“I’d like a puppy cut, please,” says Bella’s mom, who owns an adorable Maltese. Quick: look at the shrunken shape along the hairdressers face as they think, “What does that mean?” There is no “standard term” in the grooming industry for a puppy cut. Every hairdresser interprets it differently and this is where the confusion lies. To Bella’s mom, it sounds simple enough, but to the hairdresser this can lead to a bad haircut, a dissatisfied customer, and a misunderstanding that can make the hairdresser appear incompetent. So now the series of questions begins:

How long do you want?

Do you want the legs longer than the body?

Do you want a round or square face and head?

Do you like long ears or short ears?

Do you like a tight snout?

And another 15 questions generated from that simple statement … “I want a puppy cut.”

More or less I lied upstairs. There is a puppy cut for poodles. The definition of this clip is to shave the face, shave the feet (poodle legs), and create a tail. A true puppy cut does not remove any length from the body. But based on the description above, it seems highly unlikely that this is what Bella’s mother wants.

At some point, Bella’s mom heard the term and thought … “Wow, I want my pet to look like a puppy all the time!” That makes sense, and a hairdresser can still achieve that look, but many other questions must be addressed to achieve the look that she desires.

“But my previous hairdresser used to say Puppy Cut. Why is it wrong then?”

Chances are, your groomer is simply agreeing with what you say, rather than educating you, the pet owner. I know personally that I have spoken to thousands of clients about the puppy cut debacle! Sometimes it’s lazy, and sometimes, well, the hairdresser just doesn’t have time to educate the owner. But I guess they went through the series of questions to find out exactly what you wanted.

How your groomer looks at your dog.

When a groomer inspects your pet, he divides your pet’s body into categories to determine the haircut you want. Think of it as a big puzzle and little by little we are putting the pieces together to achieve the desired look. This is how your groomer looks at your dog:

The body

The body is defined as the trunk of your dog, excluding legs and feet. This is where groomers want to know how much hair you want your pet to have. Break those rules because it’s time to learn what an inch is! A running joke in all salons is when a pet owner says, “I want about 2 inches to remain on the body” when their pet only has a quarter of an inch of hair. To avoid being the butt of groomer jokes, it is much better to use your fingers as an indicator of how much coat you want your pet to fit. A hairdresser will then translate that into the proper blade to use.

There is no standard puppy length or puppy cut. Speaking to groomers across the country, their definition of the length of a puppy cut ranges from a quarter inch to 2 inches. That is a huge range. Stick with your fingers and show how much coat you have left.

Legs and feet.

The next area of ​​the body that a hairdresser examines are the legs and feet. Owners can make the decision to leave the legs slightly longer than the trunk of the body. This creates a kind of “teddy bear look”. Some owners simply prefer to be the same length throughout, so please indicate which one you prefer during the inquiry period. It is important to note that longer legs can mean a greater likelihood of tangles.

Recognize your pet’s lifestyle and how often he brushes between grooming appointments. If home maintenance isn’t an issue, consider this adorable look. The same with the feet. Some clients prefer round, thick feet, while others do not want their pet to crawl through the mud. Let your hairdresser know your concerns and they will make it happen.

Tail and rear

Does your dog make lumps on himself when he uses the bathroom? Does it drag its tail through all the leaves in your garden? These are concerns that need to be addressed with your hairdresser. We can create a tighter touche to keep your pet’s butt tidier. Or do you prefer the fluffier butt and long tail? Let your hairdresser know what look you like here too.

The headdress

Excluding the ears, a hairdresser wants to know the general shape he wants the head to leave. How much hair do you prefer on top of your head? (Do you want enough hair to make a bun?) What about the bangs (aka brim)? Do you prefer longer, shorter, rounder, or squarer muzzle hair? This is a good point in the conversation to indicate if your pet’s facial hair becomes tangled or dirty while eating and drinking. If this is the case, like the rear, a conditioner can shorten this area to keep it cleaner longer.

Ears and eyelashes

The final piece of the puzzle is your preference for ears and eyelashes. Please indicate whether you want ears short or long, rounded, cropped or completely shaved. The same with the eyelashes. If you don’t want them cut, say so! A hairdresser will normally remove your lashes unless instructed otherwise.

Like hairdressers, hairdressers must identify many aspects to get the right haircut. While your hairdresser wants to know where you part your hair, how long to remove, and what to do for the bangs and around the ears, a hairdresser has to determine what you want for your baby’s entire body. Like hairdressers, there are no universal haircut names that spell out exactly what you want.

Now you know

Understanding how your groomer looks at your pet and interprets what he wants is a great way to bridge the communication gap that occurs so often when describing the haircut you want. If you could divide your beloved dog into sections and convey what you want for each one, you are well on your way to a successful haircut! So when the groomer says, “Oh, you want a puppy cut …”

You can laugh and say, “There is no such thing as a Puppy Cut!”