Modified Pet Poodle Continental Trim Using a Guard Comb (Part 3 of 3)

Do you want to do something a little different for your Poodle clients? Something with a little more elegance than the everyday trim? Yet, keep it practical?

How about a Modified Continental Trim?

It is inspired by a Show Continental Trim. Sure, the show trim is gorgeous. But it is not practical for our typical pet owning clients. The show trim is time consuming to execute. Challenging to maintain. And can be costly for the owner.

This version gives you the flair of its show style cousin, but without all the elaborate care – or time – to create the look. It is a great haircut for active dogs, especially if they love to swim.

Award winning stylist, Misty Fowler shows you how to do this trim using guard combs to set most of the length. She talks about how to set the pattern using physical landmarks on the dog. These anatomy-based points of reference transfer to any size of Poodle. Toys. Miniatures. Or Standards.

Misty says it will not be as full or fluffy as a full show trim. But you do not want it flat either. You will need to break out your shears to give it a three-dimensional look. However, using guard combs to set the length is a HUGE time saver. According to her, a Standard Poodle in this haircut takes her about an hour to do if the dog has been prepared well.

With minor, scaled down adjustments to your choice of guard combs, this haircut could be easily be done on Miniature and Toy Poodles too.

In this video you will learn:

• How to set the pattern using physical landmarks on the dog
• How not to expose a common fault in many Poodles
• How to create forechest
• How to avoid the ‘pancake’ look when trimming the rosettes
• How to round a topknot by layering

Approximate total running time: 65 minutes

• Part 1: Setting in the Close Clipper Work (19:21)
• Part 2: Working with Guard Combs to Set the Length (27:45)
• Part 3: Styling the Topknots, Crest, Tail & Final Polish (16:11)