Leisure/Puppy Trims for Maltese

While everyone will probably agree that the elegant Maltese in long flowing coat is a sight to behold it is probably more work to keep up than many people wish to do. The solution is a short trim know as a "puppy cut", "cocker clip", "Poodle clip", or "Schnauzer cut" to different people. Whatever you wish to call it, it gives a Maltese freedom to play and be mischievous without the worry of coat care problems. Short trims also cut down on grooming and bathing time. Many of the show exhibitors put their Maltese in these clips when the Maltese has retired from their active show career.

The first time an owner puts their Maltese in this clip they may want to enlist the services of a professional groomer. However, it is also easy to do at home. In addition to the basic grooming supplies discussed earlier in this chapter you will also need a good set of clippers. The directions that follow are for the Oster A5 clipper, a #10 blade and a #4 or #5 blade. Oster clippers can be purchased from many of the catalog pet suppliers and many pet stores. There are other comparable brands of clippers.

Leisure Cut Procedure

First groom your Maltese with a brush, slicker and comb until all the mats have been removed from the coat.

Using the Oster clipper with the #4 or #5 blade clip the hair of the body in a downward motion for a smooth finish. Clip all the body from the neck to the tail including the lower chest. Do not clip the legs, tail or head. An alternative is the leave the hair on the sides and the lower chest a little longer.

Next you should work on the head and face. Using the Oster clipper with the #10 blade clip the hair on the sides of the face going from the front to the back. Clip the area under the ears short also. Leave the ears long. For the mustache and beard use your scissors and trim the area from the corner of the mouth forward into a circle. The hair above the eyes and the skull should be trimmed to about 1 -2 inches in length kind of like a little cap. Hold the hair up to cut this in a nice circle and then let fall.

When you have finished clipping the body you can use your scissors to trim the legs to blend into the body, leaving the hair longer toward the feet, but shorter at the top. Round off the feet to give a nice finished look. Do not forget the trim the hair around the pads and clip the toenails.

As you work on the face you may use your scissors to be creative until you get the look you desire. When you are doing your first clip you may wish to initially leave the hair a little longer until you achieve the look you desire.

Once you have complete the clipping and scissoring you should bath and blow-dry your Maltese. You may find you have missed a few straggly hairs so touch them up with your scissors.

Once in this clip your Maltese will need to only be clipped or touched up every several months.