Pup-a-dups

I've only had my 4 month old spoo pup Dude for a week now, but I am already starting to think about grooming.

Right now I have a Havanese Rapunzel that I groom myself. When she was a few months old, I took her to a groomer for the first and LAST time. It was a horror story. They cut my baby's little leg bad enough for her to need stitches, and I vowed I would never take her back again! I really can't see myself ever trusting one of those places with Dude either.

Rapunzel is almost a year old now, and all I use for her are these scaredy cut scissors: SCAREDY CUT Silent Home Pet Grooming Kit

Those things really work great. I have had zero problems cutting her and my mom's two little yorkies. They usually love the attention and there is no big scary noise to be afraid of, which is a major plus. I was even able to even out my spoo's coat a little bit with these the first day we got him.

The only drawback is it is very very time consuming. I usually have to do Rapunzel in two sittings, because I can only expect her to sit still for so long. I am guessing Dude is going to be 3 to 4 times bigger than her when he is full grown, so while these might work fine for now, they aren't really going to be an option forever.

So I have those scissors and lots of brushes, combs, shampoo's, and de-tangling sprays from grooming my Havanese to get me started. I am wondering what to buy next. The holiday's are coming up so I don't have a lot of money to spend right now on everything I need. I am sure I can get by for a little while with what I have. I am just wondering where to start this on poodle grooming adventure.

What is the holy grail of poodle grooming? The one item you can't live without?

I don't know much about the different names of styles, but I do know my fiance isn't a fan of any part of the poodle being shaved. No balls or poofs or fancy stuff. I'm guessing I will probably just cut Dude mostly all one length including the face, then trim the ears and feet to look right, like I do Rapunzel now. Is there a name for that? Or a good website with pictures for me to copy?

Sorry for the long post, but I have so much to learn! Thanks for your time!

Doggroomer812

Definately buy Shirlee Kalstone's International Guide to Poodle Grooming... it is awesome, and pretty cheap on ebay or amazon.

PaddleAddict

Even if you don't want to shave the face, feet and tail, you will want clippers, clipper blades and snap-on combs (these go over the blade and you can choose different ones for different length haircuts). I would say these are your must-haves.

Also, even if you let the feet stay fuzzy, rather than shaved, you will want to use clippers to shave the undersides (between the toes) so the dog has good traction. I would not want to use scissors between the toes, it would be too easy to accidentally cut the webbing between the toes.

The way I groom my poodle's body is I first take off as much hair as I can using the clipper with whatever length comb on it, then I go over with the scissors afterward to even it out.

You absolutely could scissor all by hand rather than using clippers, but it will take you a lot longer.

I bought all of my supplies at PetEdge.com

I have this clipper (it's fine, but I think I might try a Wahl brand clipper next time): Andis UltraEdge 2-Speed Pet Grooming Clipper | PetEdge.com

These blades, two of each (I have sizes 10, 15 and 30): Andis UltraEdge Clipper Blade Size 10 | PetEdge.com

And I bought these stainless steel combs, which are really awesome, highly recommend (these work over a 30 blade): Wahl Stainless Steel Attachment Clipper Combs | PetEdge.com

Frankerk

I was also thinking of getting the Andis since I heard a lot of good reviews on it, but I guess I need to do a better job at researching.

PaddleAddict

I would not hesitate to buy these clippers if they are what you are looking for... clippers are very individual, some people could love one brand/model and another person not so much. These are really fine, a good brand, I've had them for almost three years and they still work well. I don't love the way they feel in my hand, but again, that is very individual.

Pup-a-dups

My poodle grooming book is on its way and I picked up these Wahl clippers yesterday:
Pet Grooming Products & Tips | WahlPets.com | Grooming Products | Pro-Series Kit

They were in my price range, had really good reviews, and from what I read are pretty quiet compared to other models, which is really my biggest concern since I know the pups and I are going to be on edge going into this.

The battery on these had to charge for 24 hours before I could use them, since they are cordless. Tonight at around 5:00 the pups and I will have our first clipper experience together. I've watched some videos on youtube, so I kinda have an idea of what to do. I am nervous about cutting them though, especially since that happened to Rapunzel her first time getting clipped!

Any tips or tricks for my first attempt at trimming?

Thanks!

3dogs

Dry, Clean Coat. Very important for a good finish & to keep your blades & scissors sharper longer. I use a toe blade for my poodles. Of course I am now going smaller & smaller with my poodles so glad I have the Wahl Moser & the Mini Moser for those tiny feet. I would use SOC so that you don't end up with a problem. There are lots of Poodle styles that don't have Poofs, shaved faces or Poms. My Spoo is in a German trim with ears & face & right now feet are shaved but I have put him in full feet & tail is with hair & no Pom. My OT is in an Asian style with short edged ears, mustache no beard & a short round head, full feet & scissored tail- no Pom. My newest addition is all Poodle.