Poodle Haircuts and Styles- Poodle Grooming Guide

Why do poodles have their Haircut or Style?

Poodles are shaved rather than clipped like other dogs because their fur is unique. Poodles do not shed as they grow; Instead, the hair builds up and ends up weighing down the poodle if not properly groomed.

Regardless of your opinion on your poodle’s style, it is important to trim his hair from time to time to make sure that he can manage it. If not trimmed, your Poodle’s hair can grow, making it difficult to wash or groom properly.

Is it bad to cut the hair of a Poodle?

Cutting your poodle hair is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it is sensible. For example, it is not good to cut your poodle hair during winter, because it needs hair to warm up to protect the important parts of the body.

On the other hand, you should not give your poodle a cold coat during the hot summer, because your poodle can heat up with a lot of hair.

A good rule of thumb for knowing where and how much to shave is to imagine what your poodle will look like after you shave it. If you don’t like it, it’s better not to shave your poodle!

How to cut or style the hair of your Poodle

Below is a great guide to getting your poodle ready for grooming and styling and how to get some of the easy poodle styles mentioned above.

Choose the style that best suits your poodle

It is not a good idea to start grooming your poodle without knowing what style you want him to have. Check out some of the poodle hairstyles and decide which one will suit your dog best!

Keep in mind, however, that not all haircuts work on all poodles. For example, you wouldn’t give a big poodle a cut as a puppy because it would look bad.

Get essential grooming accessories

Another mistake that beginner poodle groomers make is not getting the right grooming tools. Remember that Poodles have hair instead of fur, so look for special equipment that emphasizes quality over price.

You should invest in a good clipper, like the Oster Clipmaster, and scissors, like the RUBOLD Professional Dog Grooming Scissors Set on Amazon. Both are great quality and should last you many years.

Make sure your poodle is clean and well rested

Help your poodle relax and unwind before grooming by walking him, playing with him, or doing other things that won’t make him happy during grooming. A relaxed poodle will make grooming much easier!

Bathing your poodle before grooming is also important, as it will improve their coat quality.

Brush your Poodle from head to toe, rinse and dry him thoroughly, and trim his nails! Not only will this make grooming easier, but it will also help prevent illness or injury to your poodle.

Shave your poodle’s face and neck

A good starting point for grooming your poodle is to trim his face and neck.

Steps to trim the face and neck of your poodles include:

Use a low-pitched razor (a 9 or 10 will do) and carefully shave the top from your poodle’s ears to his eyes, making sure not to rub the razor on the ear hair.

Next, scrape the space between your poodle’s eyes, being very careful. Gently shave down from your poodle’s eyes to the nose before brushing your poodle’s mustache in one motion.

To trim your Poodle’s neck, gently lift your dog’s head and then shave it again in a downward motion, working your way from your dog’s nose to his chest. It’s best to use your first two lower strokes to make a “V” shape to establish a border between the poodle’s neck and your body.

The next step to trimming your Poodle’s face involves scissors, not clippers. Carefully cut your poodle hair above the eyes for a better look. Next, shave your poodle hair above the eyes away from the eyes, using scissors to remove the remaining hair.

Trim the hair around your poodle’s feet

Using the 10 or 15 blades on your clipper, start by trimming the hair on the bottom of your Poodle’s legs from the ankles to the widest part of the leg, then carefully use the clipper to cut between your poodle’s toes.

Make sure not too long hair remains in those places.

Choose the final hairstyle and cut

At this point, the following steps depend on the type of hairstyle you will give your poodle:

Puppy or lamb cut for poodles: Step by Step

Dry your poodle hair. To ensure that all of your Poodle’s hair is properly trimmed, brush them again before you begin to groom them.
Next, trim the poodle’s hair thoroughly. For a puppy cut, use a pair of scissors all over your puppy’s body carefully, and then trim hair to keep it neat and tidy.

For lamb cut, use five razor blades and carefully shear your poodle’s body and legs, making sure the fur is short but even all around.

Town and Country, Fifth Avenue or Bolero Cut for Poodles: Step by Step

Shave your poodle’s back and belly. Wrap the cord around the back of the poodle and poodle stomach, ending at the shoulder (town and country) or at the waist (fifth avenue/bolero).

Then, if you are doing a town and country trim, use a 15-blade to trim your poodle from the neck to the bottom of the tail, making sure there is little hair left.

Trim the top of your paws and any other part of the leg depending on the cut. For a town and country cut, use your clippers to cut the hair around your poodle’s legs up to the ankles, making a “cuff”.

For the Fifth Avenue cut, trim the back of your poodle’s leg down to the ankle, making one “cuff” in the town and country cut. Do the same for his front legs, and shave around the elbows in front of your poodle, shaving the “pom pom” hair there.

For the Bolero cut, shave your poodle legs down to the ankles, then shave all four of the poodle ankles, creating “poms” of hair on all four legs.

Finally, cut the stray hairs and style them. Use your scissors to trim off the remaining hair on your poodle, bringing in long lengths, and use your clippers to trim any sharp edges between the trimmed and untrimmed sides of your poodle.