Most Poodles hate to have their paws clipped, especially the front ones, and the vibration of the clippers against their feet makes them very touchy. You can make clipping the feet easier for yourself and more acceptable for the dog by establishing a routine. Each time you do the feet, the order of clipping should be: front of the back feet, back of the back feet, front of the front feet and back of the front feet.

Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to clip your Poodle’s feet:

1. Place your Poodle on a sturdy grooming table. Our choice for the most comfortable position is for the dog to sit facing you. Gently draw one back foot forward, close to the front leg. The dog will be at ease in this position because his weight will rest on his other three legs. If your dog breaks this “sit” position at any time during the clipping session, put him back into place instantly, firmly command him to “Sit” and then continue as before.
2. Pointing the clippers upward in the direction of the leg, start near the nails and clip off all the hair from the top and sides of the foot without going between the toes. Clip only to the end of the foot. Do not clip the feet any higher than the point where they join the leg. The mistake most beginners make is clipping too high up on the ankles.
3. Now comes the difficult part for beginners – clipping the hair between the toes – and doing so without nicking the skin. On the underside of your Poodle’s foot, there is a large pad and four smaller toe pads. Hold the foot in your hand, slip your second finger underneath, between the large pad and the small pads, and press upward. As you do this, the toes will separate. At the same time, use your thumb on the top of the foot to further spread the toes open, one at a time.
4. Lay the edge of the blade near the nail, and remove the hair between the toes with the edge of the clipper blade, first on one side, then on the other. Even though you are using only the edge of the blade, hold it flat. Do not point the sharp edges of the teeth into the webbing. It takes a lot of practice to master this technique and, if it is done properly, you will not nick the skin with the blade. All the toes are clipped in this manner. Clip the top of the other back foot in a similar manner.
5. The underside of each back foot is clipped with the Poodle in a standing position with the leg pulled back . Clip only to the end of the foot, making sure that the clipped line around the foot is even. It is also important to remove the hair from between the pads. Spread the outside toes apart with your thumb and second finger while you clip the hair between the pads. The clipping here is best described as a scooping motion: The edge of the blade is held flat, and moves upward from the small pads to the large pad in an in-and-out motion.
6. The front feet are clipped with the Poodle in a sitting position, facing you, with the paw that is being clipped drawn forward. Clip from the nails up to the end of the foot, removing all the hair from the top and sides first. Clip only to the end of the foot and not up on the ankle. Clip between the toes exactly as you did on the back feet. Spread the toes the same way, by placing your finger between the toe pads underneath and your thumb on the top of the foot. Remove all the hair between the toes with the edge of the clipper blade, taking care not to nick the skin.
7. The hair between the pads on the underside of the front foot is also clipped with the Poodle in the same sitting position. Hold the foot up and gently pull it forward. Clip to the end of the foot to make the line evenly encircle the ankle. Then spread the two end toes apart with your thumb and finger, and use the same in-and-out scooping motion to clip between the pads. The other front foot is then clipped similarly.
8. After the feet are clipped, there should be no wispy hairs left around the nails. Until you become more confident, it may be easier to remove any that remain with a small cuticle scissors, but eventually you should be able to clean the feet neatly and completely with the clipper. When all four feet are finished, check to see that the clipped lines around the bottoms of the legs are even and balanced.
   Generally, a Poodle’s feet are clipped in most cases. However, there are various foot ailments – dermatitis; bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections; allergies; excessive licking and biting, for instance – where clipping might trigger or worsen a troublesome condition. And infrequently one may meet up with a dog to whom the foot-clipping process is so traumatic that he will not accept it without considerable commotion. In all of these situations, the solution is to leave the feet in natural condition, scissor around them to remove excess hair, then shape them round in the Panda or Teddy Bear style. Do not remove any hair between the toes, although you may want to shorten the hair between the pads on the underside of the feet.

Clipping the feet can be the most difficult and demanding task when it comes to Poodle grooming, especially for beginners. With a little patience and practice, however, you will eventually become proficient at this important part of clipping. Before you begin, here are some useful suggestions to keep in mind.

Every groomer has a preferred method of clipping feet. Some choose to sit the dog on the grooming table and to gently draw each foot forward as it is being clipped; some like to have the dog lie on his side. Other groomers prefer to have the dog stand behind them on the grooming table, looking over their shoulders, while they pull each foot forward to clip.

All these methods work. The method you use to clip your Poodle’s feet depends on which position is most comfortable and productive for you.

If your dog is fidgety when you first try to clip the feet, having an assistant steady the dog for a few clipping sessions will give you more confidence. The assistant should stand behind the dog to steady him. For further support, have the assistant place a hand on the hock joint while you clip each back foot, and at the elbow while you clip each front foot.

However, the assistance should only be temporary. Your goal is to have your dog relax and learn to enjoy his grooming.

What Blades to Use

Normally, the blade you use to clip the feet will be either a No. 15, No. 30, or any of the narrow cutting blades. Narrow cutting blades like the No. 5/8 and No. 7/8 are especially useful for clipping the tiny feet of Toy Poodles. A No. 10, or medium blade, generally will not clip close enough to clean the hair between the toes and make the feet look really neat.

However, if you are a novice, you might want to use a No. 10 blade the first few times until you determine how sensitive your dog’s skin is. Clipping the feet too closely, especially on light-colored Poodles, may cause irritation. Most dogs will then aggravate the condition by licking and biting their feet. To help soothe sensitive areas, immediately after clipping, treat the feet with any anti-itch lotion or spray developed for dogs.