No, “trim creep” isn’t a horror movie term.

In regular classes at a dog show, Poodles under the age of 12 months may be shown in a puppy clip. Poodles over a year of age, however, must be shown in either an English Saddle or Continental clip (this is also true for corded Poodles).  Poodles pups don’t go to sleep one night and wake up sprouting a show clip, however. There’s a gradual shift in the style of trimming from the puppy clip to say, the English Saddle, and there’s a name for that: Trim creep. And know you know.

“Old Mother Hubbards Wonderful Dog” by Frances Broomfield is available as a print here