When we think of Poodles, their hairstyle and fancy cut may come to mind. After all, Poodles are famous for their coarse and curly coats that anyone can spot miles away. Because this adorable breed has versatile fur, there are countless ways you can style your Poodle.
Let’s take a look at the countless Poodle haircuts to choose from the next time you consider a professional groomer. That way, you can match the perfect hairstyle to his personality.
The Best Poodle Haircuts
There are so many different Poodle haircuts, regardless if they are Standard Poodles, Miniature Poodles, or Toy Poodles.
Whether you want to have your Poodle look like a plush toy or elegant royalty, check out these Poodle hairstyles to consider:
Teddy Bear Cut
The Teddy Bear Cut is a popular trim for long-haired breeds, including Poodles. This cut will make your Poodle have longer hair on its face, giving it the softer and rounded teddy bear look. His fur would be cut in a short and uniform length, which has him look cuddly with a coat that’s easy to maintain!
Summer Cut
Poodles have a single coat, which is why they can enjoy the summer cut! It’s a low-maintenance Poodle cut, a practical option to keep your dog’s fur short to stay comfortable during the hot weather. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate or if summer is coming up, then your Poodle will appreciate the summer cut.
Puppy Cut
The Puppy cut isn’t only for Poodle puppies! Regardless of their age, you can have the professional groomer give your Poodle a cut Puppy cut, a popular option among dog owners.
Furthermore, the cut is acceptable under the American Kennel Club show rules for puppies under one year old. However, they will need a pompom on their tail for shows, which isn’t necessary if you’re using the cut for casual days.
This cut will give your dog an evenly cut length throughout his face and body, keeping about 1-2 inches of hair. Take note that you can modify the look however you please, so go ahead and consult the groomer to give your dog a cut suitable for his lifestyle. Alternatively, you can cut and maintain your dog’s hair with the Puppy Cut on your own.
Continental Cut
Do you remember the traditional Poodle cut you see in movies or old photos? The Continental Cut, also known as the Lion Cut, is a glamorous and classic hairstyle for Poodle show dogs. It’s one of the two good Poodle haircuts for show dogs, usually seen on Standard-Sized Poodles than Miniature or Toy Poodles.
This look will have your Poodle’s face, throat, tail, and feet shaved, with full hair on the chest and rib cage. There will also be pompoms of fur around the ankles, hips, and tails, plus a banded topknot on his head.
Contrary to popular belief, Continental Cuts weren’t originally purely for show. It was a practical cut in the olden days when Poodles worked as water retrievers.
The long mane and hair kept on the chest helped keep Poodles’ vital organs warm when swimming in cold water. People also left hair around important joints, protecting them from any harm and injury. Furthermore, it prevented rheumatism.
Owners shaved the face, throat, feet, and part of the tail, so the Poodle has better visibility and buoyancy. The haircut then went on to be a fancy and popular cut over time.
Also, note that while some of the cuts mentioned can be done independently, the Continental Cut will take a ton of time, experience, and effort. It’s best to leave this to professional groomers.
German Trim
The Continental Cut may seem a bit too fancy for your dog. If you want to balance fancy and casual for your Poodle, then opt for the German trim. This trim utilizes the power of angles, giving Poodles that sharp, attractive profile.
Your Poodle’s legs are left long with the German Trim while the ears and body are short. We recommend availing this trim for your dog if he’s more active but also prone to ear infections or matting.
Modern Cut
The Poodle’s Modern Cut is an exquisite hairstyle that combines your dog’s natural features and aesthetics. Your Poodle’s body hair stays short to accentuate his shape. But fur on his head, tail, and ears are left longer, creating a fluffier appearance.
English Saddle Cut
An English Saddle Cut is similar to the Continental Cut. What makes the former different is that it has longer fur on the Poodle’s back end. Furthermore, the Continental Cut would have more stylized pompoms than the English.Saddle.
This cut was trendy in the 1950s but became less common after groomers argued that it’s tough seeing lines of Poodles when there’s more fur.
Cupcake Cut
The Cupcake Cut is a rare Poodle haircut. It’s called such because the cut aims to sculpt your Poodle’s ears and head, having it look like a cupcake. You will find this cut on Miniature and Toy Poodles more than Standard ones.
Don’t confuse with the Teddy Bear Cut. What makes the Cupcake Cut different is how it rounds the ears.
Similar to the Lion Cut and English Saddle Clip, novices will find difficulty perfecting this cut. Because of this, it’s best to have a reputable professional groomer do the job for you.
Lamb Cut
This cut dons a more modern style compared to what we mentioned above. What makes this cut unique is how the coat has continual smoothness without any harsh lines.
Like the Puppy Cut, Lamb Cuts are very versatile, and you can find this done on other dog breeds, too. It’s popular because it’s a simple and low-maintenance Poodle cut.
Sporting Cut or Kennel Clip
The Sporting Cut, Kennel Clip or Dutch Cut, is pretty easy to identify, as Poodles with this hairstyle have shorter hair on their body and pompoms on their tails.
This cut has a uniform hair length from the head to hind legs, popular among all Poodle size varieties. It’s mostly called the Sporting Cut in the UK Kennel Club and popular among all coats of show dogs joining the Stud-Dog and Brood-Bitch classifications.
You can maintain the appearance on your own, though we recommend having a professional groomer clip your Poodle.
Miami Cut
Miami Cut, sometimes called a Bikini Cut, is perfect for Poodle owners who want to keep it simple but add a bit of style. It’s also recommended for dogs with sensitive skin, as it maintains a shorter coat. The easy access to the skin makes it easier for owners to apply medication or give them medicated baths.
It’s similar to the Dutch cut as the coat is short all over, besides the pompom on the tail and legs.
Town and Country Cut
The Town and Country Cut is becoming even more popular, though we know little about its origin! While some people call this the Pom-Pom Cut, I’m afraid that’s not right.
We know that the distinguishing feature, no matter the coat length, is that the legs are trimmed to look like cylinders. Besides this, the ears and top of the head are rounded, while everything else looks natural.
Scandinavian Clip
This very grand and regal clip is known as the T-Clip or Scandinavian Cut. While not too popular in America, the T-clip is common around Europe. It’s also known as the ‘second puppy clip,’
You can spot Poodles donning this style from miles away! You can identify the T-Clip with its short-trimmed face, feet, and the base of its tail. The rest of their body remains fluffy.
Corded Poodle Coat
The Corded Poodle Coat was famous in the 1950s, but it fell out of style shortly after. Today, you will rarely find any Poodle with this type of coat. However, curly locks are popular among other breeds, such as the Komondor.
To achieve the Corded Poodle Coat look, owners will have to dreadlock a Poodle’s coat as they would with human hair. The process should be done with care because letting the coat mat naturally would be very uncomfortable for the dog.
Those with the corded coat will be hard to bathe, so expect your dog to be a bit smellier if you choose to do this coat.
How Often Should You Groom Your Poodle?
Now that you’re familiar with different Poodle haircuts to choose from, the next question is: How often should you groom him? Since they have curly hair, owners wonder how often you need to take them to a professional groomer for a full bath and trim.
According to experts, the longer the Poodle’s hairstyle is, you must groom them more frequently. A Poodle will need to go to the professional groomer every four weeks during their first year, then every 6-8 weeks to maintain the Poodle cut, depending on the style.
Besides taking them to a professional groomer, maintain a healthy coat and fancy Poodle haircut by brushing your dog’s hair daily. Doing so will prevent mats and tangles.
There is no one best Poodle cut, but it will depend on both your taste, personality, and lifestyle.