Canine Hairstyles

The dog is one of the most popular pets among Americans and animal lovers worldwide. Some dogs, particularly long-haired breeds, require frequent grooming to keep them clean and prevent uncomfortable knots and snarls. If your dog has long hair, ask your groomer about canine hairstyles to keep her cool, comfortable and attractive.

  1. Afghan Hound

    • Afghan hounds have long, flowing hair.

      The Afghan hound is a larger dog known for having long, flowing hair over his entire body. Because their dogs have such luxurious and attractive coats, many Afghan hound owners prefer to keep their coats in a natural style which can grow long enough to nearly reach the ground. This hairstyle requires almost constant brushing, bathing and grooming to avoid matting and tangles. As a convenient alternative to frequent grooming, you can trim the fur shorter, or shear it off completely, leaving long hair only on the ears to resemble ponytails. Longer hair on top of the head can be parted and brushed over the ears or trimmed to create the look of bangs.

    Poodle

    • Poodles have thick and curly coats.

      Most breeds of poodles--both large and small--typically have thick coats of wiry and curly hair that naturally grow to bushy lengths. Keeping your poodle's hair uncut and natural may appear attractive, but keeping him comfortable and free of knots may require a more sculptured look. A popular hairstyle among poodle owners is to clip the dog's hair off of the body, leaving only round puffs of fur on the ears, the top of his head, the tip of his tail and around the ankles. For a less sculptured variation of this style, shear only the torso of his body, leaving the legs thick with fur and carefully trimming around the face.

    Spitz

    • Spitz breeds have mane-like fur around the face.

      The Spitz dog has a very thick and fuzzy coat of straight hair that needs frequent brushing to prevent unattractive and uncomfortable knotting and snarls. A popular hairstyle for this breed resembles the mane of a lion around the face while keeping other areas neatly trimmed. The fur is thoroughly brushed and slightly trimmed in a rounded design around the face. Ear margins are carefully trimmed to pronounce their triangular shape and the paws, rear end and underside are clipped to prevent tangles and keep the dog cleaner.