Considering learning how to groom!

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

So we are 0 for 2 in the grooming department! Two different places and two awful haircuts for Parker! I even left SPECIFIC instructions and $75 later, I pick up a poodlie mess! Today's groomer even put a purple bow on him like he was a girl! What the heck! At least Petco had the decency to put a  bandana on him after butchering his hair!  We are running out of groomers that are close driving distance from us (he gets car sick)! The last one I know about never calls back so she isn't even really an option!

 

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

This is his before shot and I just wanted him to look cleaned up from this...a trim here and there...I didn't want to pick up a completely different dog! What do everyone's doodles look like right after they get groomed? Maybe I need to bring pictures of good doodle groomings to show these people what i want!

[KAHLUA]

Before:

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

see! His after shot is exactly what I wanted! Just a tidying up of what he looked like before!

[KAHLUA]

The groomer I took her to is the one that I brought pictures to and spent about 1/2 with her.  That was done about about 6 weeks ago and she's all grown out now.  I'm grooming her this weekend to shape up her face and scisssor cut her whole body, especially her legs and paws.  With the bad weather coming up the more hair she had the wetter she gets when she goes outside.  But taking I'll be taking her to the groomer to have her paw beds and privates done.  I am just not comfortable using the trimmers on those two parts, just yet, but getting there.  I highly suggest doing the grooming yourself when you can.  Once a year, right before the hot months, have her groomed short, that way you can just touch up each month (giving you practice) when he gets too long take him back to the groomer for a trim before the winter months start.  Hope this helps.

 

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

OMD - a purple bow.  I -with my husbands help - decided to learn to groom our two doods.  They are each 50+ pounds.  I am definitely in the l e a r n i n g stage.  We have done one shave down on each and two addditional head and butt trims on each.  It just drove me crazy to spend $100 a dog to bring home two naked dogs.  I don't do much better, but I don't do worse.  My husband is really pretty good at the heads after I explained how.  I am good at reading and learning, but not so good at doing things with my hands.  My husband, being an engingeer, is good with his hands, but not so eager to spend the time with trivia like directions.   Also since I have only the kitchen counter and no dog holder thingy, it takes two to do one dog.

Roo and Tigger are due for another clip down.  I belong to the category of clip and grow, rather than brush and brush and brush some more.  Both my doodles are very curly and mat like crazy.  I just clip out the mats if they get big or annoying and it is not time for a clip down.  They are so curly no one could possibly see where a mat was removed.

So I say you go girl- Parker can only look better, at least there  won't be a purple bow.

 

 

[Lynda Kamrath]

As long as you have the time and the inclination, I would say go for it.  We have groomed our dogs for thirty years (poodles and doodles) and it is a good experience for all of us.  My husband and I are retired and we can take our time.  We do a little each day for a few days and soon it is done.  When we made a new laundry room, I wanted a dog wash and grooming area to be part of the laundry room so we set things up that way.  We have double sinks for washing and a water heater for the sinks and washing machine.  My large doodle needs to walk the ramp to get up onto the sink because he is just too large to lift, but it works out okay.  I'd be glad to give suggestions if you want them.  We shave the belly, between the toes, the sanitary area, and the face.  The rest is scissors cut.  One thing about poodles is that they love to be groomed and will stand for hours just for the one-on-one attention.