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How to Trim a Poodle Face?

Portrait of a Black poodle outdoors

A poodle’s coat grows continuously and will require regular brushing and trimming to keep looking beautiful. Although poodles shed very little hair, these loose hair get stuck in the coat and can lead to tangles. These mats are not only visually unappealing but are very painful and can lead to several skin problems. In this article, we will discuss how to trim a poodle face to maintain the adorable look of your pooch.  

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How to Trim a Poodle’s Face?

Start the process by gathering all the necessary tools and supplies. For instance, you will need a set of high-quality clippers (alongside blades) and a brush. Similarly, you will need a can of Cool Lube to cool the clipper blades. If your pooch is suffering from mats, a de-matting comb may also be needed to untangle your pup’s fur. Once you have all these tools, you can follow the given steps to trim your poodle’s face.

Select the Trimmer Blade

pet trimmer and guard on white background.

The choice of the blade is determined by the following three factors.

  • Skin sensitivity of the dog
  • Reason of trimming
  • Owner’s expertise

In most cases, blade number 10 is considered ideal because it gives a reasonable cut and is easier to use. However, professional groomers can also use fine blades, like blade number 30.

Trim the Top Half of the Muzzle

  • Make your dog stand on a flat, non-slippery surface.
  • Hold his/her head gently to make sure that it stays steady. Make sure that your grip is tight enough to control your pup without suffocating him/her.
  • Attach the blade to the clipper and trim the hair between the nose and eyes of your pooch.
  • Move the clipper in the direction of the growth and clear the entire top of the muzzle in this way.
  • Then, use light strokes to cut the hair from the corner of the eyes to each ear fold.  

Clip the Hair from the Bottom Half of the Muzzle

  • Once you have trimmed the top muzzle area, place the clipper blade at the throat (Adam’s apple) of your poodle.
  • Keep the blade upwards and start clipping towards the ear fold. Repeat this on the other side to complete the ‘V’ pattern.  
  • Then, trim the hair on the neck and underneath the muzzle so that all these parts are even.
  • Now, cut the hair between the eyes and make an inverted V from the head fall. This will give the eyes of your poodle some prominence and add to his/her beauty.

Style the Topknot

Close up of a white poodle with a topknot in a rubber band.

The topknot can be trimmed into two ways, an oblong cap or a round cap. This decision is made by the owner based on the facial features of his/her pup.

  • Grab the muzzle of your poodle and comb all the topknot hair in the forward direction.
  • Then, trim the hair carefully (in a straight line) while observing extra caution around the eyes.
  • Now, brush the topknot hair towards the rear of the poodle’s head.
  • Again, clip the hair in a straight line.
  • Repeat this entire process for both sides of the topknot.
  • After that, cut the hair above the ears very short and fluff up the hair to get an observable square shape.
  • Round it up and shorten the hair to the desired length.

NOTE: If you are not interested in leaving a topknot on your poodle, use blade number 10 to even it out.

Trim the Ears

The ears of your poodle can be managed in a couple of ways. You can either cut the hair around them to match the length of the facial hair. Or trim the hair gently around the edges of the ears. In both cases, don’t forget to remove the hair from ear canals. These hair can decrease air circulation and may also result in bacterial infections.    

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