Unfortunately the poodle has hair similar to humans, which means it needs trimming often. The puppy cut is a simple cut that basically requires cutting the tips of the hair and keeping the natural shape, similar to people "just getting their ends trimmed." Any poodle owner can do this cut and make it look great.
Step 1
Brush your poodle from front to back and head to toe with a pin brush. Pay close attention to her feet and backside, since this is where mats often form.
Step 2
Remove any mats by holding the hair away from the skin and combing it from the end back toward the skin. Be careful not to pull or tug on the hair. It may cause her to have an "ouch" and yelp or cry.
Step 3
Hold your scissors, or shears, in one hand and pull the hair taut with the other. Trim your poodle from the nape of her neck down her back. When starting, taking off about 1/4 of an inch. Remember, you can always go back and take more off but you can't put it back on.
Step 4
Hold your poodle's nose up and scissor down from her throat and over her chest. Have her roll over and trim the hair on her stomach; be careful not to cut her teats. You can cut this hair close to the skin or leave it longer based on personal preference.
Step 5
Clip down each leg toward the floor. Cut the hair from the end of her foot to her ankle close to the skin. Don't cut past the ankle or it will look like she's wearing socks.
Step 6
Flip your poodle's foot over and trim the hair between her toes and pads.
Step 7
Grasp your blunt-end scissors and trim your poodle's face. Cut the hair on her face close to the skin. Trim her eyebrows and topnotch with the blunt-end scissors. The topnotch should be slightly longer than her body hair.
