Poodles are expensive primarily due to the grooming costs, so learning to do this yourself will save money and offer time to bond with your pet. Grooming poodles might seem hard, but it's actually a task that just about anyone can learn to do. To increase your skills you just need patience, and willingness.

It takes about three hours to groom a standard poodle once the skill is mastered, but you may need to divide the task over multiple days during the learning process. This is both to give you a break, and for your poodle. If you don't learn to perform this task yourself, you will need to carefully select a professional to do perform this maintenance task periodically. The best way to find a good groomer is to talk to other poodle owners.

We can look at some books and I can suggest some cuts, but you'll have to decide which trim you prefer. Poodles have coats that lend themselves to plenty of different looks, however, your choice will in part be dictated on how much time and effort you're willing to put into keeping your dog's coat in shape. Show poodles have a limited range of acceptable cuts and trims, so why you own your poodle will make a difference in the cut you choose.

All show poodles must have a variation on the traditional lion cut, of which there are three variations on this kind of poodle grooming - continental, English saddle, and puppy. Each of these cuts, as it turns out, is a derivative of the famous "poodle" cut that is seen so often. Originally, this cut was created to help these dogs swim more effectively while retrieving birds from the water, as a long mane of fur on the chest protected the lungs and heart, and the tufts on the legs offered joint protection.

When it comes to non-competing poodles, you have much more to choose from. You can choose a shorter trim, which is easier to maintain, and especially easier to dry in the winter. Longer trims are showier, but they'll require more maintenance, so check some grooming books, or take a look at a few poodles to figure out what you prefer.

Most people like to keep the base of the tail, legs and face trimmed close, since long hair can trap food particles and this keeps the dog cleaner. Short clipped feet don't pick up grass seeds, and mean that your dog won't track in as much dirt, and remember that shorter coats are easier to wash and dry, and they don't need as much brushing as a fluffy, long coat. Make sure to wash your poodle first to keeps scissors and clippers in good shape, and opt for quality equipment. Although it's more expensive to start with, it'll make poodle grooming much easier.