Dog Grooming

Choosing a "Hair" Style for Your Dog

Grooming is a part of overall care and maintenance for your furry friend. While some people may keep up with trimming Fido’s fur at home, others might need to seek the help of a professional.

Popular Dog Cuts

Just like with humans, there are a number of hair (fur) cuts your dog can get. Most often, the traditional puppy cut, or teddy bear cut, is a common request of groomers. This cut involves taking off half of your dog’s fur from his body and leaving the head and legs round and full, like a teddy bear.

Deanna Bradley, a 16-year grooming veteran in Fountain Valley, Calif., says one of the most outrageous requests she has received was to give a dog a mohawk. “Some clients really have fun with their dogs and have silly requests,” she says. “The most important thing is that the dog tolerates the grooming and enjoys the experience as well.”

Maybe you don’t think a mohawk is Fido’s thing? Other popular cuts are lion cuts, where the dog’s body is shaven with the head left fluffy and full. While this cut may be “cute” in concept, Bradley warns that it really depends on the breed of your dog to determine if they can pull off the look.

Poodles, for example, have a variety of cuts, or clips, specific for their breed due to the nature of their dense, curly hair. The poodle cut generally shown in the show ring was originally designed by hunters to help them move through the water easily while providing warmth to their organs and joints while swimming in cold water.

Bradley says that because more and more people are attending or watching dog shows on television, they are becoming influenced by what they see and want their dogs to look like show dogs, too.

Grooming Sessions

Whether it’s your first time taking Max to the groomers or the thirtieth, it’s important to talk to your groomer to get an understanding of what will occur once you drop your dog off.

Depending on the specific services your groomer offers, regular sessions normally include your four-legged friend getting a bath, his ears and eyes cleaned, belly shaved and bangs and feet trimmed. A haircut usually includes everything a regular grooming session does, plus the cut.

Avoid a Bad Dog Do

To avoid a bad dog-do, Bradley recommends the following:

• Bring a photo of a cut you like. Although you may know what you want your dog’s cut to look like, groomers can’t see what’s in your mind, says Bradley.
• Tell your groomer exactly how much hair you want taken off your dog’s body.
• Drop your dog off and go. Bradley says it may be scary for a new client to leave their dog with a groomer, but dogs pick up on human emotion, and you don’t want your dog to be anxious or overly-excited during his grooming session.

“What your dog looks like walking out of a groomers shop is a reflection of the talent,” explains Bradley. “It’s important the dog looks good.”

If you liked this article, you may enjoy reading more about the health benefits of pet grooming.

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