Ask three groomers for a "teddy bear cut" and you'll get three different dogs back. Grooming style names are informal and vary by salon, region and breed — which is why the single most useful thing you can do is bring a photo. Here's what the common terms usually mean.
The common cuts
Puppy cut
Despite the name, nothing to do with age. An even length all over — typically one to two inches — with a lightly rounded face. The most-requested pet cut across almost every long-coated breed, because it's comfortable, practical and forgiving.
Teddy bear cut
A puppy cut with a fuller, rounder face and often slightly longer legs, designed to give a soft, plush look. This is the term that varies most between salons — always show a picture.
Lamb cut
Short body with the legs left noticeably fuller, creating a column effect. Common on Poodles and Doodles. Cuts body matting while keeping some shape.
Kennel or utility cut
Short and even, usually half an inch or less. The lowest-maintenance option and a genuinely good choice for active dogs, hot climates, or a coat that's got out of hand.
Summer cut
Not a specific length — a general term for going shorter in warm weather. Fine on single-coated breeds. Not appropriate for double-coated breeds, where shaving removes heat insulation and risks the coat regrowing badly.
Breed or show trim
The breed-standard presentation — the Continental on a Poodle, the skirted trim on a Cocker, the sculpted Bichon. Beautiful, time-consuming and expensive to maintain.
Sanitary trim
Not a whole-body style: tidying around the rear, genitals and belly for hygiene. Included in most full grooms and worth doing between appointments on long-coated dogs.
Face, feet and tail (FFT)
A tidy-up of just those three areas, leaving the body alone. A cheap, quick option between full grooms, and often all a short-coated dog needs.
Face shapes
- Round / teddy face — hair left full and scissored into a circle. Soft and popular.
- Clean face — muzzle clipped short, traditional on Poodles. Practical for dogs with tear staining or beard mess.
- Beard / schnauzer face — short on top with a full beard and eyebrows. Standard for Schnauzers and terriers.
- Topknot — head hair grown long and tied. Common on Yorkies, Maltese and Shih Tzus.
How to actually get what you want
- Bring photos — two or three, ideally of the same breed. This removes almost all miscommunication.
- Specify a length in inches or blade number if you know it. "Short" means very different things to different people.
- Be specific about the face, which is where dissatisfaction most often lands.
- Say what you disliked last time — groomers would far rather hear it than lose you.
- Ask what suits the coat. A good groomer will tell you honestly if your dog's coat can't hold the style you want.
One honest caveat
Not every coat can produce every look. A photo of an immaculate show Poodle represents a coat maintained daily and often a dog bred for that coat. If your dog's hair is thinner, wavier or shorter, the same cut will look different — and that isn't the groomer's failing.