Being a professional grooming for nearly 10 years, I often see a lot of confusion on the different grooming styles available for each breed.
Until finally we thought; “Wouldn’t it be great if there was some place we could send clients that would show all the different trims?“
Welcome to that solution!
Here’s a picture guide of all the basic styles an owner can ask for. But first, a quick explanation of each groom:
Kennel Cut – This is a typical shave down, with generally a 1/2 inch of hair or less left on their body. These are a favorite since kennel cuts are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and can look very stylish.
Teddy Bear Trim – Our most common request, this style makes your dog look like an adorable teddy bear cub. Normally the hair is left a 1/2 inch or longer, first using clippers, then scissoring the dog for a flawless finish. Teddy bears can take a lot of upkeep but keep your dog looking like a puppy. I do a deep dive into teddy bear cuts here.
Breed Trims – Each breed has their own specialty trim with their own set of rules. These are usually modified show dog trims (see below) meant for everyday pet owners.
Full Coat / Show Trims – Officially recognized breeds each have a specialty trim that follow strict show dog standards. These are the most difficult to maintain generally and are used for show dogs, retired show dogs, or owners who really want their breed to be instantly recognizable.
Exotic – This is where groomers tend to get very, very creative (ever see that poodle trimmed and colored to look like a Zebra?) We won’t be covering those styles here, but there is some pretty wild creations out there.
Bichon Frise
The usual Bichon kennel cut leaves about 1/2 inch of hair over the entire body, while maintaining some length on the face, head, and ears.
You might notice some very close similarities among the other grooms, with only some minor differences. The teddy bear cut is shorter around the eyes, while the head is less round. However, if you look carefully on the show trim there are specific angles cut in around the legs.
1. Bichon Kennel Cut
2. Bichon Teddy Bear
3. Bichon Breed Trim
4. Bichon Show Groom
Cockapoo
Cockapoo’s do not have an official breed trim as they’re not officially recognized by the AKC, instead we just have long (teddy bear) and short (kennel cut). Shorter trims typically mean a shorter beard, face, and body.
1. Long Cockapoo
2. Short Cockapoo
Labradoodle
Technically, there is no show groom for Labradoodles because they are not a recognized breed by the AKC or CKC, and therefore and not considered show dogs. But if there were a show groom, it would be the full coat trim.
Kennel cuts leave about 1/2″ to 1″ of hair on their body, with a longer mustache and ears. Teddy bears leave the hair a bit longer, especially on legs and face. Finally, the Full Coat is exactly what you’d expect, their coat is brushed out and left in long length.
1. Labradoodle Kennel Cut
2. Labradoodle Teddy Bear
3. Labradoodle Full Coat
Maltese
Your typical Maltese grooms look like this: A kennel cut, which is a 1/2 inch or shorter on the body, short ears, and carefully trimmed face to give them a “puppy face”. A teddy bear Maltese is a 1/2″ or longer (but shorter than 2 inches), with a longer face and longer ears. The full coat is their hair fully grown all the way to the floor and carefully combed out.
1. Maltese Kennel Cut
2. Maltese Teddy Bear
3. Maltese Full Coat
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu trims are quite similar to Maltese trims. Kennel cuts are 1/2″ or shorter, their ears are left long, and trimmed to give them a “puppy face”. Teddy bears are a 1/2″ or longer (but never longer than 2″), and the face is left longer. A breed trim is left long, but a skirt is cut out so their hair doesn’t drag on the floor. Finally, the show trim is all the way to the floor (and beyond).
1. Shih Tzu Kennel Cut
2. Shih Tzu Teddy Bear
3. Shih Tzu Breed Trim
4. Shih Tzu Show Groom
Schnauzer
Schnauzer grooming is all about that glorious mustache and eye brows, which are usually left to grow out (unless the client requests they be trimmed). Kennel cuts (as per usual) mean leaving the face longer, but clipping the body down to 1/2″ or less. While a breed trim leaves a longer skirt and legs.
Show Schnauzers are hand stripped, which involves plucking layers of hair to keep the harsh outer coat (pet schnauzers are clipped). And of course, show grooms leave long eye brows, beard, legs, and skirt.
1. Schnauzer Kennel Cut
2. Shnauzer Breed Trim
3. Shnauzer Full Coat (show groom)
Poodle
In most standard Poodle grooming styles the legs and ears are left longer, with a “top knot” left on the top of their head. In a teddy bear more length is left on the body, while a kennel cut is a slimmed down version.
Puppies up to a year old will show in a full coat or “lamb trim”, before transitioning to a continental trim, which is those very unique poodle grooms they are known for. For all poodle grooming we recommend a certain set of brushes and grooming clippers.
Learn more about Poodle Styles: Expert Groomer Explains Poodle Haircuts
1. Toy Poodle Kennel Cut
2. Toy Poodle Teddy Bear
3. Toy Poodle Breed Trim (Continental)
4. Poodle Full Coat (Lamb Trim)
West Highland White Terrier
1. Westie Kennel Cut
2. Westie Kennel Cut
3. Westie Breed Trim (very short)
4. Westie Full Coat
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkie coats come in two primary types: wire (sometimes called wooly), and silky. Their coat type is the main determining factor in what types of trims they can get. For example, a curly coat cannot get an outline or show groom as they require silky/straight hair to achieve.
You can learn more by reading our Yorkie grooming guide here.
1. Yorkie Kennel Cut
2. Yorkie Teddy Bear
3. Yorkie Breed Trim (Outline)
4. Yorkie Show Groom
Great post! Thank you for including pictures as well!