[SECRETO]

I think you should do whatever suits you best. My poodle Eli is shaved down short besides his tail and ears. Its low maintenance and working well for me. I dont have the energy to make sure he is matt free at this time. (pregnant with two young boys) so thats the clip he's getting until I feel up to maintaining a longer coat.

If people call it lazy, then whatever! lol

 

[Cdnjennga]

I agree with Secreto, do whatever works for you. Maintaining poodle hair is a lot of work so if shaving down works for you, then do it! I think poodles look quite cool just shaved down to one length all over... It's your pet, you don't need to worry about keeping it show ring ready!

 

[BFF]

If you are curious what a really short cut looks like, I put a link to the most recent pictures of Moose by Todd. He is a working dog that is out in the field a lot, so this is the cut Todd found to suit their needs.

http://www.poodleforum.com/showthread.php?t=2504

If you want to go a little longer, there is a picture I really like of Vinnie who has a modified German clip.

http://www.poodleforum.com/showthread.php?t=2319

There are several different cuts because owners like different things, but also because one cut will suit your dog's activities better than another. Other people may think you should do differently and call it lazy. I think you are smart for finding the trim that best suits your lifestyle and what style your dog likes to wear. One nice thing about this forum is that you will find lots of pictures, so you can find one you like or make up a trim that is uniquely yours.

 

[cbrand]

Lazy? No way! Go with a trim that suits your lifestyle. It is the beauty of a poodle. So many options.

One of the puppies I bred lives on a horse farm in Georgia. His owner keeps him clipped all over with a #10 blade. I think it looks athletic and streamlined.

 

[mercymoon]

That's just someone else's opinion, when summer began Scooter was like a cotton ball, and I shaved him down completely! All that matters is the dogs comfort, I know Scooter felt a lot better...and cooler!

Do whatever suits you like everyone else said, follow the beat of your own drum.

 

[T o d d]

Yep! We keep Moose super short!

Those pics are probably near 3 weeks or 4 weeks of growing too!!! Hard to tell but it's curly a bit so it's not fluffed out full length.

If he's matted and dirty or just ENJOYS running outside in the dirt, rolling in the dirt, exploring the trees, bushes, etc than a short clip is almost required unless you want to do grooming almost daily. :welcome:

 

[Fluffyspoos]

I work at a grooming salon, and people come in with matted dogs all the time. I do not consider an owner with a shaved down dog to be lazy, I call it responsible. Your dog has less chance to be matted and uncomfortable, besides this is something we always tell owners with matted dogs:

When you have a cute dog, it will look cute in any hair cut.

 

[frostfirestandards]

I shave my dogs that aren't showing. we live in an area with alot of burrs and briars, and they bring all sorts of things in on their hair. It also easier to see any lumps bumps sore or bugs that might have gotten on them during their adventures.

I would rather see a shaved dog, than a dog matted to the skin and left like that because an owner wants it to be fluffy.

I usually #7 blade them all over with short ears and tail and a short topknot- or none at all

 

[T o d d]

I shave my dogs that aren't showing. we live in an area with alot of burrs and briars, and they bring all sorts of things in on their hair. It also easier to see any lumps bumps sore or bugs that might have gotten on them during their adventures.

I would rather see a shaved dog, than a dog matted to the skin and left like that because an owner wants it to be fluffy.

I usually #7 blade them all over with short ears and tail and a short topknot- or none at all

This time of year is insane with burrs here! Moose has at least 30 daily I have to pick off... he hates me yanking them off his lips! HAHA

 

[Harley_chik]

Lazy owners have matted dogs, not shaved ones. Of course a longer coat means lots of brushing and grooming, but being shaved down still requires some work. The important thing is that the dog is happy and comfortable.

 

[thestars]

Harleychik you are very right!!! Groom them how YOU can keep them and what they are happy in. All 6 of mine are in different clips and different lengths, it's what suits them and my time since I groom all of them plus Mom's poodles besides working a full time job with pager duty and showing one of them.

 

[T o d d]

Lazy owners have matted dogs, not shaved ones. Of course a longer coat means lots of brushing and grooming, but being shaved down still requires some work. The important thing is that the dog is happy and comfortable.

Exactly.

Just because moose is short doesn't mean he does not get burs, grass, etc all over and stuck in his coat. It just means I spend 10 or 20 minute not 2 or 5 hours cleaning it up

 

[PonkiPoodles]

I keep Ponki's coat long in the winter and short in the summer, because it's easier to see ticks on her with a shorter coat in the summer and she doesn't get cold as quick with a long coat in the winter .... does that mean I'm just lazy in the summer? That's complete nonsense.

 

[Aidan]

I work in a grooming salon and I shaved down my younger poodle Vega not too long ago, shaved his body, ears, top knot, tail, everything GONE!

I mostly did it because he started getting his new coat (which is nice and coarse!!!!)

My other standard parti poodle i keep the body short with a 4 or 5 blade and her legs stay really fluffy, she's in a modified sort of lamb trim, i say modified because i just do it however I like rather than follow a certain pattern!

I say let other people think what they want, maybe you like the shorter trim, maybe you just like not to have to have the dog groomed as frequently and perhaps maybe you are lazy, who cares?!? it's what works for YOU and if that means having a shaved poodle then do it!

I don't know how many times when grooming and fluff drying my parti I imagine taking a blade to her entire coat and making her naked...it's a nice little though, and then the hour of fluff drying ends and she looks so pretty so I just can't bring myself to do it!