The Continental Clip Revealed

The grand bouffant! Posh, over-the-top, a true continental clip (aka "lion cut")...canine coiffure at it's finest. There is nothing I love more.  Actually, my adoration of the ancient continental cut, is the reason I became a dog groomer in the first place. I LOVE IT (the cut...not necessarily the dog grooming job...)! Nothing (for me...) is more gorgeous than seeing a duck-dog ("Pudel") prancing around in a continental cut.  Originating not in Beverly Hills, CA circa 1960...but rather in Europe in the 15th century...this clip is wholly utilitarian! You see in the slideshow below, that I have cited a horse (clipped for outdoor hacking & hunting)...the lower chest/shoulder/forearm region shaved down to allow for cooling of the cardio system...while the upper portion of the beast & legs are un-clipped for protection against the elements (in the former) brambles & briars (in the latter)...

What does have to do with duck dogs? Absolutely everything.

In the case of the Spaniel-derived dogs which include Pudels (Poodles), we have the ideal retriever & hunting dog... upon which the hip joints & wrist joints are covered by hair for warmth, not frou-frou. Then, we have "the pack" (the poofy  life-preserver which encases the skull, chest & neck in an orb of hair)...this hair, which amply covers the dog's chest/lungs is a supreme insulator...the head & ears (highly vascular) are covered for insulation...& finally...the topknot held together by that wholly egregious pink bow? The one ye eschew? The brightly coloured ribbons not only ID the dog...but ID the kennel to which the dog belongs, via the colour of the bow...much like racing satins adorning the tiny jockeys we adore so.

Of course, all dogs wear the continental clip now... they needn't be hunters...& that's just dreamy.