Toy poodle haircuts go a long way down history. It was said that the queer haircut used to be a necessity for the bigger breed of poodles, back in the day when poodles were used in Germany for hunting. They needed to be lithe and limber so they could splash into the water for the catch. The extra coat in the midsection and the limbs were shaven off to make them lighter and more buoyant in water.

The hair on the muzzle and surrounding the eyes were also removed, and the hair on the head tied in a top knot to facilitate retrieval of their prey. What about the extra hair in the chest and around the joints? Poodle owners back in the day thought that with the clipped midsection and head hair, the animals were in danger of dying in the cold, so they retained hair in strategic places to keep the vital organs warm.

These days, when poodles have become domesticated and are relatively lethargic, the haircut has somehow stuck, even for toy poodles. Poodle owners subsequently got into the habit of using colorful ribbons on poodles’ heads to make identification easier.

Toy poodle haircuts took on a glamorous turn in 18th-century France, the French nobility took an interest in poodles, especially the smaller breeds. From then on, poodles were see sporting interesting haircuts, sometimes even imitating their owners’ elegant pompadours.

There are four basic toy poodle haircuts that we often see in dog shows.

First, there is the “Puppy” clip, which is usually applicable to poodles that are less than a year old. The “Puppy” clip is characterized by a clean-shaven face, neck and throat. The feet are also shaved until they are entirely bare. As for the tail, only the base is shaved and the tip of the tail is left with a cute, round pompom.

There is also the “English Saddle” clip, usually sported by older poodles. Here, the face, throat and neck are also shaved. The feet and forelegs are likewise cleared of hair, except for the puffs left on the forelegs. Hair on the hindquarters are trimmed to a short length while curved, shaved patches are left out on the flanks as well as shaved bands on the hind legs. And the tail? It is also shaved from the base up, save for the pompom on the tip.

The “Continental” clip, on the other hand, has the face, neck and throat bare. The feet are also shaved, along with the hindquarters save for the optional pompoms on the hips. The poodle’s legs are likewise clipped, save for hind leg bands and foreleg puffs. The tail is shaved from the base, leaving a pompom in the tip. The rest of the hair can be trimmed for a better shape.

Finally, the “Sporting” clip has the poodle’s face, neck and throat shaved, too, but a “scissored cap” is left on the head. Hair on the rest of the body is scissored to follow the natural contours but must not be longer than an inch. The feet are either shaved or scissored, but the hair on the legs can be left a little longer than the coat on the rest of the body.