Getting through yourLevelThreeCityand Guilds practical assessments can seem like a daunting task. Students must complete grooms on a short-legged terrier, a spaniel and either a miniature schnauzer or a poodle. Nichola Moore of SmartpetsInternationalAnimalCareCollegehas put together some notes on breed standards to help you prepare.
Bedlington terrier
1 The head is clipped with a fine blade on the cheeks and the entire bottom jaw to the Adam’s apple. The head is scissored into shape, domed from occiput to nose. The sides of the head are no wider than the cheeks. Be careful not to hollow out the eyes the head should look like a roman arch.
2 Ther ear hair is cleared with a fine blade leaving a tassel on the ends. 15/10 can be used.
3 The neck and chest are cleared of hair with no chest furnishings.
4 The back is either clipped or scissored to a medium length giving a neat finish. The dog should appear narrow and have slightly more coat scissored into a curved shape over the spine.
5 The legs are scissored to cylindrical shapes tapering to the foot. The back legs show natural angulation following the body shape and tapering to the foot.
6 The feet have all of the toes are clipped to the first knuckle to show a hare-like foot shape (not a poodle foot shape). The coat is blended into the legs.
7 The tail is cleared. Care should be taken not to remove too much hair from the base of the tail and must later be scissored so there is no ugly “bump”.
Lakeland terrier
1 The head has a neat centre fall eyebrow and beard. The ears, top of the head, cheeks and under the jaw to beard are clear of excess coat. A 7f in reverse or 10 can be used.
2 The chest is clean and clear to the breastbone. The front of the leg furnishings are blended at the top with no excess coat protruding.
3 The back is blended into the sides with a neat tuck up. A 7f or 5f can be used dependant on the thickness of the coat.
4 The fore leg furnishings are straight. There is no excess hair at the top of the leg and the coat is blended and flush with the body.
5 The hind leg coat is blended into the body and trimmed to show natural angulations. The back legs should look like a gothic arch when viewed from the rear.
6 The feet are trimmed round, neat and angled to give a tiptoe appearance.
7 The tail is short but padded close to the body.
8 The anal area is clear of any excess hair.
Welsh Terrier
1 The head top and cheeks are clean and blended into the beard. The ears are clean on both sides. The eyebrows are short and split. The beard is blended well and shaped forward.
2 The chest is clear to the breastbone. The front leg furnishings are blended at the top with no excess coat protruding.
3 The fore legs are straight and blended into the chest.
4 The back is blended into the sides with a neat tuck up.
5 The hind legs are blended into the body and the furnishings are trimmed to show natural angulations.
6 The feet are trimmed round, neat and angled to give a tiptoe appearance.
7 The tail on the body side is short but padded.
8 Anal area The anal area is clear of any excess hair.
Miniature schnauzer
1 The head top, cheeks and ears are cleared of hair. The throat area down to the chest bone is clear of excess hair. A 7f in reverse or a 10 can be used.
2 The eyebrows are centre parted in balance with the natural head furnishings and breed profile.
3 The back coat is of medium to short length. The chest area has an inverted V-shape between the fore legs. The anal area and under the tail area are clean of any excess hair. Normally a 7f is used on the body.
4 Fore legs are trimmed to a tubular shape from the elbow to the foot.
5 The feet are trimmed round and blended with the leg furnishings. The underside of the pads is clear of excess hair.
6 The back legs are trimmed in a gentle curve following the body shape and the hock is trimmed in an upright shape.
7 The skirt is trimmed at an angle so that it slants up to the tuck up.
8 The tail underside is clear of any hair, in a docked tail, and the top is clipped to the same length as the body. The underside of an undocked tail is clear of hair near the body and the top and furnishings of the tail are either blended to a flag shape or removed completely to balance the overall shape of the trim.
Cocker spaniel
1 The head and cheeks are clear of all excess coat.
2 The throat is smooth and clear of excess coat with furnishings extending from the breastbone.
3 The ears inside are clear of all excess hair. The base of the ear is clipped clear of hair and furnishings are tidied to a natural rounded shape.
4 The back coat has a smooth finish. The sides are blended into the skirt to give a natural flow to the coat.
5 The chest furnishings drop from the breastbone and follow the line of the skirt. The skirt line is almost straight.
6 The feet are round to give a cat-like appearance. The under pads are clear of excess hair.
7 The fore legs are clear of excess coat on the front with sides thinned.
8 The hind legs are clear of excess coat bur left with a padded finish. The area under the tail is clear of excess coat and flowing into the back leg furnishings. The rear furnishings are trimmed in an inverted V-shape ending at the hocks.
9 The tail is clean and tidy with all excess hair removed. This will be the same length as the body. If the tail is undocked, it is in balance with the rest of the dog and not left over long or scalped.
Springer spaniel
1 The head and cheeks are clear of hair.
2 The throat is clear of excess hair to the chest bone.
3 The ears are clear of excess hair on top, allowing the hair on the ears to flow into the furnishings. The ear furnishings are left natural or given a rounded shape.
4 The back coat has a smooth finish. The sides are blended into the skirt.
5 The chest furnishings drop from the breastbone and follow the line of the skirt which is almost straight.
6 The skirt falls straight from the chest furnishings to the tuck up.
7 The feet are round to give a cat-like appearance. The under pads are clear.
8 The fore legs are clear of excess coat on the front and sides. The furnishings flow from the side of the leg in a gentle curve from pad to elbow.
9 Hind legs are clear of excess hair in the middle, leaving furnishings flowing from the front and back. The furnishings on the front of the leg follow the shape of the leg and the rear furnishings are shaped like a theatre curtain from hock to under tail.
10 The tail is clean and clear of excess hair, if docked. An undocked tail is trimmed to balance the overall appearance of the dog.
Cairn terrier
1 The head is well coated and finished with a natural appearance with the
ears peeking out. The ears are cleared of hair fully at the back but are partly hidden in the furnishings of the head.
2 The back has shoulders blended with the hair on the top of the legs and excess coat removed. The sides blend into the skirt. The skirt line is graded slightly towards the groin. The chest is clear with furnishings from the chest bone cut in a v-shape between the front legs. The coat on the hips blends to the hind leg.
3 The fore legs are straight and the coat is trimmed to give a rounded tube like leg.
4 The hind legs’ coat blends with the body coat. The front of the furnishings are
shaped to follow the curve of the body shape. The foot and the hock are rounded and shaped to follow the shape of the leg. The rear furnishings are shaped to theatre curtains from hock to under the tail.
5 The tail is carrot shaped (broader at the bottom. The underside of the tail is shorter than the top.
Wire haired fox terrier
1 The head top and cheeks are clipped smooth and blended into the beard. The ears are clipped smooth on both sides. The eyebrows are small and split, neat and forward facing. The beard is trimmed into a forward facing point.
2 The chest is clipped clean to the breast bone. The shoulders are clipped smooth.
3 The back is clipped short to medium and blended into the sides.
4 The fore legs are trimmed straight and blended into the chest.
5 The hind legs are blended into the body at the top to show rear muscle. The featherings on the front of the back legs are trimmed to show natural angulations. The hocks are upright.
6 The feet are trimmed round, neat and angled to give a tiptoe appearance.
7 The tail underside is short and the top of the tail is scissored to the same length as the body.
8 The anal area is clear of any excess hair.
West Highland white terrier
1 The ear tips are just visible above the head. Clip just the tips with a 10/15 blade. The hair on the head is the same length all over to give a round appearance and the corner of the eyes are clear of excess hair.
2 The back hair on the shoulders blends with the hair on the top of the legs and excess coat is removed. The sides blend into the skirt. The skirt line is graded slightly the groin. Suggested blades are 4F/5F. The chest is clear with furnishings from the chest bone cut in a v-shape between the front legs. The coat on the hips blends to the hind leg.
3 Fore legs are blended into the coat on the top of the shoulders. The fore legs are straight and the coat is trimmed to give a rounded tube like leg.
4 Hind legs blend with the body coat. The front of the furnishings are
shaped to follow the curve of the body shape. The foot and the hock are rounded and shaped to follow the shape of the leg. The rear furnishings are shaped to theatre curtains from hock to under the tail.
5 The tail is carrot shaped (broader at the bottom). The underside of the tail is shorter than the top.
Sealyham
1 The head is the main feature as the eye brows are not separated but fall as one centre furnishing. The top of the head is clipped clear and the ears are well trimmed. Normally a 10/15 on the ears and 7f reverse on the head.
2 Throat and chest are clear of excess hair and the tops of the legs are blended into the top of the shoulder. 7f reveerse on the neck is suggested.
3 The skirt is long and trimmed straight.
4 The back is clipped to a medium to short finish and blended into the flowing furnishings all round. A 7f/5f dependant on how thick the dogs coat is is best.
5 Front leg furnishings are of a good length, have a tubular shape and are blended into the shoulders. Feet are neat.
6 Rear leg furnishings are of a good length to show the breed profile. The legs are shaped to follow the natural shape of the dog and blended into the hips and body. Feet are neat.
7 The tail underside is trimmed short and clear of excess hair. The body side of the tail is short and padded giving the whole tail a tapered shape from base to tip.
Scottish Terrier
1 The head is clipped at the top. Cheeks and under the jaw clipped to the corner of the mouth. A reverse 7f is best for the head. The eyebrows are long and split. The beard is trimmed to flow forward.
2 The ears have short tufts in the corners of the front of the ear. The ears are clipped and trimmed to have a clear outline. A 10/15 is suggested for the ears.
3 The back coat is clipped medium short and blended from the fine clipping on the head to the furnishings around the body. A 7f/5f dependant on dogs coat is suggested.
4 The hind quarters are blended flat and clean of excess hair under the tail. The hindquarters are flat when viewed from behind with no protrusions from the side.
5 The chest is clear of excess hair from the throat to the breast bone. The front of the chest is blended into leg furnishings.
6 Front leg furnishings are of good length to show the breed profile, tubular shaped and blended into the shoulders. Feet are neat.
7 Hind leg furnishings are of good length and shaped to follow the natural shape of the dog and blended into the hips and body with neat feet.
8 Tail underside is trimmed short clearing it of excess hair. The body side of the tail is short and padded giving the whole tail a tapered shape from base to tip.
Poodle – toy or miniature in a blended lamb trim
1 The head – the face is clean of any excess coat. There is a clear line from the far corner of the ear to the corner of the eye (clearing the front of the ear canal). All hair from the front of the eyes including the muzzle and the bottom of the jaw to the Adam’s apple is clear. If the dog has a beard and moustache, both sides are in balance and even. The top knot is in balance with the tail-pom and the whole dog. 2 The feet are clipped to the wrist removing all excess hair from the top, pads and between the toes, showing the foot clearly below the furnishings. A 15/30 suggested blades for feet, face and tail.
3 The tail-pom is in balance with all the body furnishings and the top knot. If the tail is undocked, it is in balance with the rest of the dog.
4 The back is clipped and the dog does not have shoulder pads. 5f/4f are suggested blades.
5 Front legs are scissored in a tubular shape and blended into the body so as not to give shoulder pads.
6 The hind legs are scissored to give an angulated shape following the body and are blended into the body coat so as not to give hip pads.