mom24doggies

I attended a grooming seminar my friend was putting on and was able to groom three of my kids....here are the results! Critiques are welcome. I see things to improve/hair to grow (lol...) but always welcome others' takes on my grooms.







I need some stacking help too....Raven doesn't want to set his back feet down hard enough to keep them from sliding....he wants to sit on his tippy toes and let me hold him up by the tail. Which looks fancy and makes him look very overangulated and flashy, but as you can see in the photo it makes him move a lot. Any suggestions? I've tried just letting him slip, putting a towel or something down so he gets a better grip, and also manually setting his whole foot down flat the way it should be. Nothing, he keeps doing it. Here is a photo that shows better what I'm talking about...see how his toenails and toe tips are just touching not his whole foot? I know he can stack, he does it himself all the time.



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"Love is the emotion that a woman feels always for a poodle dog and sometimes for a man." ~George Jean Nathan

3dogs

I will critique Poodles. Love the Scandi or is it the English Puppy. Anyway, no critique for that Poodle & I have to pick your brain since I am working that clip on my TPoo. Is the TK & Crest sprayed up? I am showing UKC so can't use hairspray & having trouble in that area also she is only 5 months so growing out the hair.

I will critique the German & since I know you compete you won't be offended.

1. tail into the body is wonky. It doesn't flow, there is too much hair at the base into the body & it is lumpy.

2. your hind leg is larger than the front leg. Not sure which leg I like better but I would still take more hair off the back leg. Also it might be the picture or the lighting but there seems to be a straight scissor mark on the hind part of the hind leg where it would curve to the back side of the leg. Doesn't look blended.
3. Your bevels on the front legs are really low & almost not beveled at all some grooming judges will not like that look. I am not a huge person on the older version of bevels BUT I still bevel out my fuller legs. I still gasp when old time Poodle experts whack off my bevels for the really tight ones which I am not a fan of. But your front & back bevels don't match.
4. Crest looks great but coming down into the topline there is a bump/hump there. It really could just be the way that area was combed but to a judge it doesn't flow.

Love the Chest, TK, Crest, Body & Tuckup which I have a very hard time in doing.

Ryker-&-Canyon

Wow! I hope some day I will groom just as well...even half as well.

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Poodle mama to Ryker and Canyon

mom24doggies

You've pretty much pointed out everything I saw lol...good to hear it confirmed! This is my first German, so I wasn't surprised the tail didn't turn out quite the way it should. Also, his tailband is still growing in, which is probably the dip you see.

I'm really struggling with making my legs match, I don't know why! It could be because I'm still growing in his front legs...since he doesn't have much chest I have to take a lot off the front of his front legs. I barely trimmed anything off the back of his front leg, and I didn't trim anything of the front of his back leg. Can't decide if its better to go ahead and trim it to match, or just wait until his front legs finishes growing in. The scissor mark you see is the lighting and my bad iPad camera. It caught my eye too!

Ah yes my bevels....they don't match. <sigh> Good thing there is always next time! I was probably subconsciously trying to hide his flat front feet lol. I will work on that more next time.

Not sure what happened at the neck....I shall fix it in a few weeks. Thanks for the critique, they are always appreciated.

Raven is in the Scandinavian. Yep, he is all sprayed up here...the before picture is what he looks like without spray. If you are going to show Ukc, you will have to take Echo's topknot and crest shorter. Also, use a texturizing shampoo with her bath and some mousse and/or gel as you dry. Ukc judges won't mind a little bit of flop. Make sure you wash the gel and mousse out afterwards though, they tend to break and mat coat. If you have any questions I will be happy to help you if I can....I'm still learning myself!

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"Love is the emotion that a woman feels always for a poodle dog and sometimes for a man." ~George Jean Nathan

tokipoke

I noticed Trev's back end looks a little heavy - my eye is drawn to it, but I wondered if it was because you were so focused on the front leg and not making the elbows look pinched? I think he looks great though! I'd wait till his front legs grow in. I feel if I keep picking at the haircut, I obsess waaay too much over it. I saw SO many things in my picture I wanted to improve on the poodle I used, but I will just note it for next time and focus on those spots. Some parts on my dog didn't match either if it makes you feel better lol. The dog's right side had a chest and the angulation was more European. The dog's left side needed more definition between chest and leg and the rear looked more American!! I wish I was ambidextrous so I can get my sides to match. It's amazing what little things you can see in a picture! I kept snipping more hair even at the hotel room. I did it 3-4 times. My poor poodle probably wondered why I wouldn't stop!

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mom24doggies

It's because his tail isn't set quite right (I left too much around the base, making his butt look thick up in through there) AND his front legs are too small, making him unbalanced. 'Cause yeah, I saw it too and figured out that's what it was. Just gotta wait for more growth. Or I might taken off a little stifle hair...we shall see. Thanks!

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"Love is the emotion that a woman feels always for a poodle dog and sometimes for a man." ~George Jean Nathan

Ladyscarletthawk

I agree with 3dogs on the critiques. I would tighten up the rear leg to match the front. Funny you should mention his feet it's the first thing I saw lol. You can still bevel but leave a bit more over the foot to hide it a bit.. In general I mean. Also the shorter the nails the better on flatter feet, and walking on gravel helps train their feet to tighten up a bit... To an extent.

On Raven his front legs don't look like pillars they start to tapper at the feet particularly on the back of the legs. Also on the show side the upper part of the leg where the chest meets could be tightened a lil.. On the non show side not sure if it's the way he's stacked but there isn't as much distinction from the chest and front leg as there is on he show side. The last thing that sticks out to me is .. And sometimes I suck at explaining this stuff lol.. But on you spray up, on his back he has a hump.. I would scissor off a little in a straighter line to blend a little nicer with the neck hair itself. Can't critique the rear legs accurately since he doesn't like to stack lol. Otherwise nice! Loved how you scissored his rear.


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Laura, Eve, and Fergie

Doggroomer812

I agree with the other critiques, but wanted to say that I LOVE the butt on the scandi... looks great!

3dogs

I understand hiding the feet some, I do that some with Leif since he has long nails. Been whittling away for 2 years & his hind ones look nice & still working on the fronts. This is what a judge told me & I somehow placed 1st in my division as well as group 1, so on feet she told me that on conformation ring dogs you can hide the paws some BUT this is a grooming competion & therefore the feet & bevels should be done properly. She picked up clippers swipped my clean foot higher & then proceeded to pick up my shears & whack off hair to get steeper bevels. So know your judge & that some still know the difference between conformation & competition grooming.

Lea

Looks great to me!

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Oodles of Poodle curls!!!!