We look way back into the shadows of history and find the first people to clip Poodles was centuries ago. They were huntsmen. The Poodle was originally used as a hunting dog. While he was very effective on land, the poodles mobility when retrieving in the water was seriously impaired by his extremely dense and curly coat. The huntsmen shaved the poodles rear hindquarters to allow for greater freedom of movement in the water, leaving puffs of hair on the hip joints and ankle joints. The puffs of hair (now called pom-poms and bracelets) were left to help keep the joints warm. The hair was left long of the front half of the poodle to keep the vital organs warm when they swam in cold water.
A bit later,  more clips were developed when circus clowns adopted the Poodle as a performer for its ability to learn tricks quickly and for its ability to entertain and amuse people.

The art of clipping Poodles has developed through time until, in the present day. We have a whole industry of grooming salons not only for Poodles, but for all types of dogs and cats. Some grooming salons carry special dog foods, grooming supplies, collars, and many other accessories for the well-kept animal.

Keeping a Poodle well clipped enhances his beauty and health tremendously. This special grooming should be performed ideally every 4 to 6 weeks because the coat grows rapidly. 

There are only three clips that are acceptable for the show ring. The clips accepted in the show ring are Puppy clip, English Saddle Clip, and the Continental Clip. The Puppy Clip is accepted in the show ring on poodles under 12 months of age, adult poodles are clipped in one of the other two clips. But There are many clips suited to the pet poodle. These hairstyles are always interesting and often very amusing.  Visit Poodle Clips to view some of the different clips available for poodles.