Lamb cut for dogs: what it is and which coats hold it
A short body on fuller, straight legs. What a lamb cut is, how it differs from a teddy bear cut, and why the legs are the first place it mats.
A lamb cut is a dog haircut that clips the body short, usually half an inch to an inch, and leaves the legs longer, scissored into straight columns. The face and feet are shaved clean or kept short and tidy. It's a classic poodle pet clip, and it works on most dogs whose hair keeps growing.
What a lamb cut looks like
The body, neck and chest are clipped to one length. The legs are left anywhere from slightly longer to about an inch longer than the body, then combed out and scissored straight from the elbow down. The groomer blends the two lengths so there's no line at the shoulder or hip. The topknot is rounded, and the tail is a pompon or left natural.
A lamb cut poodle usually has a shaved face and shaved feet. On doodles and Shih Tzus, the face is more often left short and round, closer to a teddy bear face, and the feet are rounded off.
Where it comes from
Poodles were bred as water retrievers, and their clips began as working cuts. Hair was shaved where it slowed the dog in the water and left over the chest and joints for warmth. The lamb cut keeps that poodle outline in a form a pet can live with. It's close to the Sporting clip in the AKC poodle standard, which shaves the face, feet, throat and base of the tail, keeps the body coat to an inch or less, and allows slightly longer hair on the legs. Adult poodles in regular AKC show classes have to wear the English Saddle or Continental clip, so the lamb cut is a pet clip.
Which coats can hold a lamb cut?
Any coat that keeps growing: poodles, doodles, cockapoos, cavapoos, Bichons, Maltese, Yorkies and Shih Tzus. A coat that grows to a set length and sheds, like a lab's, never gets long enough on the legs to scissor.
Texture changes the result. Curly and wavy coats stand away from the leg and scissor into crisp columns, so a lamb cut on a doodle with a curly or wavy coat holds its shape well. Straight, silky hair falls closer to the leg, and the columns look softer. On a lamb cut Shih Tzu, the longer leg hair keeps short legs from looking thin, as they can in a one-length cut.
Lamb cut, teddy bear cut or puppy cut?
All three can start from a similar body length. A lamb cut puts the extra hair on the legs, a teddy bear cut puts it on the face, and a puppy cut keeps one length everywhere. Puppy cut vs teddy bear cut compares the other two side by side, and teddy bear cut for dogs covers the round face.
| Cut | Body | Legs | Face and feet | Brushing at home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb cut | ½ to 1 inch | Longer than the body, scissored into columns | Shaved on poodles, short and round on others | Legs every couple of days |
| Teddy bear cut | ¾ to 1½ inches | Slightly fuller than the body | Face full and scissored round, feet rounded | Several times a week |
| Puppy cut | ½ to 1 inch | Same length as the body | Short and rounded | The easiest to keep brushed |
Keeping the legs free of mats
The legs mat first. They rub against each other and against the body, and mats start in the armpits and on the lower legs. Brush the legs down to the skin every couple of days. The short body needs less. Most dogs need a trim every four to six weeks to keep the columns straight. Preventing matting between grooms covers how to brush.
How to ask your groomer for a lamb cut
Bring a photo of a dog with a coat like yours and give two lengths: the body in inches, and how much longer you want the legs. Then say how you want the face (shaved, or short and round), the feet (shaved or rounded) and the tail (pompon or natural). If the legs are matted at drop-off, they may have to go shorter, because a column can only be scissored from hair that combs out straight.
At Barky Mountain in Lone Tree, a full groom with a lamb cut starts at $85 for a dog up to 20 pounds and $110 for 20 to 50 pounds, depending on coat condition. You can request the same groomer every visit, so the legs come out the same length each time. Book a groom.
Common questions
What is a lamb cut on a dog?
A grooming style with a short body and fuller, straight legs, so the dog stands on soft columns. It comes from the classic poodle pet clip and works on most coats that keep growing, including doodles and Shih Tzus.
Lamb cut vs teddy bear cut: what's the difference?
A lamb cut has long, straight legs and a short or shaved face. A teddy bear cut keeps the legs close to the body length and leaves the face full and round.
How long does a lamb cut last?
Most dogs in a lamb cut go back to the groomer every four to six weeks. After that, the leg hair grows out of its straight column shape.
Can a Yorkie get a lamb cut?
Yes. A Yorkie's hair keeps growing, so the legs can be left longer than the body. Silky hair lies flatter than a curly coat, so expect softer legs than on a poodle.
