# Finally forced myself to let Misha grow into this style!



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

He looks fantastic! Can’t decide what’s my favourite part, but I think maybe the paws.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> He looks fantastic! Can’t decide what’s my favourite part, but I think maybe the paws.


Thank you! I do love the way the paws look, but they are sooo much more messy this way. I have finally confirmed to myself that yes, clean feet are CLEAN!. These fluffy paws keep getting all sorts of sticky substances and burrs caught on them. Granted, it does take a lot more time to keep them shaved. So there is a tradeoff. While I'm super busy, I'll let him keep his fluffy round feet. I can't make any promises once I have more free time though lol.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Raindrops said:


> Thank you! I do love the way the paws look, but they are sooo much more messy this way. I have finally confirmed to myself that yes, clean feet are CLEAN!. These fluffy paws keep getting all sorts of sticky substances and burrs caught on them. Granted, it does take a lot more time to keep them shaved. So there is a tradeoff. While I'm super busy, I'll let him keep his fluffy round feet. I can't make any promises once I have more free time though lol.


Ha! It’s easy to enjoy Misha’s beautiful styles when I don’t have to maintain them myself. Our trainer _very tactfully_ commented on Peggy’s current look today: “Well..... At least she’s not matted.”


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Ha! It’s easy to enjoy Misha’s beautiful styles when I don’t have to maintain them myself. Our trainer _very tactfully_ commented on Peggy’s current look today: “Well..... At least she’s not matted.”


Hahaha! But it's true! Any clean poodle without matting is a happy dog. And you are making great strides with the grooming! I groomed a friend's elderly maltese a bit ago and was reminded how hard it is to work on a new breed.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I’d love to see what you did with the Maltese! Sounds like a fun challenge for you.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Misha looks amazing!! I didn't think he could get any cuter. It will be a very long time before I get another Poodle, but I will also love their coats and how you can trim it. Do you want Misha to look kind of like an Airedale Terrier?


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Wow, so beautiful 😍!!!!


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Misha is looking good. I love the cleanness of these lines, lets me admire his build. You are an intrepid groomer, doing what works for you and Misha even when your fan base is surprised. I remember once telling someone who had reservations about maintaining poodle hair that it is relatively simple to run a clipper over a poodle once every month or two for a retriever clip. Well, I no longer think it is quite that simple, lol.

You and I are on the same schedule lately with grooming. I took a bunch of hair off Violet due to my mom needing so much care. She has been in a Miami with leg warmer-style bracelets, top knot taken down to long ears with fluff on top. She looks girly, but so much less hair. This week when I redid her I began her first donut mustache. I love clean faces, but I did promise my husband that I would at least try a fluffy face.
(I still struggle to get decent stacked photos of her, but the first photo is after the first trim down, the second shows 4 weeks growth of a fluff face).


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Raindrops said:


> I've wanted to try an all-over simple short cut for a while but couldn't bring myself to do so. But I've finally done it and I do really like it! I had to let Misha's paws and face grow out for a month. I can't stand beards but this kind of plush look is quite nice. I might try sculpting it so it looks more terrier-esque. One reason I've been wanting to do this cut just to have photos of it to show people how poodles can be super versatile in how you groom them.
> 
> View attachment 474447
> 
> ...


I love this look. May have to ry this one. Since grooming myself I've learned I'm not that good at it, especially the paws. While I prefer clean feet I can't perfect them, there are always little pieces around his toes that I simply have trouble getting and I'm very apprehensive doing in-between his toes and pads, so there is always a little something poking out and I don't like that look. Leaving a little growth seems like a good fit.. Right now Renns top knot is way to long as well as his ears. May I ask what size blade you are using over all?


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> I've wanted to try an all-over simple short cut for a while but couldn't bring myself to do so. But I've finally done it and I do really like it! I had to let Misha's paws and face grow out for a month.


This is exactly how Winnie is clipped and I love it.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Raindrops said:


> I've wanted to try an all-over simple short cut for a while but couldn't bring myself to do so. But I've finally done it and I do really like it! I had to let Misha's paws and face grow out for a month. I can't stand beards but this kind of plush look is quite nice. I might try sculpting it so it looks more terrier-esque. One reason I've been wanting to do this cut just to have photos of it to show people how poodles can be super versatile in how you groom them.
> 
> View attachment 474447
> 
> ...


I really like this style!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I love this look, he looks elegant. I‘m surprised how much I like the longer fur on his face.

Do you think you will get questions about what kind of dog he is?


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

My goodness, he's a beautiful dog!


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## SirWinston (Feb 20, 2021)

I love the cut! It’s nice and clean and can see his beautiful eyes. And I really admire anyone who grooms their own dog. I bathe my 5 year old toy and have shaved his face but I don’t think I could ever groom Winston (5 month old spoo). I’ve only ever bathed him and managed to trim his nails. Maybe after a few expensive trips to the groomer, I’ll change my mind!

Love the palm trees in background too! Very envious as I am looking out my back patio doors to snow.


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## Fenix&Felix (Oct 21, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> I've wanted to try an all-over simple short cut for a while but couldn't bring myself to do so. But I've finally done it and I do really like it! I had to let Misha's paws and face grow out for a month. I can't stand beards but this kind of plush look is quite nice. I might try sculpting it so it looks more terrier-esque. One reason I've been wanting to do this cut just to have photos of it to show people how poodles can be super versatile in how you groom them.
> View attachment 474448
> 
> 
> ...


He’s such a beautiful boy, I think he looks wonderful—that’s going to be so much easier to maintain...until you decide to let him grow out for a different look! 😉


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I love Misha’s new look ! He is such a good representative of the breed and has such a nice body I think he would look good naked...


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

What size blade did you use? Did you do the legs with the same blade or different? Or is the whole body with the same blade?


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

He looks very handsome! I really like this streamlined look. I think it's what I will aim for with Oona this summer (with much lower expectations for how close I can get to this, lol). Though I agree about the fluffy feet. Now that we are into mud season and her feet are getting shaggy, I might trim them clean again to see how much it helps. So maybe this look but clean up feet and maybe face a little more often.


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## CieCie (Dec 27, 2020)

How handsome is he!!! 💙
This was our old spoo's normal look with just a little longer on top. I loved how easy it was to maintain and keep brushed. Now that I'm keeping Winnie's feet clean I may never let them grow out but this will probably be her most common trim also. Misha is a gorgeous dog and a wonderful example of a poodle.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Is that a half-inch length?


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

He looks great! It shows off his nice structure. 
What a great summer clip, as we're entering the mud season, I'm reconsidering Gracie's length right now.


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## RobynG (Feb 21, 2021)

Awe! Beautiful!


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## Poodlesandbeagles (Oct 23, 2020)

You did a nice job. I think Misha would look handsome in any trim!


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Misha looks amazing!! I didn't think he could get any cuter. It will be a very long time before I get another Poodle, but I will also love their coats and how you can trim it. Do you want Misha to look kind of like an Airedale Terrier?


Thank you! Yes I've actually been looking at a lot of Airedales trying to decide what it is I'm hoping for. I want a fuller face _without _leaving a long beard which I know I've seen but is hard to find photos of. I think I'll keep it trimmed shorter on the lower jaw and around the lip line and see how that looks. But then I'll shorten it on top and sides of head while leaving eyebrows...?


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Newport said:


> Misha is looking good. I love the cleanness of these lines, lets me admire his build. You are an intrepid groomer, doing what works for you and Misha even when your fan base is surprised. I remember once telling someone who had reservations about maintaining poodle hair that it is relatively simple to run a clipper over a poodle once every month or two for a retriever clip. Well, I no longer think it is quite that simple, lol.
> 
> You and I are on the same schedule lately with grooming. I took a bunch of hair off Violet due to my mom needing so much care. She has been in a Miami with leg warmer-style bracelets, top knot taken down to long ears with fluff on top. She looks girly, but so much less hair. This week when I redid her I began her first donut mustache. I love clean faces, but I did promise my husband that I would at least try a fluffy face.
> (I still struggle to get decent stacked photos of her, but the first photo is after the first trim down, the second shows 4 weeks growth of a fluff face).
> ...


She looks adorable! I think she will look super cute with a mustache. I think it is a good compromise as you still have it clean around the eyes. My biggest issue with fluffy faces is how hard it is to see the dog's expressions with hair covering up their facial muscles. But leaving it clean around the eyes should help with that.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Mufar42 said:


> I love this look. May have to ry this one. Since grooming myself I've learned I'm not that good at it, especially the paws. While I prefer clean feet I can't perfect them, there are always little pieces around his toes that I simply have trouble getting and I'm very apprehensive doing in-between his toes and pads, so there is always a little something poking out and I don't like that look. Leaving a little growth seems like a good fit.. Right now Renns top knot is way to long as well as his ears. May I ask what size blade you are using over all?


I'd love to see Renn in a new style! This one is fairly easy to do a trim on which is really nice. The big time suck for me is grooming the topknot and tail and ears, and with this trim I can just do it all with clipper so it saves time. There's still some sculpting around the rear since I like to keep Misha clipped tightly in the back, but other than that it's very straightforward. The main length here is 3/8" so a 4F. The head and legs are a little longer around 1/2" so a 3F.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I’d love to see what you did with the Maltese! Sounds like a fun challenge for you.


It was... interesting. The particular dog is 11 yrs old, obese, and has major joint issues and painful yeasty paws. Owner had a bad experience where she thought the groomer sedated him without telling her. I think it is likely they did sedate him because he is really poorly behaved for feet. But should have asked her! I said let me try grooming him. He is the sort that will bite and go insane if you go near the feet. I think the groomer she had tried going with as an alternative was just not touching his feet. I had to take it very slow and use a grooming hammock to do the legs and feet and still almost couldn't do one of them. So I consider it a success that he turned out moderately good! Here he is after blow dry and after the groom. She says he is so much happier now. Possibly because I finally got the yeasty mats out of his paw pads


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

He truly looks amazing!!!! Such a seriously handsome boy. He has such beautiful poodle hair too! It’s so lush looking. Love it!


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Skylar said:


> I love this look, he looks elegant. I‘m surprised how much I like the longer fur on his face.
> 
> Do you think you will get questions about what kind of dog he is?


Thank you! Me too! I won't let it get too long but I'll experiment a bit.

I do get some questions about if he's a poodle mix which is probably the worst part of having him in this groom. But some people still are able to identify him as a poodle which is nice. At least the people who ask if he's a doodle get to find out that poodles can have the "doodle" look as well.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Dechi said:


> I love Misha’s new look ! He is such a good representative of the breed and has such a nice body I think he would look good naked...


Lol thank you! When I look at that photo in profile I also think how clearly it shows off his faults as well!  But I love his structure even if he's a bit long in the back.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

One of the things I love about short haircuts is how clearly it shows poodles to be the athletic dogs they are.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Good job with your friend’s Maltese! And look how cute he is! Aw. That’s one relieved boy.

I imagine it becomes a nasty cycle when owners (or even groomers) avoid a particularly sensitive body part. It just gets more and more sensitive as mats form. I was guilty of this with Gracie’s tear stains. I knew it hurt her when I worked on them, so I would put it off instead of staying even more on top of it like I should have.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Good job with your friend’s Maltese! And look how cute he is! Aw. That’s one relieved boy.
> 
> I imagine it becomes a nasty cycle when owners (or even groomers) avoid a particularly sensitive body part. It just gets more and more sensitive as mats form. I was guilty of this with Gracie’s tear stains. I knew it hurt her when I worked on them, so I would put it off instead of staying even more on top of it like I should have.


Yes I think that's definitely what was happening. He had some really nasty little moist clumps of red mats in between the toes and so they really had to come out. Hopefully she will ask a vet about his feet as they were really yeasty. The tear stains are tough. With this dog they clip the stained hair but then the drainage just goes to different hair so I feel like removing it won't be a long term solution unless they are ok with a hairless face. 

I avoid tough things too. It's hard when it's your pet and you feel like they hate you for doing things that make them uncomfortable.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Raindrops said:


> It was... interesting. The particular dog is 11 yrs old, obese, and has major joint issues and painful yeasty paws. Owner had a bad experience where she thought the groomer sedated him without telling her. I think it is likely they did sedate him because he is really poorly behaved for feet. But should have asked her! I said let me try grooming him. He is the sort that will bite and go insane if you go near the feet. I think the groomer she had tried going with as an alternative was just not touching his feet. I had to take it very slow and use a grooming hammock to do the legs and feet and still almost couldn't do one of them. So I consider it a success that he turned out moderately good! Here he is after blow dry and after the groom. She says he is so much happier now. Possibly because I finally got the yeasty mats out of his paw pads
> 
> View attachment 474461
> 
> ...


Man is that ONE HAPPY DOGGIE! !


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

He is one good-looking poodle! And with that cut, I'd be ready to take him fishing or to the beach with no worries about a quick hose-down afterwards. 😀


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Carolinek said:


> He looks great! It shows off his nice structure.
> What a great summer clip, as we're entering the mud season, I'm reconsidering Gracie's length right now.


That's what I was thinking... that the short length shows off his nice structure. Dare I say, great minds think alike? It is a nice cut for Misha.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

It's amazing what a difference a haircut makes.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Charmed said:


> View attachment 474476
> View attachment 474477
> View attachment 474478
> 
> It's amazing what a difference a haircut makes.


Ooh, Charmed, he's so cute in that style!


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Raindrops said:


> I'd love to see Renn in a new style! This one is fairly easy to do a trim on which is really nice. The big time suck for me is grooming the topknot and tail and ears, and with this trim I can just do it all with clipper so it saves time. There's still some sculpting around the rear since I like to keep Misha clipped tightly in the back, but other than that it's very straightforward. The main length here is 3/8" so a 4F. The head and legs are a little longer around 1/2" so a 3F.


thank you.


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

Misha is so handsome!! I love the short coat. As much as I love Topper's puppy fluff, I'm going to ask our groomer to make him into a mini-Misha at our next appointment later this month. I will ask her to keep his paws and face shaved, though so he will be easier to keep clean. Topper loves to stick his snout in everything!


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

PowersPup said:


> Misha is so handsome!! I love the short coat. As much as I love Topper's puppy fluff, I'm going to ask our groomer to make him into a mini-Misha at our next appointment later this month. I will ask her to keep his paws and face shaved, though so he will be easier to keep clean. Topper loves to stick his snout in everything!


I'm sure he will look super cute! I did the same coat with shaved face and feet before. It is good. Just saving time currently since I groom myself and the face and feet are a time suck. Cleaner for sure though.


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