How to Groom a Toy Poodle
Own a cute little toy poodle? Well then, you must know how to groom a toy poodle, right? Here are some tips on the same to help all the poodle owners keep their lovely pet clean and well groomed all the time.
Tips on Grooming a Toy Poodle at Home
A Warm Shower
Grooming needs to start with a warm shower. Well of course, your poodle needs a bath everyday. So all you need to do is connect a spray hose to the hot water tap and get ready to give a clean wash to your little pet. The water temperature can be approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your poodle in the tub and make sure that you open the drain cover so that the water flows out and does not get collected in the tub. Start spraying water on the entire body of your poodle. Once your poodle is completely wet, pick your favorite dog shampoo on a oval shaped soft sponge to work shampoo on the coat. Work from rear side to the front side, ensure that soapy water does not enter poodle's eyes. Shampoo thoroughly and then spray water to rinse it off completely without leaving any residue in the coat. You can consider second wash for soiled feet or dirty coat and then wrap a thick towel. First dab off excess water and again wrap a thick dry towel.
Trimming the Coat
If the coat is still wet, use a blow dryer to dry off the coat. Now, it's time to decide the best trim. Poodles have thick and long coats which offer a lot of styling options to give them different looks. You need to decide whether the coat needs to be kept short or long. If you are keeping it long, it is best to trim the hair on face, ends of the tail and at the base of legs to ensure that dirt does not get trapped in this hair. You can checkout some dog grooming books and pictures of toy poodles for getting ideas on trim shapes and hairstyles. Using ball tip scissors is a good idea for trimming the coat. Spray water on the hair and comb it well to remove any tangles before you start chopping off the coat. Cut the coat on your dog's head, around ears and chin very short. Be very careful and patient while trimming hair around dog's eyes. Trim rest of the coat according to the decided style.
Ear and Nails
While you have worked on the major part of poodle grooming, it's time to clean ears and clip off the nails. Use cotton balls (not q-tips) and water to clean ears. Clipping nails must be done very carefully to avoid injury. You need to do these two tasks after every 4-6 weeks to ensure that your poodle stays clean and tidy.
Finishing Touch
Once the basic grooming is over, it's time to ready your lovely poodle. Take a soft slicker brush and work it on the coat to style it well. Now use hair accessories to clip or tie up poodle's long hair if your wish to do so. Usually hair near head and ears is tied into ponytails and graced with beautiful accessories. The styling will differ according to the type of cut you have given to your poodle's thick coat.
The poodles have a unique coat that keeps growing long which is also one of the reason of the huge popularity of poodles. Well, this also makes regular hair trimming much essential part of the grooming routine. If you rare not yet ready to work on your soft poodle's grooming routine you can also hire a professional for the task. Dog saloons also offer great services to nicely groom your poodle and hence remain the best option in case you can't work on the same.
