# Cutting In The Ears/Topknot



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Pet Grooming: The Good, The Bad, & The Furry: Scissoring a Poodle Topknot...

how about a link with some pictures


----------



## ladybird (Jul 9, 2011)

Right... that's fine if the ears are already seperated, but I mean how do you set it in when the hair is all the same length? How/where are the lines determined at the back and on the underside of the ear?


----------



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Poodles - Dog Grooming

is this what you are looking for?


----------



## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2UuzazGNWk

Good link to video on topknots.


----------



## ladybird (Jul 9, 2011)

ok I had a look, the link with the descriptions and photos just says to trim around the ear to finish it. but that's really vague and there arent any photos for that part. the video has a poodle with the ears already seperated from the topknot ao unfortunately that doesnt help either. what I'm looking for are instructions on how to set in the seperated ears on a poodle where the hair around the whole ears and topknot area is the same length, like they have never been trimmed before (like a puppy for example where nothing has been cut yet). when cutting in the back and underside of the ear do you simply let the ear hang natural and trim from where the ear leather attaches to the head? do you pull them forward? I'm not sure what to do


----------



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Pet Grooming: The Good, The Bad, & The Furry: Poodle Topknots

I guess it all depends on what you want your poodle to look like, what trim basically, how long you you want the ears, how long you want the topnot. I groom my own girls and am no expert. But I did buy "Dog grooming for dummies", watch the DVD that came with my clippers and looked at a lot of videos on You Tube.

I am currently growing out Beatrice's ears she's a 7 1/2 month old Tpoo.... sooo I have taken her out of her puppy clip


----------



## ladybird (Jul 9, 2011)

full ears, and tight around the neck and topknot. starting with a coat which is totally blended, uncut, all the same length on ears and neck/topknot. just where to begin is the problem. I can't pull the ear hair out of the way because it's all blended into the topknot and neck hair


----------



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I've always just parted the hair around the ear like you do on yourself, trimming around the ear, using the ear itself as my guide to where ear hair and top knot separate. The link I posted previous shows albeit much shorter the trim around the ears

this one shows what I am talking about

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9sbboq5GmY


----------



## 2719 (Feb 8, 2011)

Hi I have included a link to Tonya Bate`s Youtube video for topknots. She has poodles and is on facebook and she knows how to shape a topknot perfectly. In this video she does show how she scissors behind the ears, so I hope it helps.


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

*Topknots*

Just recently set a pet topknot on a puppy I bred after he finished his championship. Started out in full show puppy trim and after a few hours looked like the attached photo (side note - he wasn't done being groomed yet). Because he had SO much topknot (10 months old and tons of coat), I started out by first sort of cutting in a rough line of where I wanted the ears set (in line with the eye or slightly lower). Then, I got rid of excess topknot coat by brushing all of the long topknot hair over to one side (like a combover) and held the shears facing toward the sky and scissored away any excess hair that hung over on that side. Than I combed over to the other side of his head and did the same. Then I combed forward and did the same. So again, to scissor that line separating topknot and ear, I literally just hold the shear horizontally facing toward the dog's rear and cut in.


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Sorry for doing this in two posts, I wanted the photos separated. I have some photos showing how I personally scissor that area where ear and topknot separate. (I'm not actually scissoring in these photos, just holding the shears how I would if I were going to scissor. She's 2 weeks post groom. That's why her outline looks all weird and not smooth. I promise things look smoother when I actually scissor LOL. Adding - notice the last photo. I always do finishing touches particularly in regard to setting the line off the table. 

Edit: my firefox crashed every time I try to attach a photo.


----------



## janet6567 (Mar 11, 2014)

Wow! Some really good tips and pointers. I've been grooming my two tpoos for about 6 months and each time they look better. The top knot has been the most challenging, but using curved shears makes it much easier to get a good clean even top knot.


----------



## ladybird (Jul 9, 2011)

thanks folks I think I now have a better idea of how to do this!


----------



## BigRedDog (Mar 2, 2011)

Yes you "pull the ears forward" and continue the "line" you started above the around to the back of the ear. This way the ears are separate from the topknot and coat on the neck. You scissor "up" from the ears with your scissors to start the topknot.


----------

