Once popular, the town and country and Dutch trims have lost favor with both groomers and owners because they require painstaking, detailed clipping, hand scissoring, extensive maintenance, and frequent trips to the groomer.
Dutch Trim
The Dutch or royal Dutch trim was actually invented in France. The body coat is clipped short on the neck, throat, chest, abdomen, and the back, from the top of the neck to the base of the tail.
The coat is left full on the legs and trimmed into an oval shape above the shoulders and hips. The feet and base of the tail are shaved. The coat on the ears is trimmed short except for fringe at the bottom. The topknot is rounded off. The face is shaved except for a mustache at the end of the muzzle.
Town and Country Trim
The face, neck, feet, base of the tail, and a wide belly band are shaved closely. Lines are shaved between the shoulders and hips along the back, into the belly band. The rest of the coat is left long and fluffy, and shaped with hand scissoring.
Continental or Town and Country Haircuts
Unlike most breeds, the Poodle has no standard Poodle haircut. You can choose from a myriad of plain and fancy styles, each of which has particular advantages and disadvantages. Your choice should be based on your personal taste, your Poodle’s lifestyle, the texture and density of his coat, and the amount of time and money you can devote to coat care. If he is basically an indoor dog, and you are prepared to maintain a fancy trim, choose something to delight the eye and show off his beauty.
Longer, complicated haircuts require more maintenance grooming and frequent visits to the groomer. With a shorter, plain style, you may be able to get by with weekly brushing and professional grooming every two to three months. If your Poodle spends a lot of time outdoors, your budget is tight, or you lack confidence in your grooming skills, do him a favor and keep him in a short basic trim.
Professional groomers calculate prices based on the size of the dog, the complexity of the trim, and the dog’s condition. Needles to say, grooming a well-maintained coat is far less work than tackling an overgrown, dirty, matted coat.
The typical price for a bath and complete grooming for a basic trim usually includes a clean face and feet, a shorter body coat, and slightly fuller legs. For Toys and Miniatures, $55-$75 is the norm, and for Standards, $100-$140 is typical.
Complicated styles like the town and country, with a full body and legs, generally cost $20-$50 more because of the time and work involved.
Removing Mats
Some dogs seem to develop mats behind their ears, in their armpits, and inside their back legs, no matter how frequently they are brushed. Dematting always causes coat loss, but most mats will give way to patience and persistence.
Saturate the mat with detangler, and use your fingers to pull it apart at the edges. Alternate this with teasing it apart with a slicker brush, and using one tooth of the comb to catch and untangle a few hairs. Repeat these steps until the mat comes apart. Remember, demating is uncomfortable for the dog. Provide frequent breaks and plenty of praise throughout the process. If matting is extensive, it is more humane to sacrifice coat and use a mat splitter.