The acceptable clips for competition in the American Kennel Club conformation shows for Poodles are the Puppy Clip (for dogs/bitches under 1 year old), the English Saddle Clip, and the Continental Clip. For non-competitive classes, the Sporting Clip is also acceptable. The Historically Correct Continental (HCC) Clip is an old version of the modern Continental – with lots less hair! Anywhere the modern Continental Clip is acceptable as a show clip, so is the HCC. The “lines”, or where the pattern is shaved vs. scissored or left full, is the same as the modern Continental. The rosettes are optional, as they are in the modern Continental. But the HCC, because the hair is much shorter, is much more suitable for dogs that are in training or actually working in the field.

The HCC was accepted and encouraged by the Poodle Club of America in 2000, where the first class for Standard Poodles - Hunting Dogs/Bitches was held at their national specialty show. Since that time, several poodles have been successfully shown in conformation classes in HCC. Many more have been exhibited with less success, sometimes blamed on judges not understanding or appreciating the trim.

Judges have varied opinions on whether they like the trim or not. Some definitely see the utility and beauty in the trim, while some long-time poodle breeders and handlers feel that the glamorous long coat of a modern Continental is the only way that a poodle should be exhibited, as it is an integral part of poodle type. For those exhibitors who work their dogs, however, the choice is simple – show in HCC or don’t show at all. Be prepared for a variety of comments, anywhere from “this is great – maybe we’ll see some quality dogs being shown now” to “here comes that pet trim poodle again. Can’t he/she grow a coat on that dog?” The truth is probably somewhere in between. Some poodles look great in HCC while some do not. Unlike the modern Continental, virtually nothing can be “hidden” in the HCC. What the judge sees is just what is there. If what is there is proper for a poodle, then the HCC can be viewed as showing off a great dog. If there are faults that could be successfully hidden or camouflaged with a modern Continental, then the HCC will only exaggerate those faults. The trim is particularly flattering for a poodle with a long neck and a short back. For poodles that are a little longer in back, HCC should only be considered as an option if the owner is committed to showing over the long term, and accepts the fact that many judges will have a hard time seeing the good qualities of the dog. HCC accentuates the length of back, and compared to a poodle with the same back length in modern Continental, the HCC exhibit will look longer, thus be less competitive. For anyone interested in showing in conformation, the contest is first a “beauty” contest. All dogs should be presented in peak condition, which includes muscle tone and proper grooming. Dogs in HCC must be clean and freshly clipped and properly scissored to be competitive, just like exhibits in any breed. Careless grooming can only add to the prejudice against the trim.

In the HCC, the topknot can be scissored or left fuller and held in place with a rubber band. The sides of the head should blend smoothly into the ears without showing a definitive “break”. Ears can be left long or can be scissored. If left long, the “break” between the head and ears must be kept to a minimum. The length of hair left on the neck will depend on the actual length of the neck. The shorter the neck, the more hair should be left on the neck and the top of the head. A longer-backed poodle should have a gradual slope from the neck to the end of the jacket, where a short-backed poodle can have more of a straight topline with closer to a 75 degree angle between the back and the neck. The bracelets, and rosettes if worn, are shorter than the modern Continental, and should balance the length of jacket hair. The shorter the jacket, the shorter the bracelets and rosettes. Only dogs with straight toplines and high tailsets should be shown without rosettes. The tail pom also falls into this category. The length of hair should blend with the bracelets and jacket. When the dog is stacked with the tail straight up, the top of the tail should be about 2/3 the height from the withers to the top of the head (including hair). Be sure the length of the sides of the jacket is appropriate to the overall trim. When viewed from above, the middle of the sides of the jacket should only be very slightly wider than at the shoulders. For a dog with a good spring of rib, the look can even be described as “slab-sided”. This will avoid the look that there is more hair on the “bottom” of the dog than on the top. Remember, balance is everything in this trim, just as in the trims more commonly seen in the conformation ring today.