Poodle Information
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Poodle Hair
Overview
The term “Pampered Poodle” is not cute terminology. It is due to Poodle hair, a thick, curly, coat that requires regular grooming (bathing, conditioning, trimming, cutting and detangling any mats).
Poodle hair is said to be hypoallergenic, in other words, one who would normally be allergic to dogs would not suffer any symptoms when in proximity of a Poodle. However, one must know that Poodle hair contains dander (this occurs naturally and is an element of any mammal with hair, including people)…And some people can be sensitive to the Poodle’s dander.
Poodle hair is said to be hypoallergenic, in other words, one who would normally be allergic to dogs would not suffer any symptoms when in proximity of a Poodle. However, one must know that Poodle hair contains dander (this occurs naturally and is an element of any mammal with hair, including people)…And some people can be sensitive to the Poodle’s dander.
Another misconception is that this breed does not shed. This is not true. Hair sheds, just as a human loses strands of hair every day! How is it that so many people think that there is no shedding? It is because most dogs with fur clearly shed right in front of your eyes. A dog can be sitting upon a couch and then jump off, leaving quite a bit of fur behind! With the Poodle breed, hair does naturally falls off (shed), however it most often falls INTO itself and not on the floor or furniture. What does this mean for an owner? It means that brushing and combing is vitally important…Why? Because when strands fall off into the dog’s coat, it then can easily become tangled into the thick coat and mats (tangles) can quickly form. If tangles are not dealt with, they can grow at amazing rates of speed….and small mat can quickly become a large one! This is 1 reason why proper grooming is so very important.
Poodles also do not have a “double coat” as many other dog breeds do. A double coat is the term that is used to describe 2 distinct layers of fur on a dog. There is usually a thick, short “undercoat” and then a longer “outercoat”. The texture of Poodle hair can vary from dog to dog. Some may be coarse and woolly (like a lamb) or it can be soft and wavy.
Coats grow quickly and owners must keep up with regular clippings, if not for appearance, than for hygiene and health reasons. Even if one were to not clip the Poodle’s hair at all for appearance purposes, one must still keep the hair around the anus short (for hygiene reasons) and any long hairs that grow between the paw pads should be trimmed (for health reasons).
Most owners of pet Poodles (Poodles that are not shown in AKC events, particularly conformation events) keep the dog in a “pet clip”, which is a low maintenance clip. Clipping of the whole coat is usually done every 6 to 8 weeks.
Trimming to keep things tidy can be done every 1-3 weeks.
Many owners wonder why their Poodle puppy does not have curly hair. The answer is because the coat is not mature until the dog is roughly 2 years old, therefore it can take a while for a Poodle to have his or her “adult” coat. The more curly the hair is, the better quality dog, in regards to AKC conformation.
Certainly have a look through this site for a lot of information regarding grooming. However, let’s take a quick look at the importance of brushing and combing your Poodle. There are 5 main reasons why an owner must do this on a regular basis:
1. It massages the skin, stimulating new hair growth (so that your Poodle can have a glorious, thick coat)
2. It removes dirt, dust and dead hair (important so that the dead strands do not tangle into the healthy coat causing mats)
3. Keeps the skin clean and healthy and make the Poodle less susceptible to disease and external parasites. (brushing and combing is always a great time to check for ticks, fleas or any other nasty parasite that you do not want on your dog!)
4. Spreads the natural oils evenly throughout the coat. (These natural oils are needed – This is 1 reason why the Poodle should not be given a bath too often – it can rid the dog of these oils and dry out both the skin and the coat)
5. Keeps the coat looking healthy (for a glossy, shiny appearance)
We understand the importance of Poodle owners needing to know exactly how to clip their dog's coat. While others offer books on clipping a Poodle, we go far beyond that ! We offer full & complete clipping instructions, step-by-step so that any owner can follow along....AND we also include extremely important care information... including:
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