Poodle hair grows continuously in soft, wavy or curly locks. It's amazing for its hypoallergenic qualities. Yet it must be maintained regularly to avoid matting and the possible resulting skin infections.

We recommend professional grooming at least every 2-3 months for adult dogs. However, professional grooming is expensive so it may be worth your time and effort to learn how to do simple grooming yourself. We use these clippers.

We also recommend near-daily brushing and combing. We use this steel comb.

One thing that makes poodles so fun, is their many different styles. Check out this poodle styling guide to find the look that fits you and your dog best.

Ah, those beautiful, luxurious poodle ears. Unfortunately, poodles grow hairs inside as well as outside their ears. This inside hair traps moisture and bacteria resulting in common ear infections. Avoid that hassle and regularly clean your poodles' ears.

While your groomers will clean your dogs ears, often this cleaning needs to happen more frequently than trips to the groomer. To do it yourself, simply clean the ear of wax with a baby wipe and pull any large clumps or matted hair out of the ear canal. Remember to be careful with your dogs ear structure!

This is not the most comfortable process for your poodle and they will squirm and yelp. However, the more often you clean your poodle's ears, the more likely they are to be well-behaved for the process.

Dog nails grow surprisingly quickly. Puppy nails are razor sharp and should be cut by a professional as soon as they have received all of their vaccinations. Adult nails should be trimmed every 1-2 months, depending on the owner's preference.

If you prefer, nail trimmers are available online and at local pet stores. Merely be sure not to cut the nail quick, which can bleed profusely. If it happens don't panic--it bleeds more than it actually hurts your dog.

Prepare your puppy for nail and foot grooming by playing with their feet regularly.