How to Do a Poodle Cut Hairstyle

A poodle cut is a style of haircut given to a poodle, which is a breed of dog. There is a variety of poodle cuts, each of which has similar traits. Some poodle cuts, like the ̶0;English Saddle̶1; and ̶0;Continental̶1; clip are for dog shows, while other variations are more casual. The basic cut is the ̶0;Puppy Show̶1; clip, but variations can be made to create one of many different poodle cuts.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog soap
  • Towels
  • Dog clippers
  • Comb
  • Scissors
Show More

Instructions

  1. Puppy Show Clip

    • 1

      Wash and dry the poodle before clipping its hair.

    • 2

      Shave the face from the top of the eyes down with dog clippers. Don̵7;t use an attachment on the clippers. Leave the forehead covered in hair. Be careful as you go around the nose and eyes as they are sensitive areas of the face.

    • 3

      Shave the throat, but not the sides of the neck; only the front. Stop shaving when you reach the top of the chest, near the top of the front legs.

    • 4

      Shave each foot so the entire foot is visible. Don̵7;t leave any hair on the sides or top of the foot. Stop shaving at the bottom of the ankle.

    • 5

      Shave the base of the tail where the tail meets the buttocks. Leave a patch of hair at the end of the tail.

    • 6

      Run a comb through the hair on the body until about 1/2 inch of hair protrudes from the side of the comb. Grab the protruding hair between two fingers. Cut the hair extending from your fingers with scissors.

    • 7

      Cut all of the unshaven hair to the same length, including the top of the head, ears, neck, body and legs. There is no official length for a ̶0;Puppy Show̶1; clip; cut the hair to the length of your choice.

    Variations

    • 8

      Cut an ̶0;English Saddle̶1; clip. Shave the top of the front legs, leaving a tuft of hair between the shaved legs and feet. Trim the body hair to even it out, but leave it as long as possible. Cut the hindquarters from above the hips down to the top of the rear legs shorter than the rest of the body. Shave two rings in the hind legs above the ankle.

    • 9

      Cut a ̶0;Continental̶1; clip. Shave the hindquarters from above the hips down to the top of the rear legs. Leave two pompons, one on each side of the hip, as an optional style. Shave the top of the front legs, leaving a tuft of hair between the legs and feet. Trim the body hair with scissors to the length of your choice.

    • 10

      Cut a ̶0;Sporting̶1; clip. Cut the hair of the poodle to a length no longer than 1 inch, with the exception of the crown of the head. Cut the crown of the head, which is the top, to a length that is greater than 1 inch. It should be long enough that it has the appearance of a cap.