Dog Hair Cut Styles

According to a poll by the Associated Press and Petside.com, 50 percent of American pet owners consider pets to be just as much a part of the family as the human family members. Therefore, it's not surprising that dog owners give dogs table food, take them on family vacations and get them haircuts. Of course, a traditional "bob" haircut won't do for Fid, but there are many options for dog-specific hair.

The Continental cut is the most popular cut for poodles. The style shows off the dog's hind legs. With this cut, the hind legs and behind are shaved. Pompoms can be kept on the hip bones if preferred. The face, legs, feet and tail are also shaved, but there are "bracelets" of fur above each paw and a pompom poof at the end of the tail. The remaining fur stays

The Puppy cut is used to get dogs used to grooming habits, as well as a standard trim for all dogs. With this cut, the fur is trimmed evenly, but kept at a longer length. Some dogs will be shaved on the face in order to see better. Poodles with a puppy cut are also shaved at the base of the tail, creating a pompom look on the end of the tail.

The Lion cut is popular with many dogs, and even cats. Pomeranians are most recognizable with the lion cut because the color of their fur resembles that of a lion. The lion cut is when the back half of the dog is shaved very, very short (like a buzz cut) with the tip of the tail left as a pompom. The front half of the dog is left with longer fur and the legs are often shaved down with a pompom around the feet.