Doodle Haircut Styles: Variations With Pictures for #Inspo! (Part 2)

It seems as though it’s a right of passage to experience the shock of picking up a pup from the grooming salon who…doesn’t exactly look like what we were expecting. If you’ve had the last straw, never step into that grooming salon unarmed again! (Or, consider grooming your Dood at home!)

In this article, we aim to empower you to convey exactly what you want done on your Doodle with two things: 1) Specific grooming terminology, and 2) #Inspo pictures galore! These two things will help you to avoid any misunderstandings and surprises upon pick-up from the groomer’s. Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents

• Head and Face: Doodle Haircut Styles
  • Clean Face
  • Leave Lashes
  • Teddy Bear Face/Head
  • Topknot (TK)
• Ears: Doodle Haircut Styles
  • Clipped Ears
  • Full Ears
• Legs and Feet: Doodle Haircut Styles
  • Beveled Feet
  • Tapered Legs and Clydesdale Feet
  • Clean Feet
  • Pom Poms
  • Round Feet
  • Tight Feet
• Tail: Doodle Haircut Styles
  • Flag Tail
  • Pom Tail
  • Plume Tail

Among the hundreds of dog breeds, there are some very specific types of grooming styles that some dogs are “supposed to” adhere to. Luckily, since Doodles are not recognized as a breed by strict breed clubs like the AKC, they can get away with pretty much any grooming style (and look great while doing it). Let’s go over some common variations of Doodle haircut styles, and be sure to watch this video to follow along:

I’d also encourage you to view our collection of pictures filled with real examples of the styles discussed below.

Head and Face: Doodle Haircut Styles

Clean Face

This is when the face, muzzle, and cheeks are all shaved very close to the skin. This is typically done on Poodles. Here are some examples:

	Photo Link
Doodle with a clean face and full ears	@thebarkporch

Leave Lashes

This is when the eye lashes are left long and not trimmed.

	Photo Link
Freshly groomed Goldendoodle with lashes left long	@kensies_pet_pics
Freshly groomed Bernedoodle with lashes left long	@wagglespetsupply
Australian Labradoodle with long eyelashes	@living.the.juneau.life

Teddy Bear Face/Head

This is a rounded face and head styled to resemble a teddy bear. These look great with all of the Doodle haircut styles, but especially the puppy cut. Here are some examples:

	Photo Link
Cockapoo with a teddy bear head	@doggiesmilesalonandspa
Australian Labradoodle with a teddy bear head	@theyellowpawgrooming
Mini Labradoodle with a teddy bear head and long eyelashes	@mollythedollydoodle

Topknot (TK)

A topknot refers to the top of a dog’s head. It should be round and seamlessly blended into the neck and body. A topknot for Doodles is usually a fluffy head. Here is an example of a topknot with a clean face:

	Photo Link
Doodle with a topknot	@the_grooming_gigg
Sheepadoodle with a topknot and long eyelashes	@groomedwithaloha
Straight coat Labradoodle with a topknot	@itsnalagrrl

Ears: Doodle Haircut Styles

There is a variety of ear styles and variations that you can get on your Doodle. Some of the ear styles don’t have a standard name so be sure to bring a picture in to show your groomer what you’d like done.

Clipped Ears

This is when the ears are clipped shorter, either with a blade or clipper comb. Clipped ears allow you to see the shape of the ear.

	Photo Link
Goldendoodle with clipped ears	@grooming_bymegan
2 Doodles with clipped ears	@alannagroomspurrdy
Doodle with clipped ears	@thebarkporch

Full Ears

This is when the ears are left long and not shaved or clipped. However, full ears can still be trimmed down, layered, and can be cut blunt (straight across at the bottom), or rounded. You can also request to keep full ears but have them trimmed around the outline of the ear to expose the ear shape. Here is an example of full ears:

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Doodle with rounded and layered full ears	@elly.scissorhands
Goldendoodle with rounded full ears	@woofsgrooming
Bernedoodle with rounded full ears	@groomer_mena

Legs and Feet: Doodle Haircut Styles

Beveled Feet

This is when the hair on the feet is left long enough to match the length of the hair on the legs, such that the entirety of the leg and foot look like one “straight” column. With beveled feet, there is no real distinction between the foot and the leg, and the feet are rounded (fluffy and neat without exposing the nails) at the bottom. Additionally, beveled feet are usually associated a specific Doodle haircut: the lamb cut.

	Photo Link
Bernedoodle with beveled feet	@furnpawbyjess
Mini Bernedoodle with beveled feet, before and after	@michelle_worthyicmg
Goldendoodle with beveled feet	@newportpaws
Doodle with beveled feet	@paulagroomer2020
Doodle with beveled feet	@pawmat_pets

Tapered Legs and Clydesdale Feet

With tapered legs, the cut of the legs starts off slim at the top and taper wider toward the bottom. With clydesdale feet, the feet are shaped to look like a clydesdale horse’ – a very unique and eccentric style, indeed!

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Labradoodle with clydesdale feet (bell bottoms)	@lp_sheehy
Doodle with tapered legs	@britneyrmackgrooming

Clean Feet

This is when the feet are completely shaved, exposing the nails and the entire foot up to the ankle area. Clean feet are usually done on Poodles but can be done on Doodles, as well.

	Photo Link
Aussiedoodle with clean feet	@winnie_bambi2
Doodle with clean feet	@sudzwithsav

Pom Poms

This is a stylistic cut that look like rounded balls. Pom poms are typically placed at the bottom of the legs, just above clean feet. Pom poms can really only be done on curly, thick, or fluffy-coated dogs like Poodles and Doodles.

	Photo Link
Cavapoo with pom poms above clean feet	@dog_salon_aroma

Round Feet

This is when the hair on the feet are scissored neatly to look round and fluffy. With round feet the nails are not exposed.

	Photo Link
Doodle with round feet, before and after	@britneyrmackgrooming

Tight Feet

Tight feet are a middle ground between clean feet and round feet. Tight feet keep the feet free from matting, but are not shaved close to the skin. Tight feet expose the nails.

	Photo Link
Doodle with tight feet	@groomedbynicole
Cockapoo with tight feet	@groomed.with.lauren
Goldendoodle with tight feet	@groomsbykate

Tail: Doodle Haircut Styles

Physically speaking, there are a few types of tails in the dog world. As some dog breeds are expected to look a certain way, the way the tail is groomed is definitely part of the package.

Doodles can look great with pretty much any tail grooming style. Here are some options.

Flag Tail

A flag tail consists of around 1-2 inches of very short or shaven hair at the base of the tail. After this little gap, the tail hair closest to the body is longest and then gradually tapers off toward the tip of the tail. Doodles look great with flag tails as they really accentuate their long, luscious locks. Here is an example:

	Photo Link
Doodle with a flag tail	@doggroomingbyk

Pom Tail

Similar to pom poms on the feet, a pom tail is when the tail has a shaved base and a ball on the end.

	Photo Link
Doodle with a pom tail	@unclemikedoggroomer

Plume Tail

Plume tails can boast thick, curly Doodle hair by allowing it to billow out neatly yet beautifully.

	Photo Link
Doodle with a plume tail	@yarnpoodle

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If the cut you have in mind for your pup is very specific, be sure to bring in photos for the groomer. This is the best way to avoid any miscommunications.

And don’t forget to check out Part 1 of this series for more pictures and overall of Doodle haircut styles for the body.