# Top knot grooming question on 5 mo old



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Why don't you show her a picture of something you like on your smart phone or tablet ? Find some close ups of the face, as well as whole body images. She is probably not used to grooming poodles, that's why you need to be so precise. But this is dangerous because we're not groomers ourselves.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

If you can't find a suitable picture, I would ask the groomer to shave the face but leave the topknot strictly alone as you want to grow it out. You may want to consider whether to also ask her to letthe neck hair grow out where it meets the topknot at the back, depending on how it was trimmed last time. By the next visit there should be enough hair to consider a restyle, and then you really will need photos!


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## Michele (Jan 20, 2015)

Dechi- she grooms poodles regularly. She does a great job on my other spoo. I think it's more a puppy thing. She did tell me last time that she really only knows how to cut the top knot in the one-way. Since this is the typical way, she does a perfect job on that. I am just not ready for my pups head to be cut like that and I am wanting to try a longer style on her. 
I agree about the pictures and am on it. If anyone has a picture of their topknot cuts (or no cuts) they like to share, I'd love to see them.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Do you have a photo of how it looks now? Honestly, I thought the topknot looked great before! It was just the body that was left too full for the topknot.

Here is a 6 month old Standard x Mini puppy that I groomed for a friend.

I think it would be helpful if you could find a photo of exactly the look you are wanting.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I prefer the "wind blown" look...a little messy, not extremely tight or tidy and plenty of height/hair. That's just my _personal_ preference. I aim to cut above the eyes, just enough so they can see and not be bugged by hair getting in their eyes... and I do it at an angle to try and form almost a little visor, like on a baseball cap...sort of...not too cleaned up. So I just trim a little off each time. Sometimes I make a boo boo and cut too much off or too much from right above the eyes and I don't like that.






Here's a little bit closer up.



Now mind you, I'm no groomer and am probably doing something that's not quite right. But I save money this way and it's a bonding experience. lol. Matisse learns that his hair isn't the most important thing in the grand scheme of things and he learns to be casual in his outlook of life. :act-up:

Hopefully, more people will post pictures or you can look on the Internet and find one you like and show it to your groomer. Good luck.

Here's one of Maurice, as his siggy pic doesn't show it from the front. But of course, black dogs and photography don't go together very well...grrr.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I go on line and search poodle hair cuts and pull photos of the body and close up of the tk. I do agree groomer here normally but the top knot to short, and they slant from the eyes back, which I hate. I want it straight up above the eyes. And take the photos to her. I have been cutting mine, but they are getting a Xmas cut, and I am growing Sage into a modified Continental, so I am worried. I taking a photo of the head and of a body of 2 different dogs


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

Here are a couple top knots I have done if one of these suits your fancy (otherwise just tell them that you want to grow the top knot out and only trim hair if it's falling into the eyes)


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## Verve (Oct 31, 2016)

Think about and look for pictures of exactly what you like. I like a fairly narrow, box-like topknot as opposed to a round head with no ear cut-out or the "lightbulb" look. I like something of a visor in the front (topknot not too short in front) and a moderate crest on the neck. 

The other thing is that puppy hair is very soft and floppy and hard to scissor. You can always just let it grow and have fun with little puppy horns until you are ready to have it cut again.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Ditto the photos suggestion. I bring my tablet along for each groom with photos of what I want, as the needs change. My spoo's TK is the mophead, and I band it daily to keep the hair from his eyes. My groomer came along to a conformation show "just for fun" and spoke to the other poodle handlers about their grooms. I learned a lot by seeing the styles through her decades of experience, not all with poodles.


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

Do you like the length it is currently or are you wanting to keep growing it out? That would be helpful to tell the groomer. If you like the length it is now, they can make a note so they know for the future.

But if you do not want it trimmed this time I would just ask her to neaten it up but not to take any length off because you want to grow it out. Also keep in mind it is going to look quite a bit longer once it is blown out completely straight. If it is left completely untouched just know the groom might look unfinished when her body looks freshly scissored and her top knot looking a little fuzzy and not a crisp cut like the rest of her. 

As a groomer, I like the client to explain to me what they liked and what they would like done differently than last time (in a nice way). We aim to please our clients and LOVE when they don't run to another groomer complaining if there was a small miscommunication, or something was done a little different than they would have liked. Sometimes it takes a time or two to figure out what the client wants, especially if they aren't completely sure what they want either and we try our best to figure it out  

Here are some examples of different top knots done on my boy. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of client dogs. I always take a before and forget the after...go figure lol

This one was more blended and doesn't have a defined line above the ears. I was in the process of growing him into an asian fusion mushroom style head



This one has a defined line by ears but not trimmed quite as tight on the sides like some top knots are (my personal preference)



This top knot blends into a crest and there is no definition from his top knot to his neck


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Hi. I recently posted some pics on a thread entitled Thanksgiving pics. Good shot of TK. Might help you?


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