Poodle Cuts

Poodle Show Clips

Poodle cuts vary greatly depending on the purpose or what the upcoming dog show requires.

Show Clips

According to the American Kennel Association (AKC) adults in shows must be in the Continental or English Saddle clips.

Dogs that are under 12 months of age can be shown with the Puppy clip.

The AKC also allows the Sporting clip but only in stud dog and brood bitch classes.

Puppy Clip

The puppy clip is also referred to as the Scandinavian clip.  It is the most common on for poodle shows in Europe.

The face, throat, belly, feet, and base of the tail are shaved one week before the dog show so the shaved areas appear smooth.  The hair on the head is left to form a topknot.  In European dog shows hairs pray is banned.

Continental Clip

These poodle cuts have you clipping the face, throat, feet, and part of the tail.  The upper part of the front legs are clipped short leaving longer hair around the ankles forming pompons.  the same is done with the hind legs, leaving pompons again around the ankles.  this is the most popular clip at dog shows today.

English Saddle Clip

these poodle cuts are similar to the Continental clip except for the rear legs.  The hind quarters are not shaved, which leaves just a small curved area on each flank.

Corded Coat

These are the poodle cuts that look like dread locks.  If you have seen a poodle with dread locks it is called a corded coat.

As you can imagine, corded coats take a long time to do and require lots of upkeep.

These are the most common poodle cuts.  As you can see, if you want a fancy clip on your poodle it will require lots of time and effort.