Harlequin Dwarf Poodle in Scandinavian Puppy Clip

Harlequin Dwarf Male, "Happy Hippo"

I came across this gorgeous guy and had to post, his markings are beyond lovely. His markings may indeed be this perfect, but I suspect this awesome symmetry is also the result of an awesome groomer (in addition to great genetics of course). 

A true master of grooming will choose a clip style that best compliments your parti's marking as well as use little tricks to make their markings look even more symmetrical. But honestly, when you have a parti just about any clip will look great :-)

 http://www.poodles-in-scandinavia.com/happy_hippo_le_papillon.html

Modern Poodle Grooming Chart Illustration

A very pretty modern poodle grooming chart.

It's actually more of an artistic poodle print illustration by artist Amelie Fontaine

http://www.ameliefontaine.fr/

Huxtable's New Cut: Low Poodle Clip

A few months ago, little Hux was in need of a cut. Although I was giving him his brushings, it seemed like he was growing a new layer of hair underneath which caused lots and lots of tangles and some mattes... (sadface). So I was basically forced into getting Huxtable clipped down (extra sadface). And because he had to be cut down I decided to try one of my favorite short poodle clips.  I'm not exactly sure if this clip has a name, but a white poodle by the name of Gunther sports it on the regular and looks so handsome! Huxtable isn't a standard poodle so I figured the clip probably couldn't look exactly the same, but I hoped it would look very similar, neat and attractive (plus top knot).

 Gunther in his lovely short cut. 

The groomer did an excellent job on the clip, but I found the ears and hair to be a little lacking. A little bit of tangled/matted hair had to be cut from his head and ears as well so I'm thinking he just left all the hair he could so that he wouldn't have to grow too much back, but I wish he would have evenly clipped the ears and blended the top knot or atleast styled it in a complementary way. All in all I was happy with the results, he really does know how to blend. I can't stress how important it is to have a groomer that owns a poodle-- I think it really makes a difference. 

I have a couple pics of Huxtable in his new clip... they're sort of blurry since they're from my cell phone. I wish I would have gotten one at the groomers like I usually do.

I think the clip came out cute, just like Gunthers-- low in the middle, then fuller on the arms and legs, fluffy tail, and neatly cut poodle feet. 

 Toy parti poodle in short clip; 
After some research I realized it's a model / town and country clip. It''s like a blend between a lamb clip and a town and country. 

I'm going to try and find more pics of the clip so hopefully there's more to come

White Poodles Gone Native

I've had this photo on my desktop for awhile, and am finally getting around to posting it. For some reason I always think "Native" when I look at this pic because the way the hair is banded is reminiscent of a native American headdress and traditional hairstyles. But of course this style is a just a protective poodle hairstyle that keeps the hair from being untangled, and promotes hair growth.

How to Wipe Clean a Dog's Paws and Face

A younger, furry Huxtable lounging on the couch

Like many pet parents I like to keep my dog fresh and clean. My toy poodle Huxtable often sleeps with me (be it on the couch or sometimes bed) and he travels with me into the homes of friends and families. I have a shoes off policy in my home for myself and visitors, to help keep my hardwood floors clean and my home environment as dirt free as possible... so of course I have to extend this policy to my pet as well. 

To combat the potential dirt that my dog can bring in I wipe his paws every time we come in from outside. I also wipe his paws every time he uses the bathrooms (goes potty). I went over this in my last post a little, Product Review: Dog Wipes vs Baby Wipes, but I will go over it in more detail in this post. 

Using a natural (hypoallergenic and fragrance free) baby wipe I wipe/clean my dog's privates, paws, and face. 

Wiping a Dogs Private and Anal Area:

Using one side of the baby wipe, I gently wipe his private, then his anal area.  Very simple and too the point. To maximize the cleanliness of these areas be sure to keep the hair around your dogs privates low and his anal area "expressed". This will keep feces and pee from sticking to the fur. Sometimes the hair on a male dog's area can grow long and pee and even semen can cause the hair in the area to stick together and get crusty, not only does this look bad it can harbor germs so be sure to very carefully trim the hairs down there. 

Wiping a Dog's Paws (Hands/Feet):

Using the same side of the wipe as above (as long as it's clean), I wipe under the nails and between the fingers/toes. Under the nails harbor the most amount of dirt, this is especially true if your dog is a digger or paws at a lot of items when outside. Keeping your dogs nails trimmed will aid in there being less dirt. Sometimes dirt can harbor between your dogs "fingers" "toes" especially if they have webbed feet like poodles. Very gently clean between your dogs paws. You can get my favorite dog nail clipper, here.

Wiping a Dog's Face (Eyes):

Using a the clean side of the wipe, I gently wipe under his eyes, being sure to get any crust-- which will be especially apparent if your dog gets tear stains. Then gently wipe pass his nose and mouth. I do that because dogs often sniff poo and pee when using the bathroom outside, but my dogs often kisses and licks me so I want to eliminate any possibility of him passing unwanted germs my way. 

Here's the general Quickie Dog Cleaning I do when coming inside from a walk: 

I pull out a baby wipe or pet wipe. Using one side of the baby wipe, I gently wipe his private, then his anal area. (The wipe is still usually very clean). I wipe under the nails and between the fingers/toes. I then flip the wipe over to the clean side, fold it over and wipe under his eyes if he has tear stains and I'll gently wipe pass his nose and mouth. This takes between 1-2 minutes for my toy poodle. I can imagine it taking maybe 5 minutes for the average big dog. 

Huxtable, as a toddler, in his harness ready to go for a walk

Benefits of Wiping/Cleaning Your Dog After Walks:

The biggest benefits of wiping you dog down after walks and when coming in from outside is the indirect act of checking his body for fleas/ticks/bugs. By always cleaning handling your dog, especially when coming in from outside who decrease the chances of a bug, like a tick, being on your dog for too long. The other obvious benefits is a cleaner more dirt free home and a better smelling dog and best friend. Another bonus benefit will be a dog with a healthier coat of hair, especially for long-haired dogs like poodles. 

Drawbacks of Wiping/Cleaning Your Dog After Walks:

I can't think of any. The only way this could be an issue is if your dog has some type of skin issue. Dogs with skin issues/skin conditions usually have to be handled in a special kind of way, they eat certain kinds of food/have strict diet requirements, so there could be some restrictions on cleaning/wiping a dog so often.

Get more information on the proper wipes to use for a dog / pet, here. 

Product Review: Pet Wipes vs Baby Wipes for Dogs

Petwipes -and- Huggies Natural Care Wipes

Petkin Petwipes-- Huxtable starting using these as a wee little pup. And I continued to buy a few more boxes during his first couple months with me. They worked well and his poodle skin and hair didn't have any sort of ill reactions to the wipes. The only downside to these are the cost at certain stores like Petsmart and Pet Supermarket. In those type stores the price would be as high as $12.99, averaging around $9.99. I always found the best deal on these in discount stores like TJ Maxx they'd be a dollar or more cheaper, more in the $4.99 - $6.99 range. View Pet Wipes for Dogs, HERE.

Huggies Natural Care Wipes-- After awhile I decided I didn't want to fish out 10 bucks for special dog wipes, or even $5 for a single box. Huxtable goes nearly everywhere with me--friends and family homes, stores, etc. He sleeps with me when I'm on the couch and sometimes when I'm in the bed (above the covers). And because of these things Huxtable is kept very clean, which includes being wiped every time after using the bathroom (unless he goes and uses it himself in the middle of the night), and when coming from outside. Therefore, I use more wipes than the average pet owner, and after some research I decided to purchase baby wipes for my little dog. After some testing of different types I settled on Huggies Natural Care. They are my favorite wipes and luckily I can buy them in bulk (600+ wipes) from Amazon or Sam's Club (which is like Costco depending on where you live) for only $20. View Natural Care Baby Wipes, HERE. 

Where do I use baby wipes on my dog? How do I wipe my dog down?

His entire body. Mainly his privates, paws, and face.  Get more information on how to properly clean / wipe your dog here. 

Wiping your dog between grooming visits

So in comparison, you can pay $10 for $100 wipes or $20 for 600 wipes. There's really no competition. I looked at the ingredients in both products and didn't find much difference except for there seemed to be less added chemicals in the baby wipes. I figure if an item is safe to use on a newborn human, from their private areas to the hair on their head, it has to be okay to use on a dog. After months of using baby wipes there has been no bad effects on Huxtable's coat or skin. If anything because he is kept clean his coat is probably better than the average dog or poodle who isn't kept as clean, not to mention he probably smells better, lol.  Poodle hair in particular thrives when kept clean and free of debris, just like human hair.  

At times I've tried buying the 99 cents/$1.00 baby wipes that are in Krogers and Walmart. I can't recall if they were store brands on just cheap brands, but either way they didn't work as well, particularly the $1.00 Kroger wipes. The scent was off and I felt like his fur just didn't look as good afterwards. 

Every pet is different. Some animals may have allergies or certain health issues and their skin may not be able to tolerate certain shampoos, foods, wipes, etc. But if your doggie has no known issues and you already use wipes, save yourself a couple of bucks and try using baby wipes. 

UPDATE 5/2/2014: I now usually use Publix brand "hand and face wipes" in the round container for Huxtable. It's inexpensive and works well. I have at times still used the $1.00 Kroger brands, but there's actually a specific Kroger brand what's about $2.00+ that I really like... they have one that emulates Huggies and another that emulates either Pampers or Luvs. I think I get the one that is like Huggies, but half the cost... its the one with the little baby boy on the front. I'll try to remember to post a pic the next time I get them. But generally speaking I stick with the Publix "Hand and Face" baby wipes, the work well, priced well, and they come in a very convenient round container. (Don't forget to recycle the plastic container after you use it).  So try different ones and see what you like best. You can also get the specific pet wipes at places like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls for half the price. They also sell specific pet wipes at dollar tree for, $1 of course, lol. 

Creative Grooming: Bedlington Clip on Parti Poodle

Silver Parti Poodle in Creative Groom

A very well done Bedlington Clip on a standard silver and white poodle. The clip is suppose to mimic that of a Bedlington Terrier. The clip is often nick-named "Poodlington" when done on a poodle. Check out the video of the clip getting  a few last minute touches below:

Video of Poodle Grooming, Bedlington Terrier Poodle Clip

The Bedlington Terrier is an English dog and described by some as a "true terrier" because of its very active playful nature.  It looks like a curved-back lamb, and is thought to have ancestry that could include the Greyhound or Whippet.

Toy Parti Poodle Cut: Continental Clip

Huxtable on the grooming table

Toy Poodle in Continental Clip (no rosettes)

This was hand's down my favorite cut/grooming Huxtable has yet. The groomer has two poodles himself -and- he used to do dog shows on a regular which really showed. I loved how Hux looked so happy while being groomed by a new groomer, which indicated how great the groomer had to be, not to mention Hux was a perfect round poodle ball, lol. I had originally wanted the Scandanavian Puppy Clip, but he didn't have enough fur on one part of his leg since he had just gotten his teeth pulled. The veterinarian had to shave off part of his front leg fur for the I.V. Therefore a Continental Clip was the best option. The finished product was so lovely, everyone loooooved it! The groomer told me that the front leg bracelets are actually a bit lower than they're "supposed" to be due to the fur that the veterinarian shaved off, but he worked with it, made them even and it looked great :). 

The groomer and I had a long conversation, ranging in "poodle topics", one of which included some of the industry/poodle grooming/show dog trade secrets, lol. He told me how show dogs usually wear hair extensions to make their top knots and "manes" so super full. People sell their poodle's hair after they have completed and gotten their  "CH" (champion) title, and supposedly the hair goes for top dollar, especially if the particular color or shade of poodle is less common (silvers, blues, partis). So all the perfect full-maned super long hair show poodles have a head full of extensions and hairspray, lol, quite hilarious to me. He told me that some judges are getting more tough with the rules and aren't allowing extensions and hairspray, but for the most part it still goes on. Very very interesting stuff!

He also mentioned loving that Huxtable was a "true toy" poodle. Supposedly there aren't a lot of "true toys" these days-- they're either too small or too big. I guess so many people want the "teacup" dogs that they're becoming more and more commonplace despite how unhealthy it can be to have dogs too tiny. 

All in all it was a great experience. It truly makes a difference when the groomer not only has your same breed of dog, but also spent years grooming show dogs. I'll definitely be going back to that guy :)

Poodle Grooming Posters

2 poodle grooming posters, one newer, one older/vintage:

http://www.aaroncopet.com/posters.htm; http://www.ewebsites.ws/poodles/images/poodle-fashion-poster.jpg

Poodle Transformation: Furry to Naked

I stumbled upon photos of solid-colored chocolate poodle named Reese (aka Monkey). What attracted me to his photos was the dramatic transformation he underwent from a fully, wooly, furry poodle to a nearly hairless, and naked one. And the best thing? He looks just as good, if not better cut low. 

Before (Middle) After Poodle Cut:

Puppy Clip; Continental Clip; very low Kennel Clip
(hairless poodle, poodle with no hair, low trim cut poodle)

Check out his full  transformation below:

 He looks like a solid-colored version of the poodle in John Wootton's famous "Poodle & Monkey" painting. (featured in next posting)

photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7520941@N04/4442118620/in/set-72157624712800566/ ; (pudlmomy), Maggie Laney; HighFaultinPoodles 

Corded Parti Poodle

Silver and White Corded Parti-colored Standard Poodle at Dog Show. 

In a corded continental clip to be exact. 

I've never seen a corded parti poodle, I would imagine most people haven't, so you can only imagine the sheer delight at finding this photo! This standard corded parti poodle was at a dog show. This photo was obviously taken earlier in the event since the poodle still has on his or her leg warmers/protectors that help preserve the cords, but I wish there was a photo of this classic colored poodle fully primped and ready for show (I'll take what I can get though, lol). 

And I would love to see a current photo of this corded parti poodle to see how long his or her cords / dreads have grown. (If you happen to have a corded parti poodle, pretty please email me a photo :-) )

Update:

I found a photo of another corded parti poodle, this time with beautiful longer cords! The photo was small, so it's not as clear when enlarged, but again I'm just so elated to have found another photo. It's so interesting how the only corded parti poodle photos I'm finding are silver partis... both from different parts of the world, one American and the other French :)

French Poodle. Silver & White Poodle. Silver Parti. Corded Poodle

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30096200@N08/4188628376/in/photostream/, http://www.canichesbicolores.org/

Japanese Style: Poodle Clips & Cuts Grooming

Japanese Poodle Grooming Chart 

(Clip / Cuts Styles: The Peanut Mohican, Cupcakes, Point long-hair, Prince poodle, Barbra Streisand, The miniature Bedlington, Up ears, Shitzu face, Happy ball head, Bob Marley)

A few photos of the creative Japanese style poodle clips, cuts, and grooming...

Poodle Ponytails / Braids

Teddy Bear Poodle

Rasta Poodle

Silver White Toy Parti Poodle

I've been seeing a lot of silver and white parti poodle these days, but most are standards. This is a cute photo of a silver and white toy parti poodle named Radar. Radar is sporting are wonderful continental clip, his parti pattern markings are very similar to Huxtable's.

partipoodle.org

Parti & Blue: Miniature Poodle in Creative Groom

Ran across this awesome photo of a miniature parti poodle, in a miami clip, with blue leg warmers, lol.

I've thought about dying Huxtable at some point just for fun, but figured it may look "too different" on the traditional coloring of a parti, but this photo proves me wrong. It looks really cute in a punk rock type way! The key I suppose would be to maybe only dye the bracelets/puffs, which is probably the best place to dye even on an all white poodle. 

The miniature poodle in the picture is named Todd, he's a black and white parti from the UK, with the cutest ticking. (I just noticed there's also blue dye on his tail, which is undocked). 

Todd in poodle puppy clip (or lamb clip)

Parti Poodle in Cuts and Clips: Lamb, European Puppy, English Saddle

This southern sun is starting to beam down pretty hard. So, as a good poodle parent I know I have to start thinking about summer cuts for my toy poodle pup.

A low puppy clip is the cut that first comes to mind, and I know if I want to show him it is usually the required cut for puppies 12 months and under. That said, I really wanted to try something different and more poodle-like so after some brainstorming and searching I narrowed it down to a few:

- European puppy clip

- Miami Cut

- Continental

- English Saddle

After showing pics to some of the family, everyone slightly preferred the Miami, since it would take off the most hair all over, but still give him a poodle look. I used the following photos for inspiration...

Miami Cut

European Puppy Cut on Toy Poodle

Scandinavian Puppy Clip (aka European Puppy Cut)

English Saddle on Toy Poodle. 

 Continental Cut (2 more photos of continental below)

(images above from various sources)

And of course I had to find some parti poodle cut inspiration. Luckily I stumbled upon K9Style and her standard parti poodle, Tripp. She's cut him into different poodle clips-- European puppy clip, English Saddle, etc. He's not a toy so I couldn't tell how Huxtable would end up looking exactly, but it gave me an idea of how different clips would look on the traditional coloring and pattern of a parti poodle. 

I initially thought this was a shorter lamb cut (parti poodle), but after getting a similar cut for Huxtable I can much more clearly see that this is a model / town & country clip-- cut all the way down in the middle, with hair left on the arms and legs.  I just believe they are harder to notice on parti poodles

European / Scandinavian Puppy Clip (parti poodle). 

English Saddle Cut (parti poodle). 

Isn't the front cut to perfection? I would have loved to see his top knot out in front. Also, Tripp doesn't have his tail docked that's why the back isn't in a ball. 

After much deliberation and back and forth I decided to go with a "modified continental". I'll explain more in the next post.