How should Poodles, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus and Maltese be trimmed to look good?
Poodle
Poodles have the most complex grooming process and the most number of grooming methods. In order to participate in the exhibition, this breed should be groomed to a certain standard, otherwise, its aesthetics will be damaged. However, as a family pet, the dog can be trimmed in the “Dutch” style for coolness and proper aesthetics. The method is: the top of the head should be cut into a rounded shape of appropriate length, leaving the whiskers. The hair on the face, below the ankles and at the heel of the tail should be cut short. The hairs on the hips, shoulders and forelimbs are cut to a length of about 4 cm. The hair on the waist and neck should be cut short so that it looks like “jeans”. The tip of the tail should be cut into a large ball of hair, not only to look good, but also to make people feel fresh and not suffer from eczema.
It can also be trimmed as follows: for dogs with small heads, the hair on the head can be left longer and rounded to make up for this shortcoming, while the hair on the neck hangs naturally and the hair on the ears is left long so that the head looks slightly larger and more beautiful. Conversely, dogs with larger heads should have their hair cut short, but not the neck hair.
Dogs with long faces should have the beard on both sides of the nose trimmed to a rounded shape in order to emphasize the focus. Dogs with small eyes should have about two rows of hair cut off the upper eyelids to have the effect of enlarging the eye circle.
Dogs with short necks can be improved by trimming the hair on the neck. The hair in the middle of the neck should be cut deeper, which will give the visual impression of a longer neck. Longer dogs should have the hair on the chest or behind the hips trimmed short and the body hair rolled loosely with a curler, which will make the body appear shorter. Fat dogs should preferably have their hair cut short all over and their limbs cut in a stick shape to make their bodies appear thinner.
Pomeranian
The standard Pomeranian’s body type should be full of beauty and vitality, with a plump body with plenty of hair, a vigorous walk, and a docile and lively personality. The head has an extra long shaft and a flattened skull cap. The ears occupy only a very small part of the head and the face is preferably short. The eyes are sunken and egg-shaped, giving the impression of refinement and elegance. The chest should not be too wide, and should be in a straight line from the throat and chest to the forelimbs. The tail root is slightly high, not too low, and the long thick trimmed hair should be kept in the central part of the back.
Generally, the trimming method is to cut the whole body hair into a round shape. In order to maintain a good shape and neat coat, it should be combed and then trimmed. The hair at the tip of the ears needs to be cut into a round shape, and the tail root with electric clippers 1 cm wide can make the tail curl from the back straight to the ears. The hair on the paws should be cut short, and the long hair on the tips of the feet should be cut short to look like cat feet.
Shih Tzu
The appearance of the standard style Shih Tzu is covered in long hair all over, with a rounded, wide skull cap and large ears covered in long, beautiful hair. The hair at the base of the ears should be slightly lower than the top of the head and the distance between the ears is large. The body is round and long, the back is short and horizontal. The neck is slowly sloping, the head is elevated, and the limbs are short and covered with fur. The tail is high, mostly feathery, curling upward in the direction of the back, with long and dense hairs that cannot be curled, and woolly undercoat.
According to this feature, when grooming the Shih Tzu, the coat of the body is separated from the middle line of the back to both sides, and the right and left 3 cm of the back line is coated with the right amount of grease to prevent the hair from breaking. To prevent tangling of the abdomen and to facilitate walking, the undercoat should be cut off about 1 cm. The tail root should be cut 0.5 cm wide in order to make the tail look better. The excess hair around the feet should be cut off as much as possible. Let the dog stand on the trimming table and trim the lower part of its body hair ( hem) to be slightly longer than its body height ( the length of the hair is slightly longer than its body height) , but too long will affect its movement and will not give full play to its lively characteristics.
Shih Tzus have brittle hair that can easily be broken and shed. The long hair on the face tends to cover the eyes resulting in obscured vision. Therefore, these long hairs should be tied to prevent breaking and shedding and to make them more aesthetically pleasing. The method is: first of all, the long hair on the bridge of the nose with a comb along the center line to both sides, and then the nose to the corner of the eye hair comb is divided into two parts, from the corner of the eye to the back of the head of the hair in a semicircle up and down, combing hair with the left hand to hold the long hair from the eye to the top of the head, with a fine comb against the hair comb, so that the hair can be fluffy, tighten the top of the head of hair, tied with a rubber band, and then knotted with a small bow can be. You can also comb the long hair on the left and right sides of the head with a knot, or braid it into two braids.
Maltese
The standard Maltese has a long, silky coat, a long, short body, and a long, pure white coat except for the eyes and nose, which are black, and is active and bold. The neck is about 1/2 the height of the body, giving a strong and powerful feeling. The curly tail rises up on the back and has a rich, long, soft, radiating coat, giving it a very elegant look. Therefore, when grooming the Maltese, pay attention to the grooming of the head. The hair on the lower edge of the eyes can be cut in half, the hair on the bridge of the nose from the midline to both sides of the comb, the thicker beard and long hair around the lip from the root, the length of the beard on both sides is about 1/3 of the head length. the hair on the back hangs down along the midline of the back to both sides. The tail root is trimmed around 1 cm with a comb and clippers, the tail hair should be separated from left to right, and a small amount of oil can be applied to the tail root. The feet should be trimmed with clippers along the tips of the feet to make them round, and the hair growing out from between the toes should be carefully cut off. For dogs with more body hair, lift the outer body hair by hand and comb the inner hair with a comb; for those with less hair, let the inner hair sag naturally and then comb upward with a comb. When trimming the hem, let the dog stand on the trimming table, hold the comb in the left hand and press the long hair, fix the side of the comb on the trimming table and then trim it to make a beautiful hem. The head coat can be tied in the same way as a Shih Tzu.
