How to Groom Your Mini Poodle

By trading in visits to a professional groomer with learning to groom your own poodle, you will save countless amounts of money in addition to strengthening the bond with your pet. A poodle's appearance is much better when clean and trimmed versus a dirty, matted look. Start by buying high quality tools and keep them in good shape over time.

Things You'll Need

  • Pin brush
  • Hair dryer
  • Scissors
  • Nail clippers
  • Ear cleaner
  • Cotton balls
  • Tear removal pads
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Instructions

  1. Grooming

    • 1

      Brush the poodle's fur with a pin brush, making sure to use a gentle hand around knotted fur. Bathe your poodle using a mild puppy shampoo being careful not to get any soap in her eyes. Also brush while drying, using a hair drier on a low setting.

    • 2

      Trim his hair using high quality, sharpened scissors. Whether you decide to keep the fur long or short, the fur will need to be cut when it is completely dry as it tends to have a coarse or curly texture. Keep the hair the same length all over by cutting evenly and checking the length. Use caution when cutting the hair shorter around your poodle's face, feet and just below the tail.

    • 3

      Remove ear canal hair on a weekly basis by hand. Wipe out the ear with a cotton ball soaked in ear cleaner.

    • 4

      Trim the nails every couple of weeks, cutting only the tip. If you accidentally clip too far back, you may nick a blood vessel which will cause bleeding; though it is not a severe injury, the poodle will not forget it. You may want to leave this portion to the professional at first, until you feel comfortable enough to just clip the end.

    • 5

      Tear stains can result from genetics or diet and are more visible with lighter coats. Use pretreated tear removal pads and gently wipe away the stains.

    • 6

      Continue to brush the coat every other day to prevent matting and to maintain a shiny, healthy appearance.