[LeoRose]

Wow, it's hard to believe that he's seven months old already.

I got super ambitious the other day and did a thorough brush and comb out, then tossed him in the tub for a bath. After the bath he got (mostly) blown dry and I went through all the floofy parts with a slicker bush. I think he's entering the dreaded "coat change" phase, since even after all the brushing and combing we did before the bath, he still had quite a few micro-mats, especially on his ears. He's definitely getting a lot of lighter hairs coming through the black.

This was the end result of all that grooming. .

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4570 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4575 CPC Silence by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4577 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4584 CPC Sepia by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4587 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4589 CPC Charcoal by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4592 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4596 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4604 CPC Charcoal by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4605 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2021-9-24 Simon DSC_4606 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

We are going to be tidying up his trim (that I have named the Scruff Puppy) later on this week, since that fuzzy face bugs me, and he really needs his paws neatened up. I might spring for a professional grooming one of these days, but for now we will just keep muddling along.

 

[storyist]

Wow. He looks like a real poodle with his face trimmed and ears and topknot fluffy. I bet if you keep doing it yourself before long you'll be able to do as well as a groomer. Practice making perfect and all that.

 

[K9luv]

Wow that looks like a lot of work! His little bell bottoms! 😄

I really have no idea how you groom poodles, do you use clippers? Or only combs/brushes?

He has lighter hairs growing in, what colour do you expect he'll be when mature?

I agree, he looks magnificent, I think we (the owner) can do better jobs than the groomers when we know our own dogs. Good job!

 

[LeoRose]

He's is a modified Miami clip, so it's not nearly as much work as it could be. I'd die if he was in a full show coat.

Yes, in addition to the usual pin brush, slicker brush, and comb, I use different types of shears and electric clippers with a variety of blades.

He is what is called blue, which is a medium to dark steel grey. Poodle color inheritance is interesting. Black, blue, and silver are all the same base color, black. However, if a dog has one copy of a modifier gene, he will be blue. If they have two copies of the modifier gene, they will be what is called silver, which is a very pale platinum to lighter medium grey. Brown dilutes the same way, becoming cafe au lait with one copy of the modifier gene, and silver beige with two copies. The dogs who have the modifier genes are born the dark base color, and lighten as they mature. The effect of them becoming their modified color is called "clearing", and can take several years.

It's a good thing I expect him to look like he's gone nine rounds with a Weedeater and lost more than once as we get grooming figured out. However, the groomer I have in mind shows SPoos, and having met one of her dogs (gorgeous Russian import bitch in a fantastic modified Continental clip), I'd love to see what she could do with him.

 

[Toedtoes]

Very handsome fellow.

 

[K9luv]

He's is a modified Miami clip, so it's not nearly as much work as it could be. I'd die if he was in a full show coat.

Yes, in addition to the usual pin brush, slicker brush, and comb, I use different types of shears and electric clippers with a variety of blades.

He is what is called blue, which is a medium to dark steel grey. Poodle color inheritance is interesting. Black, blue, and silver are all the same base color, black. However, if a dog has one copy of a modifier gene, he will be blue. If they have two copies of the modifier gene, they will be what is called silver, which is a very pale platinum to lighter medium grey. Brown dilutes the same way, becoming cafe au lait with one copy of the modifier gene, and silver beige with two copies. The dogs who have the modifier genes are born the dark base color, and lighten as they mature. The effect of them becoming their modified color is called "clearing", and can take several years.

It's a good thing I expect him to look like he's gone nine rounds with a Weedeater and lost more than once as we get grooming figured out. However, the groomer I have in mind shows SPoos, and having met one of her dogs (gorgeous Russian import bitch in a fantastic modified Continental clip), I'd love to see what she could do with him.

That IS interesting! I love to learn about genetics, no reason but to know. I am learning about schnauzer genes atm and hand stripping my boy, but the modifier gene in poodles is intriguing. I think there is fading gene identified with schnauzers too. I have no idea the ins and outs of it though.

 

[LeoRose]

Hand stripping a hard coat is a whole 'nother ball game.

 

[K9luv]

Hand stripping a hard coat is a whole 'nother ball game.

Yes I know it's different, but he has furnishings too that I brush out. Also I have to use a deshedding tool and card out his undercoat. If I was to clipper my boy, he'd end up with a soft coat. Poodles I think are not double coated, so clippering is the norm.

I bet with all that curl it is difficult to keep out mats. Is the hair type soft like undercoat or an in between?

 

[LeoRose]

I bet with all that curl it is difficult to keep out mats. Is the hair type soft like undercoat or an in between?

Right now, he's mostly still got his soft, fuzzy baby coat, but his harsher, curlier adult coat is starting to come in, so he's going to be matting more easily for a while as the two hair types compete. He's at the age when a lot of puppies get stripped down with a short blade because of matting, but he's been this way for a while. It rained most of the first two months I had him, and we got tired of dealing with soggy puppy fluff, so I took him down at about 4 months.