Dog Grooming in Tampa
15417 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL, USA
Poodle haircut services
The Teddy Bear Trim
This style can rock either long or short ears. It is definitely one of the most popular styles at my salon
Maintenance Level: Moderate. The Teddy Bear Cut is relatively easy to maintain. Regular brushing is required to prevent matting. A good comb through after brushing to keep the coat in good condition.
Best For: The Teddy Bear Cut is perfect for people who do not like the traditional Poodle look, with the rounded face and feet, the fluffy look is appealing to most people.
The Lamb Trim
This style can be worn with a clean shaven face or a mustache. It is about one inch long on the trunk of the body (on a toy or miniature Poodle) with the legs a little longer.
Maintenance Level: Moderate. While the Lamb Cut is relatively easy to maintain, it does require regular brushing to prevent matting, especially around the legs where the hair is left longer. A professional trim every 4 to 6 weeks will keep the look sharp and fresh.
Groomer’s Tip:
Use a high-quality slicker brush daily to maintain the body and legs. This keeps the coat tangle-free and enhances the natural shine of your poodle's fur.
The Short Lamb Trim
The Short Lamb Trim
The Sporting Trim is a little shorter than the Lamb Trim, it is tighter on the trunk of the body. I use a 5/8 Ht blade, a 3 blade, a 4 blade typically. Then I scissor the legs a little fuller.
- Grooming every 4–6 weeks is essential, with some cuts needing sooner touch-ups
- Daily or frequent brushing helps prevent mats, especially on ears, legs, and tail
The Miami Trim
Fusion Inspired Styling
The Short Lamb Trim
This cute style is great for the summer. It is short on the body with pom poms at the ankles.
Maintenance Level: Low to Moderate. The Miami Cut requires regular maintenance to keep the short areas smooth and the puffs neatly trimmed. Brushing the puffs daily will help prevent matting and keep them fluffy. A professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks is ideal to maintain this cut's clean lines and shape.
Best For: The Miami Cut is perfect for poodles who enjoy a stylish, eye-catching look. It’s especially well-suited for warmer climates, as the shorter body hair helps keep your poodle cool, while the puffs add a unique, fashionable touch.
The Dutch Trim
Fusion Inspired Styling
Fusion Inspired Styling
This Retro style was very popular in the '60's. This fancy pattern is clipped very close, with very stylish scissoring.
Maintenance level: Moderate. The Retro styles are usually quite fluffy with sharp, clean clipper work. The patterns in the fur are fun and whimsical.
Best for: The Retro styles are best for those who really want their Poodle to LOOK like a Poodle. These styles were all the rage when Poodles topped the charts as America's most popular dog.
- Grooming every 4 weeks is essential, with some cuts needing sooner touch-ups
- Daily or frequent brushing helps prevent mats, especially on ears, legs, and tail
Fusion Inspired Styling
Fusion Inspired Styling
Fusion Inspired Styling
These styles are characterized by an oval shaped mustache, tight trimming on the trunk of the body, and flared legs.
Maintenance Level: High. The Asian Fusion style requires frequent grooming to maintain the distinct shapes and features. Regular brushing is essential to keep the coat looking smooth and fluffy, and professional grooming every 4 to 6 weeks will help preserve the style’s intricate details.
- The body is kept short, using a # 5 blade (¼ inch) for a sleek, clean finish contrasting the more exaggerated features.
- The face has an oval shaped mustache
- The legs should be left fluffy, with a bell bottom look.
- The ears can be styled either long and flowing or trimmed short and rounded to match the aesthetic. Discuss the desired look with your groomer to ensure a cohesive style.
The best tools to maintain your Poodles coat
Flexible slicker brush
Flexible slicker brush
Flexible slicker brush
I use the Paw Brothers Flexible Slicker, this brush helps to prevent tangles and nots in coats that are less than 1" long.
Pro Tip: Use this brush to remove those pesky hitch hikers from your dogs coat.
Poodle Comb
Flexible slicker brush
Flexible slicker brush
The Poodle comb is an essential piece of equipment to have in your coat care tool kit.
Pro Tip: Use this comb after the brush out to check for tangles and prevent mats.
Big Paw Slicker Brush
Flexible slicker brush
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
This brush is excellent for getting deep into the coat to really bring out that fluff.
Pro Tip: Use this brush after you have loosened up the curl with the flexible slicker, to reduce to drag and pull on the coat from this firmer brush.
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
This brush is excellent for dematting, and penetrating coats that are extra thick or longer.
Pro Tip: Use this brush after you have loosened up the curl with the flexible slicker, and when dematting is necessary.
Tear Stain Prevention
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Tear Stain Prevention
This is an amazing product for removing and softening eye crusts. I use it in the salon regularly.
Pro Tip: Keeping the eye area clean is a secret to preventing tear stains.
Anti Static Spray
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Tear Stain Prevention
A good quality anti static spray helps to reduce static in the coat making brush out sessions a breeze.
Pro Tip: Mist the coat lightly before brushing and combing to help the brush glide through the coat.
Bows
Bows are adorable on your little Poodle, a perfect finish to that pretty groom.
Pro Tip: Ears bows should be removed by snipping the band, never by cutting the hair.
Rat Tail Combs
The Rat Tail Comb is very helpful for tying up top knots on show Poodles.
Pro Tip: Creating straight lines when tying up the top knot prevents matting and makes the top knot more comfortable.
The Pin brush
The pin brush is a must have for caring for your Poodle in show coat. The Maxi Pin Vip is my personal favorite.
Pro Tip: This brush is best for all areas of the coat that are 3" or longer.
Latex Bands
Latex Bands
Latex Bands prevent breakage in your show dogs topknot, when compared to rubber bands
Pro Tip: Always make sure to slide a comb between the skin and the band once the ponytail is put in for safety reasons.
Caring for your Poodles coat
How to prevent matted hair.
So, you want to grow your dogs hair longer. I hear this a lot. Dogs are beautiful with long flowing coats. That natural, scruffy, shaggy, puppy look is adorable. You try to keep the hair brushed, you really honestly do.
But your dog is young. She needs to learn. She doesn’t like it, That’s okay, that’s what a professional is for, right? Wrong! Pet groomers are actually pet stylists. The one responsible for caring for the condition of the dog is the owners of the dog. The reason for this is that the maintenance of the coat is a constant routine. The level of difficulty depends upon the length of the coat, and other factors such as:
1. Do you wash the dog?
2. Does the dog swim or go into a wading pool?
3. Do you leave a harness on the dog?
4. Does the dog wear clothing?
5. If the dog is in full coat, or has a lot of hair around the neck, does she wear a collar?
6. If you wash your dog, do you that very same day, thoroughly brush and comb that dog over every inch of it’s body?
All of these factors determine the amount of work necessary to maintain the coat. I specialize in maintaining a full coat. My own dogs, and many of my clients dogs have had coats in amazing condition.
It is a labor of love. The secret is dedication. It is not a chore, it’s actually a bonding time for you and your pets IF and only IF both of you enjoy it.
Sometimes it can become frustrating, the dog fights the brush, or you give the dog a quick bath with no brushing only to later realize that was a disastrous decision. Or you leave the cute Christmas sweater on for 3 days while we have freezing temperatures, only to end up with a completely shaved down dog.
Sometimes, clients think, no worries, the groomer has special techniques, special tools, and wonderful conditioning treatments that they are trained to use in the event that your dog gets a few little mats. And to an extent, this is true.
The problem is, when we brush out matted hair, it hurts. And when the dog already hates the brush, it can be traumatizing. Sometimes I can do it once, to save the dogs coat, but the next time, the dog says NO. I often have clients prefer for me to save the coat, to please keep the hair that I trimmed short underneath the last time, and to let the coat grow. But if the coat is matting at this shorter length, why should we grow it longer?
The dogs owner must listen to the pet. If the pet cannot tolerate the brush, then keep the hair shorter until the training and routine are established.
The routine and tools depend on the desired length of coat and the type of coat that the dog has. Long flowing silky coats benefit from the use of a Pin Brush, and a Comb, a Chris Christensen Buttercomb, and a Face Comb.
Cottony bushy coats benefit from the use of the flexible slicker brushes, a Long Pin Slicker, and the Chris Christensen Poodle Combs.
The type of pins on the slicker depend on the depth of coat and the area you are brushing. I use both and go back and forth using both brushes on each dog, using the stiffer shorter pins on mats, the legs, and sometimes under the arms, and the longer pins in the areas where the hair is longer and thicker.
Most slicker brushes either have short pins or angled pins. The short pins are useless for penetrating a coat that is more that a half inch long. I do not recommend any brushes with plastic coated tips.
Brushes with sharply angled pins have a lot of drag and pull in a thick coat. This can make brushing very uncomfortable for the dog. Therefore, the brushes that you choose need longer pins that are not too sharply angled.
People often ask, “Should I brush every day ?” Or “How often should I brush?”. The answer is different in each situation.
My own dogs have always been brushed on bath day, with the exception of long top knots (which is every 1-3 days) . The length of the coat determines the frequency of the bath days. Long, flowing coats every 5 days. Lamb Trims every 7-14 days. Miami Trims and Kennel Cuts every 7-21 days. This system works only if you are very diligent to completely brush and comb the dog from one end of its body to the other on the same day as the bath is done.
Here are a few key things to know about the Poodle coat:
- It’s hair, not fur. Poodles have continuously growing hair that behaves more like human hair than typical dog fur.
- Prone to matting. Those tight curls can lock together quickly, especially around high-friction areas like the ears, armpits, and collar line.
- Variety in curl type. Some Poodles have looser waves, while others have very tight curls, which can change how often they need brushing.
- Seasonal comfort. The coat provides insulation, but it can also trap heat. Choosing the right haircut helps your Poodle stay comfortable year-round.
- Allergy-friendly. Their coat sheds very little, making them a popular choice for families with allergies, but that also means regular trims are essential.
The takeaway is simple: a Poodle’s coat can be their best feature or their biggest challenge. With the right brushing routine and consistent grooming, that signature curl will always look stylish, stay healthy, and be easier for your groomer to shape into a beautiful cut.