Grooming Needs

Poodle puppies can be a high maintenance breed in terms of their grooming needs. This includes combing and clipping. Unlike most breeds, poodles coats aren't made up of fur, they are made up of hair. For that reason, they 'shed' very little. That being said, the hair that does fall out usually gets trapped in their curls causing mats. In order to prevent this, poodles need daily combing and clipping every two months. So, what does this include.

A FINE TOOTH COMB
You'll know that your poodles coat is free of mats if you can run a fine tooth comb through it without it getting caught.

A SLICKER BRUSH
The slicker brush is the main brush used for grooming. You use it by placing your hand over the dog's coat and brushing the hair in the opposite direction of the way it's lying. After you've gone through with the slicker brush, use the fine tooth comb to check your work.

A GROOMER
If you don't want to groom your dog yourself, you will need to take the dog to the groomer every 8 weeks.

CLIPPERS
If you do want to groom your dog on your own, you will need your own set of electric clippers. For recommendation, I suggest visiting 'my favorite groomer' on youtube, where you can find a link to their website. Know that you will have to clip the hair around the pads of their feet or they will get mats, which are painful for the dog.

A HEMOSTAT
Poodles grow hair in their ears, and if you don't pull it out (not cut, PULL), their ears can get infected, and if they do get infected you may end up having to take your dog to the vet to get the hair removed. I would recommend using power (they make special powder) so you can grab the hair more firmly when you do this job. It's not fun, but it's necessary

A NAIL CLIPPERS OR A NAIL GRINDER
Dogs need their nails clipped regularly. If they grow out too long, it can be painful for the dog. Again, you may prefer to have a groomer do these last two jobs, they're not fun jobs to do (because the dogs hate it for comfort reasons, not pain reasons). However, if you do the dog's nails wrong and cut the dog's quick, they will be extremely reluctant to let you do it again, so if you do decide to do this job yourself, be very careful.