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wanna help with our first stylized clip?

21K views 61 replies 17 participants last post by  ArcadiaX 
#1 ·
This is my boy who has lived his 5 years in a retriever cut. I'd like to give a more stylized clip, though! I'm a newbie and was wondering if you all would be willing to give me some advice. Here he is so you can envision what I'm working with:





I'd like to do some sort of clip (I don't know proper names) where his legs stay fuller and his body is shorter so that he might appear a little leaner. Would anyone be willing to help me decide where to draw the line between short body/long legs and to suggest what length blade/combs I should use to do it? Should I do bracelets or just the entire leg fuller?

I also am curious about how to blend. More specifically, do you clip to the point of there being a distinct line between the longer and shorter lengths and then just shear away the longer section, gradually, to blend with the short? Does that make sense?

Oh yeah- shears! I haven't bought any yet. I'd like one straight and one curved and I'd be willing to spend about $100 total. I have large hands for a woman and fat thumbs. With that in mind, any suggestions? The hundreds of choices out there boggle my mind!

As for ears and topknot, I want them to grow, grow, grow right now so I'd love suggestions about where to make his mane or topknot end.

THANKS!!!
 
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#3 ·
I should not be giving any advice as I am new to grooming too... but I love fluffyspoo's Vegas. Have you seen many photos of him? He is so manly looking you can really tell that he is a male poodle and I love that. I would go for a look like that with the dude. Vegas's ears are short, his nose is shaved and his tk is not huge, but he does have some. I love him.

I keep a file on poodle looks that I love. Here is one of him. I think he looks awesome .
 

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#8 ·
I don't know. lol I should not be the one giving any advice. I just think that a manly dog like The Dude would look great in that manly cut and you could get him in that pretty fast. The great thing about poodle is that we have years and years to play and try differant looks. If we don't like it, don't worry it won't be around long.
 
#15 ·
Lol- thanks. I might as well go for it. If it looks awful we can always go back to retriever and try again! I realize that it takes lots of skill and practice to get these clips perfect, and that my poodle isn't going to result in an accurate representation of any clip at his current weight but I'm totally OK with imperfect. I'm just having fun with it! I see it as an artform and I'm pretty artsy and skilled with my hands due to my profession so this is just an exciting new way to use my skillz :)

I'm having fun reading all about you guys here too!
 
#14 ·
Google fault styling for poodles. It's a way to set patterns in such a way that flatters a non-perfect body. The illusion of thiness. Town and country is slimming as is a neck and waist band with full jacket and pants. The key to the illusion is crisp pattern lines..no blending and the waist band not to wide.
 
#18 ·
I tried to google that but didn't get any good returns. Town and Country does look perfect...not sure how well I can pull that off but well see. I'll do that or the Lamb, I think!

I'll probably wait a couple more weeks to do it but thought I go ahead and start developing my plan. :)
 
#16 ·
At least u r trying. I don't even dare to attempt any cuts on my babies. I got clippers and attachments when I got my first toy but too scared that he will look horrible so I never even tried. I only semi try to keep their feet and butt area cleaned. They go to their groomers every 8 weeks.
 
#17 ·
Here's Sugarfoot in the most extreme version of his Town and Country / Royal Dutch type cut.



To get this look, when he was pretty furry, I took a 15 blade and ran it from his tail, down his spine, right up his neck as high as I wanted to go. Then I carved downward with that blade from the bald area, down the sides. Now the legs looked very puffy. I scissored the edges a little to get them smooth, but that's it.

--Q
 
#21 · (Edited)
IMO, a town and country is going to make Dude look long in the body and fat...it tends to add bulk to the hips and shoulders, and while you would think that would make his middle look smaller, somehow it doesn't. Plus a neckband makes the neck look very short unless the dog has a long neck like Sugarfoot's, and that is definitely not elegant like a poodle is supposed to be. However that is just my opinion, a lot of people love the T and C and there certainly isn't anything wrong with that! Yesterday I did a spoo that looked a lot like Dude, very handsome but needed to shed a few pounds. I did a modified lamb/modern trim on him, I wish I had taken a picture of it. He needed more growth on his legs, if he had he would have looked much slimmer. Basically, I did a #5 blade all over his body, leaving his legs from the top of the hip down in the back and from just where the shoulder muscles curves inward down in the front. I also left him a crest from his withers forward on his neck, but that is optional. I prefer it that way since it is easier to blend the topknot in. I took a #2 guard comb over his hips to blend the line, then used my scissors and chunkers to finish blending. I also used a #2 on his rear to give him more angulation and to appear more square than he was. Same with the front legs, a #2 to start the blending and then scissoring. It is a simple, elegant haircut that flatters almost all poodles, and I think you could do it even as a beginner since it isn't a difficult trim. Good luck!
 
#25 ·
IMO, a town and country is going to make Dude look long in the body and fat...it tends to add bulk to the hips and shoulders, and while you would think that would make his middle look smaller, somehow it doesn't. Plus a neckband makes the neck look very short unless the dog has a long neck like Sugarfoot's, and that is definitely not elegant like a poodle is supposed to be. However that is just my opinion, a lot of people love the T and C and there certainly isn't anything wrong with that! Yesterday I did a spoo that looked a lot like Dude, very handsome but needed to shed a few pounds. I did a modified lamb/modern trim on him, I wish I had taken a picture of it. He needed more growth on his legs, if he had he would have looked much slimmer. Basically, I did a #5 blade all over his body, leaving his legs from the top of the hip down in the back and from just where the shoulder muscles curves inward down in the front. I also left him a crest from his withers forward on his neck, but that is optional. I prefer it that way since it is easier to blend the topknot in. I took a #2 guard comb over his hips to blend the line, then used my scissors and clunkers to finish blending. I also used a #2 on his rear to give him more angulation and to appear more square than he was. Same with the front legs, a #2 to start the blending and then scissoring. It is a simple, elegant haircut that flatters almost all poodles, and I think you could do it even as a beginner since it isn't a difficult trim. Good luck!
and dude definitely does not have a long neck. any clip good for accentuating waddle? he's got lots of waddle but yeah, no long neck. haha. thanks again. i think i have all the blades and combs you mentioned.
 
#24 ·
Oops I meant chunkers. Stupid iPad "corrected" it for me lol. Basically the are gigantic thinning shears, with fewer teeth. I think mine have 30 teeth, or perhaps 26. I can't remember. They make blending soooooo much easier!
 
#33 ·
It probably isnt but I was thinking more for ease of maintance and upkeep. Dude is a really large spoo with a dense wooly coat and I was thinking of ease of care more than the perfect trim. Also I see he often wears a bandana or collar in the pics so I thought a neckband would eliminate the need for extra brushing. I do only pets and taylor trims for clients based on lifestlye and owner capabilities. Personally I think a German trim would be lovely on dude but I am not sure its something that would be do-able for you. I should have been more specific, sorry.
 
#28 ·
Here are some photos showing what I was talking about. Especially the silver spoo, who was in a much less stylized version of Trev's clip. More like what I was describing to you. 5 blade on the body with longer legs. I think I used a 0 guard comb on them, then blended into the 5. Sorry you can't see the crest, he hated holding his head up and I was alone. I posted Trev's pic so you could see the crest. Hope that helps in your decision!
 

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#29 ·
I love grooming advice threads :)
This is what I would do personally, I'm not saying its "right".

I prefer a blended neck so if you want a bubble you can put the line where you like. I have red as shaved short, if your weather is nice, as far as right to the skin, I think a ten blade with the grain(I use an adjustable blade). Blue is blended.

With this you can shave the lines in and then blend the ledge left behind. I would blend the neck smooth. Since his hair is short on his legs still I would blend the upper portions shorter but when you shave the lines in you can see how it looks untouched.

Right across the rump I wouldn't shave past the line. Because he is very rounded I would keep the very top short and blend it longer towards the tail.
The tail band should be about 1in and on top make a curve or triangle on the back.

The front of the back leg should be left longer right at the tuck up though he looks like he has a lower tuck up, you may be able to take this area short.

You can do a little blending with the clippers if he is still, you just swipe the clippers from the shorter area to the longer area. Here is a video below that shows some clipper blending and the triangle at the top of the tail I was talking about. I also use the clippers to blend the neck, I hold their head up at the right angle and then take the clippers straight down to the withers. Blending with the clippers can save a lot of time scissoring.

 

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#30 ·
catsaqqara, that's awesome! i need to read and re-read a few times to digest all of that, but thank you for taking the time to post! i am so excited to try some of these tricks you guys are sharing with me.

and just think, you guys will all get a real, good laugh when i get around to posting after photos i'm sure!
 
#39 ·
You know you got a great dog when the groomers are fighting over his trim LOL.:aetsch:
Lol, wouldn't consider it fighting! Just giving her lots of options. ;) And maybe confusing her a bit too! Lol...

Do whatever you think you want kukachoo....hair grows! If you don't like it, wait a month and try something else. My one bit of advice for whatever you choose is to not take his legs down short....as long as you keep them longer, he will always look thinner than he is. And like someone else mentioned, he isn't going to be fat for long! He is already looking better. :)
 
#37 ·
oh no- im not sorry at all! im learning a lot and i appreciate all perspectives and the time it takes for each to give them. i also appreciate that they are willing to humor me when they are all probably thinking, "this lady is gonna butcher his hair!" LOL!

OH! and i do still need advice about shears.

anyone care to suggest a specific pair of straight and curved that would keep me around $100 total? (again, for large female hands with fat thumbs :) lol. )

thanks!
 
#38 ·
Check out the heritage cutlery brand for shears. They are about 50 bucks a pair give it take and they are good enough quality for someone who is not a groomer. When you scissor you only should be putting the very very tip of your thumb in the thumb whole and you fourth finger should not be going too far in either so having big fingers shouldn't limit you too much. I have very long skinny fingers so I honestly can't tell you exactly how the heritage brand works for larger hands. Another brand that carries inexpensive shears is the Aussie brand. But beware, most good quality shears cost over 100 a piece so make sure to read reviews before purchasing if you decide to go with a brand other then the ones I suggested. When I first graduated from my grooming academy I was started out on the heritage brand, and even though I have moved on to much higher quality straights through the 11 years I have worked as a groomer. I still use my heritage curves on a daily basis and they still are holding up strong.

I do a lot of standards in a # 3 #5 or #7 on the body and scissor the legs. If you need to use a guard comb on the legs then I would definitely go for the shorter #7 on the body. And then maybe use a #C #E attachment comb on the legs


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#43 ·
I got to groom that poodle again today that I mentioned before in this thread, and I got a picture! It's not the best, he didn't want to stack at all and it was taken with my iPad, but you can see the kind of clip I was talking about. :) I used a #5 on his body, a 1/2" guide comb on his rear and to blend at the hips, a 3/8" guide comb on the back of his hind leg down to the bend, and then left him a crest on his neck. I didn't touch his legs or crest other than to blend, we are growing them in. I really like this as a pet trim. It's easy, doesn't take me long to do, and clients think I'm the bomb when they see their dog! Lol...

If you want, I can draw my pattern/blending lines for you. Just let me know of you would like that. :) I wish I had gotten photos from the front and back, so that you could see there are no lines at all. Just straight parallel lines from hip to floor and shoulder to floor.

Hope this helps!

ETA: I realize this isn't a perfect trim, I'm not looking for critiques really. I'm just trying to help kukachoo as she is trying different clips on her Dude. :)

) Standard Poodle Dog Poodle Canidae Toy Poodle



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