Guide
Poodle Grooming: Clips, Intervals and the Clean Face
Poodles need a full groom every 4 to 8 weeks: £46 to £62 for a toy or miniature and £62 to £80 for a standard, the middle half of published prices. Their coat keeps growing and barely sheds, so loose hair stays in and mats.
How often does a poodle need grooming?
Every 4 to 8 weeks; Petplan puts it at every six weeks or so. Where groomers publish a poodle price, the middle half is £46 to £62 for a toy or miniature (6 prices) and £62 to £80 for a standard (12), checked in October 2026. A poodle's coat grows continuously and sheds very little: hair that would fall out of another dog stays in the coat, which is why poodles need regular clipping and brushing to the skin in between.
What are the common poodle clips?
Puppy or lamb clip: the same length all over, often 1 to 3 cm, the usual pet choice. Teddy bear: a rounded face and fuller legs. Sporting clip: a short body with slightly longer legs and a topknot shaped by scissors. Continental and English saddle: the show clips, with shaved areas and pompoms, rarely asked for on a pet. Pick from a photo.
What is the clean face, feet and tail?
The traditional poodle finish shaves the face, the feet and the base of the tail closely with a fine clipper blade, leaving the rest of the coat longer. It is a style, not a requirement. Some dogs' skin reacts to close clipping on the face and feet; ask for a longer blade or a scissored face if yours gets red or itchy afterwards.
What about ears and eyes?
Poodles grow hair inside the ear canal. Groomers trim or remove some of it and clean the outer ear, but whether to pluck ear hair routinely is a question vets and groomers answer differently; if your poodle has had ear infections, ask your vet. Tear staining at the inner corner of the eye is common in light-coloured poodles. Groomers trim the hair there short and keep it clean, which reduces staining but does not stop it.
What should you do between grooms?
Brush with a slicker and check with a comb two or three times a week, more often in a long coat. Keep the ears dry and the hair around the eye corners trimmed. Book the next groom before you leave the last one, so the interval does not drift past eight weeks.
Common questions
Do poodles shed?
Very little. The coat keeps growing instead, which is why poodles need cutting.
How much is a standard poodle groom?
The middle half of 12 published standard poodle prices is £62 to £80 (October 2026).
What is the easiest poodle clip to keep?
A short, even puppy or lamb clip, around 1 to 2 cm, every 4 to 8 weeks.