A Historical Look at Dog Grooming over the Centuries
© Chris Chamberlin
Perhaps bcause of the coat and the endless possibilities to show creative style, the poodle was the first to gain notoriety in grooming style. Art depicts life and in the archives of historic art and animals it takes little research to find the German sketch of a groomed poodle from the 1600's, as well as a well-known bronze sculpture from the late 1700's that depicts the poodle clipped in what is very similar to today's Continental show clip. During the 19th Century, the art of grooming excelled as Louis XV and Louis XVI of France declared the little dog the royal dog at court. Even with the fall of the monarchy, the first grooming parlors flourished, as did the poodle's popularity. These first artfully groomed poodles gained the title of French Poodle even though the breed did not originate in that country.
The English saddle clip and the Continental clips are still seen today in the show ring. As the breed began to be ever more popular and moved from the aristocratic society to all classes, 'pet clips' originated. These grooming coiffeurs resulted out of need and desire to keep the pets clean and tidy. Not everyone wanted to show their beloved dog nor did the cost of keeping a show dog come easily for all.
The terrier was another breed that took on a new form when it was discovered that the coat took on a much richer color and texture if the wiry dead hair was stripped out. Stripping / plucking a terrier is a true art form. It is rare, even among professional groomers, to find one that possesses the skill required to do the job properly. A hand plucked terrier is a beautiful sight and one you will not see often.
In all breeds, you will see various styles abound in today's world of the well-groomed dog. More often than not the kennel clip, which is basically a dog shaved to about 1/2 inch of coat all over, is the easiest to do, least likely to cost a great deal and the most practical for keeping clean. Then it's on to longer and more elaborate trimming such as the puppy clip. A good groomer can take any breed of dog and make it look like it did when it was a puppy by scissoring the coat to the fluffy 1-1/2 " length it was when your little darling was a baby. It is a very practical and adorable look on any breed but requires good at-home grooming practices to maintain the look for long periods of time. Then distinct styles for each breed will prevail and require greater expertise and or money to pay someone to achieve the look you are after for you dog. In the end, the show clips and styles are the most involved, both in cost and time.
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