Groom: You need to decide whether you want to learn how to care for and clip your poodle's coat yourself or whether you'll visit a professional groomer every 4-6 weeks. Even if you decide to use a professional groomer, you'll still need to do some weekly coat care.
I Want to Do It Myself: For those of you who are interested in learning to do it your self, you may save a little money. However, their is a down side to everything. You can absolutely learn to groom your poodle on your own, however no clip is as easy as it looks! It will involve an investment in some basic equipment and lots of time. Have a groomer or your breeder show you how to safely handle the equipment. Clipping the coat will also require some homework. I highly recommend Poodle Clipping and Grooming The International Reference by Shirlee Kalstone. It gives you step by step instruction on care of pet and show clips, it's loaded with pictures, and the author is an undisputed expert on poodle grooming.
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"It's an artistic sport; presenting a poodle is definitely a production."
Sharon Stevens
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