In The Beginning, there were Poodle puffs. As an apprentice groomer, in 1971, I was required to learn to scissor perfectly round yarn balls before I was allowed to groom a Poodle. At that time, about one-half of our grooming dogs were Poodles, and often they were styled similarly to Lulu, on the left. If you could not scissor good puffs, you simply weren't a Poodle groomer.
Today, this does not hold true. Other small breeds, such as the Shih Tzu, and the toy breeds have surpassed the Poodle in popularity. For the remaining Poodles, the lamb trims and short-all-over clips have replaced the patterned trims for the most part. Pet owners today seem less interested in the "foo foo" styles of yesteryear and more inclined to ask for functional, easy-care styles.
Some Poodle owners go so far as to decry the old styles as though they are a mark of indulgence or vanity. Perhaps too many cartoons have depicted Poodles and their owners as foolish. There is so little demand for patterned styles today that many groomers have never learned how to scissor puffs. The place where you see Poodle puffs is in the show ring. What a loss to pet styling! Poodles are the perfect carriers of puffs. Their prancing gait is shown off by bracelets. The style manifests their bubbly light personality. Let's bring back puffs for Poodles!
Some Poodle owners go so far as to decry the old styles as though they are a mark of indulgence or vanity. Perhaps too many cartoons have depicted Poodles and their owners as foolish. There is so little demand for patterned styles today that many groomers have never learned how to scissor puffs. The place where you see Poodle puffs is in the show ring. What a loss to pet styling! Poodles are the perfect carriers of puffs. Their prancing gait is shown off by bracelets. The style manifests their bubbly light personality. Let's bring back puffs for Poodles!
"Lulu" has a nice, firm coat that is ideal for shaping puffs. Her owner wanted her very short for our Arizona summer. As she is usually quite stylish in a lamb trim, I suggested the addition of puffs. To further encapsulate the round ball look, I added the tassled ears rounded into balls. She has an overly cropped tiny tail, but it worked well with this look.
TIPS FOR SCISSORING PUFFS
ONE: Location, Location, Location. Placement of the puffs is a critical element for a nice balanced look. Historically, this hair was left to protect the ankle joints. I define the location of the rear puffs first. Clip to a fingers width above the rear hock, The top line of the rear puffs should angle slightly downward from back to front. While front puffs are apple-shaped, the rear are more pear-shaped. Once I have located the rear puffs, I clip the front legs to a parallel line.
TWO: Bottoms Up!Scissor the bottom edge first. Setting in a nice clean line to the top of the foot is important. I always use a small curved scissor with a narrow blade for shaping puffs.
THREE: Block it out. Some groomers find it easiest to cut the puffs into a basic square or rectangle shape and then round the edges. If you get the bottoms, tops, and sides of all the puffs roughed out before tweaking the shape, you are more likely to end up with four puffs that match. Whittling them one by one can result in four slightly different shapes or worse - different sizes.
FOUR: Tassled ears are created by clipping half (or more) of the ear leather from the top of the ears to at least the jaw line. Placement can be individualized. The ball shape is achieved by twisting the hair on the bottom of the ear into a single strand and then snipping it off. This immediately bevels the bottom of the ear and you just have to follow the line up the sides to create a round shape. Please be sure to check with owners before shaving the ears, as it can be months to grow back. BTW, tassled ears are a good idea for those Poodles who have chronic ear problems.
There you have it! Grooming Lulu with puffs was a breath of fresh air for me. Why have we become so detached from the styles that made the Poodle the Toast of the Town? Poodles were made for puffery. I'm proud to offer this "retro" style in Tucson. Last note: This style takes more time to complete. Pet owners should expect to pay more and groomers should charge for their time. I charged $10 extra for the extra time that this style took over the usual short lamb I do for Lulu. Her owner was so delighted with our bouncy style that she gladly handed over the plastic. "Put $10 more on for yourself, Dear," she said. Worth it? You bet!
Barbara Bird, Certified Master Groomer with International Pet Groomers, Inc. owns and operates TRANSFORMATION PET CENTER, in mid-town Tucson, Arizona, USA. To make an appointment, call 520-795-5743. Please be prepared to wait 2-3 weeks for the next available appointment.
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