Kinds of Poodle Haircuts

Poodles have long, dense double coats. The curly top coat protects a solid undercoat that has a soft, cotton-like texture, making it prone to tangles and mats. Poodle cuts for dog shows follow breed standards and should be done by professional groomers specializing in show-dog cuts. But companion poodles can be clipped at home to cut down on regular grooming time or to keep the dog cool in hot summer months.

  1. Clips for Show

    • For poodles in the show ring one clip style is allowed. The lion trim for show dogs is cut in four styles: the puppy clip for show dogs under 1 year old; the continental clip; the modified continental clip and the English saddle clip. Specifications for each of these show clips are available from the American Kennel Club. If the dog isn't clipped to exact standards, it will be penalized in the ring.

    Utility or Kennel Clip

    • A good clip for summer is the kennel or utility clip. The dog's feet, face and base of its tail are shaved short, body hair is shortened and tail and topknot --- the hair on the top of the dog's head, which in poodles is sometimes put in a pony tail --- are left a little longer than the body hair. While the length of the coat depends on your preference, groomers usually use a 5 or 7 clipper blade for this cut. Clipper blades are numbered from 1 to 10, the higher the number, the shorter the cut it creates.

    Bikini Clip

    • This cut is similar to the kennel clip and feet, face and base of the tail are shaved very close --- usually shaved using a 10 clipper blade so fur is tight to the skin. Body hair is left fluffy and the length is longer. The length can be to the owner's preference --- the shorter the cut, the easier it is to care for. Leg hair is shaped into a poms just above the feet.

    Lamb Clip

    • The lamb clip keeps the face, feet and base of the tail shaved very short. Hair on the legs, tail and topknot is left long and the body hair is trimmed to be shorter than hair on the legs and tail. This a fluffy cut that resembles a lamb.

    Town and Country Clip

    • The town and country is the most elaborate pet clip. Most of the dog's hair is left long and fluffy with narrow lines shaved between the withers --- the highest point on the dog's shoulders --- along the spine, between the hips and into the bellyband. The face, neck area, base of the tail, feet and bellyband are shaved short