How to Groom Your Standard Poodle at Home

Short hair dogs or hypoallergenic? I like the hypoallergenic coat myself but let me tell you it requires maintenance and if your paying out of pocket it is going to add up. The price for grooming a standard poodle ranges from around $50 to $100 and the poodle must be groomed monthly. A standard poodle is sounding like quite the investment now isn't it? Well I'm a broke college kid that manages to sustain while giving my poodle the care he needs. I threw down on an Andis Clipper and the thing is amazing, a straight work horse. It was about $150 but pays itself of very quickly, when you consider regular grooming fees over a year can be around $750.


In order for someone to go with this more economical route they must be willing to keep there poodle's clip simple. If you want a fancy classic cut than keep shelling out tons of money to your groomer because you'll have quite the headache on your hands trying to give your dog a show quality clip. Just keep it simple one length for the body than cut the face short and do whatever you want with the top knot. I use a 9.5mm guard for his entire body, than I switch to the 1.5mm and for his face and feet. The funny thing is people always compliment me on his clip and I just laugh to myself because when I started I had no idea what I was doing and now people compliment me on a job well done.


Beyond saving money grooming your dog will help you bond with the animal. My poodle will let me do just about anything to him now, roll him over, trim his face, pick him up, etc. It has definitely strengthened our bond and kept more cash in my pocket.

To make the hair easier to pull out use ear powder and depending on the amount hair you can either use your fingers to pluck it out or use a hemostat. Hemostats are very cheap and work perfect but make sure you don't pinch the poodle's skin. You can get a hemostat at most places with medical supplies.

After you remove the hair you want to clean the poodle's ear with a cotton ball. Wipe all of the dirt out of there and remember to use a cleaner that is very low in alcohol content specific for cleaning dog's ears.

If you want to start grooming your standard poodle than you are going to need a powerful clipper. There hair grows like crazy so make sure you get a quality clipper. I use the Andis classic 2 speed and I have a had a great experience with it. It has held up great and can really churn through the poodle hair.

The ceramic edge blade is also very nice a will give your poodle a professional quality clip. All it takes is practice and you will be grooming like a pro in no time. I've been grooming my standard poodle Amos for 2 years now and I have gotten so good that I can do his whole clip in 1 hour. For some great dog clippers reviews you can visit this squidoo lens.

So me and my standard poodle Amos went and hit up the dog park today. Every time we run into other standard poodles I wonder they don't want anything to do with retrieving. They act like they are to smart to chase after a ball but they are suppost to have retrieving genetics so it confuses me.

I think it is because most standard poodle owners don't realize how athletic their dogs are and don't work with them on retrieving when they are pups. This is crucial to getting your standard poodle to remember their roots and retrieve anything and everything. I would highly advise anyone getting a standard poodle to spend a lot of time working with their pup so It can have the necessary skills when they reach adulthood.

When poodles are never exposed to retrieving they become sort of numb to it and just don't care. Trust me it is nice to be able to take your dog and throw the tennis ball with the chucker. It is a very easy to get your dog a very intense workout and without it you would have to run your dog. I know most people would save themselves the chore of running while giving their dog twice the workout.

Even if your poodle is full grown you can still work with them on retrieving. The receptiveness of your dog will vary but just don't give up and remember that standard poodles have hunting in their blood.

Well I'm not an expert but I try and buy the most quality food I can find for my standard. I have been feeding Amos Solid Gold for most of his life and he loves it. It keeps him extremely healthy and might have something to do with his dark coat. I like to feed him some actual meat occasionally along with some cooked vegetables to keep him tip top.

You have to keep in mind that money you spend on your dogs food will pay off in the long run besides just giving your standard poodle a better quality of life. Do your research and make sure you are paying for something truly quality and nutritious for your dog.