Why poodle cuts

Also a popular choice among poodle parents, the puppy cut is a simple, natural-looking trim that leaves your dog with an evenly cut length, typically 1 to 2 inches, all over. This is a highly modifiable look, so consult your groomer for a length that best fits your and your dog's preference and lifestyle.

The continental cut is a glamorous and traditional hairstyle often worn by poodle show dogs. With this look, your poodle's face, throat, feet, and part of the tail are shaved. This look is characterized by full hair on the rib cage and chest, pom poms of fur on the tail, ankles, and hips, as well as a banded topknot on the head. Looking for a haircut that looks fancy but not too fancy?

The German trim uses the power of angles to give your poodle a sharp profile. The hair on your furry friend's legs is left long, while the hair on the body and ears is cut short. This is a great option not only if your poodle is more active but also if your pup is prone to ear infections or ear matting. The modern cut is an elegant hairstyle that combines aesthetics with your poodle's natural features.

This cut keeps the hair on the body short, accentuating your poodle's shape. The fur on the head, ears, and tail is left longer to create a fluffy appearance. Bracelets of ankle hair were left to protect joints from rheumatism, and a topknot was used to keep long hair out of the eyes when swimming. Colorful bows were added during competitions to help owners identify their dogs. The range of fancy and experimental Poodle cuts hit a peak during the reign of the French King, Louis XVI, when many dogs were trimmed in decorative styles to match the extravagant coifs of 18 th Century French nobility.

Today, Poodle owners generally choose between one of two traditional cuts. The "Continental Clip" leaves a full mantle of hair around the chest and rib cage, pom-poms over each hip and on the tail, ankle and knee bracelets, and fully shaved hindquarters and legs.

With the "English Saddle Clip," a short coat of hair is left over the hindquarters and legs. In competition, adult dogs must be shown in one of these two conforming cuts, which always make Poodles big crowd-pleasers in the show ring. While elaborately coifed Standard Poodles are still the norm, many owners today are choosing to either leave their dogs uncut or leave them in a uniform length, such as a puppy cut. It's more like shearing a sheep, leaving just the shortest, thinnest layer of hair around the skin.

This protects your pooch from environmental woes like sunburns. All of that thick, wonderful poodle hair is great for experimental hair styling, but shaving your poodle also helps keep the hair in line. Poodles, you see, are actually a ton of work -- that hair grows in so thick and so fast that you need to brush it thoroughly every day, or else it will get matted and gross.

And unlike dogs with typical animal fur, poodles don't shed, so all that hair can get a little dirty if left unchecked. Shaving your poodle drastically cuts down on the amount of time you have to devote every day to brushing out those crazy locks. Tom Ryan is a freelance writer, editor and English tutor. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English writing, and has also worked as an arts and entertainment reporter with "The Pitt News" and a public relations and advertising copywriter with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

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