# Top Knot



## pudlemom (Apr 16, 2010)

I have the same problem Luke's ear are shaved too and his TK is about 4" to 5" it looks like her has a giant afro right now I also shave all the way around his neck to help with air flow because of all his ear infections. I hope one of our groomers can give some good pointers on how to blend in to the neck.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Sorry, I am useless about how to groom his TK, but I giggled myself silly looking at that photo of manly, athletic Vinnie wearing your hair clips! Good thing the other poodles couldn't see him like that!! (lol!) But he's such a confident and manly guy, he could blow right past the snickers, at about 60 mph!!


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

LOL - I think he kind of liked it!! He got all crazy and was boucing around. He was just happy he was not looking through his bangs!! :rofl:


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

Curious why you want to grow it longer? He looks so masculine with the shorter TK. The bands look more feminine to me. He is such a great looking dude


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

I don't want to grow it longer - I am just playing around with hair right now. 

I am going to take him down to a shorter sporting cut next month for his agility measurement and will have plenty of hair to make a nice topknot, but want to cut it down to a nice shape and that is my biggest weakness (I think) - I have a hard time with his TK. I always end up with it lopsided or usually with the neck and TK not blending well together. 

His middle photo on my signature is probably the best I've ever done on him ( LOVE LOVE LOVE that pic of him ) and I will probably go just a tad shorter than that. His body will probably be 1/4" - 1/2" and longer legs blending into the body.


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

Ahhh..got it! LOL I thought you wanted a longer banded TK. He looks so awesome in your signature photos. But one thing about poodles is that we can play around with different styles..I sometimes think Stella is so beautiful in her current cut that why change it..but then again, its fun to try different things. Im sure you will get some good advise here about blending the TK. So many good groomers


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

That sounds like how I described doing a TK, though I don't know if it was me. Anyway, in a trimmed TK I comb all the hair forward and cut an angle to each eye, think V with the point of the V pointing forward between the eyes if that makes sense. Comb up and over to one side over the ears. Cut straight line above the ear. Repeat on opposite side. Comb up and back towards the neck and do some VERY light blending into the neck hair, just enough to make the combed back hair looked even-ish with the back of the neck. Don't take much off though or you want have any TK left to work with lol. Comb up and you'll have a bit of a box shape. I start at the top and take off any extra length I don't want and then round the "corners" off of the "box" Saleen's TK is done this way, though it was done very short so ignore that. I think it looks OK with shaved ears.

(Photos are of how it comes out looking with either shaved ears, or on Jazz with her full ears the day we got her)


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Thanks WP! I think it might have been you - this sounds like what I was looking for but could not find. I assume you do the neck/body first before trimming the TK so you know what you are blending into? (if that makes sense?) :lol: I am planning on going into a shorter sporting trim next month, but I have a lot of TK hair to practice on right now and will try to blend it into what he has going on right now (a lot of neck/shoulder hair). I need to groom him next weekend.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

WP - just wanted to say - I tried your TK trimming instructions last night and it worked GREAT!! I left Vinnie's TK a little fuller and everything is blended nicely. THANKS!!!!!!


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## Ann Mc Keon (Feb 9, 2011)

*TK*





This is a lovely top know with short ears


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## Ann Mc Keon (Feb 9, 2011)

*TK*





Think I posted this somewhere else by accident lol, demo on TK nice with short ears too


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Thanks for the link - great video!!


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