# Town & Country Cuts



## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

For those of you who do the town and country cuts on your Malts, can you give me some tips?

What size blade do you use on the body? Or do you use a comb?

Do you trim just to the hip? And leave the backside long?

Do yo leave the chest a little longer to blend in with the front legs?

Bailey wore a Christmas vest yesterday and his chest was one solid mat when I took it off. :w00t: His hair is so pretty it is going to kill me to cut it, but he can't wear clothes if I don't.

Any tips would be appreciated!


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

Today is the second time I have heard this term. What exactly is a Town and Country cut Marj? Is it long legs, tail and face and a close body? I keep mine in that type of look. I didn't realize it had a name.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

pammy4501 said:


> Today is the second time I have heard this term. What exactly is a Town and Country cut Marj? Is it long legs, tail and face and a close body? I keep mine in that type of look. I didn't realize it had a name.


Yes, but I've also heard it called a lamb cut. It seems the most practical for Malts who wear clothes. 

Bailey hates bows, but he doesn't mind clothes at all!


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## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

Marj, I have all three of mine in the Town and Country now. I have their bodies cut close and the rest is long. When I first had Zoey clipped I had her head and ears bobbed but since then its grown out and I'm still trying to decide if I'm leaving it or cutting it again. A lot of people cut the chest short too but I've just had theirs trimmed. My signature is from last year when I had Zoey's face bobbed. I posted pictures of them not too long ago and all three are in this cut.
I can put cloths on them now without worrying about all the matting. Its so easy to take care of and still looks cute.
I think Bailey would be adorable in it. He has the cutest face :wub:


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Jane. what do they look like from the rear? Do you leave he hair completely long?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Shirley Kalstone's poodle book is a great reference for where the lines go for different cuts.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

It's really derived from the poodle cut. Marjorie Martin (exhibitor from many years ago) had instructions and pics in a book in the 70's or 80's.


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## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

Marj, I do keep the hair long in the rear. I'll send you some pictures.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks, everybody! I ordered the book Jackie suggested, but I'd love pictures, tips, etc.

Got to figure out what to do with the rear. Poor Bailey is having a terrible problem with poop getting stuck in his hair! Just doing a little trim under the tail is not enough. Poor boy!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

If I recall the book would have the area under the tail down between the legs trimmed...Mine is packed away somewhere but I think that's right...


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Marj, I use a 3/4" (19mm) blade on Sassy and I cut in the direction that the hair grows, this leaves the hair about 1 inch long. If you cut against the growth of the hair the clipper will cut shorter (3/4"). I cut her tummy against the way the hair grows, and use a #4 1/2 on her hygiene area. I only make about 3-4 swipes down the middle of her back, then behind her front leg and in front of her back leg (whole area) I place the clipper on her back then as I pull it downward towards the table I lift the clipper out as I go so that the hair gets longer as it goes down. To cut her skirt. I angle it on about a 45* angle (skirt length is scissor cut). I like her ears bobbed straight, no angle...ears, face and mustache all one straight line. For her little butt I hold her tail out of the way and I make one clipper swipe around her tail and between her legs. This gives her the appearance of having 2 legs in the back. Otherwise if you don't cut it like this it looks like a full skirt and it messes up the look. (Ask me how I know this, LOL). Don't cut down too low on the hips. I probably did not explain this very good, but I am sure the book you ordered will help.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Pat, that was an excellent description! Thanks! I need to have a plan before I start because Bailey is not very cooperative about things like that yet. I've only used a little mustache trimmer on him so far and he still thinks I am killing him. I'm bringing my big clippers out and plugging them in next to the couch this week so I can work on getting him used to the sound.

In theory it should be a pretty easy trim to do, but nothing is easy with a puppy!


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Marj -- this is the cut I use on Tilly and most of the time on Secret.

I do trim their chests short but blend on the side with the front legs.

On the rear I leave the legs long and scissor to even it out and in the rear, I trim the hair between the legs to about 4" long on Tilly who's taller and a little shorter on Secret -- it ends up being about 3" from the ground.

I always use a #4F on the body without a comb. I always leave Tilly's beard and ears long, but with Secret, I've decided to keep her in a bob for the ears and also to keep her beard short because of the staining from her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

At Nationals this year, we had a grooming seminar event that almost all of the SM attendees went to and the town and country was the first clip she demonstrated. Then she took the same dog all the way down to a puppy cut.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks, Lynn. I was thinking about using my 4F. I know I am going to be upset how short it is at first. I wish I could get it done professionally the first time so I don't have to do the actual cutting, but I don't trust groomers. I'm also terrified Bailey will fall off the table and hang himself or have a bad first experience and hate to be groomed after that. I am so paranoid, huh?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Really worst that happens is you cut them...which is not the end of the world. 
A 4 will be quite short, but it does grow back so quickly. I use a 3 f or even a 3/4 snap on in the winter for Roo to leave the coat a bit longer.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I don't think you're paranoid at all. I sometimes wished that I could take mine to a groomer to have a particular pattern cut in and then I could just follow it, but, like so many of us, I don't trust others to groom my babies. One time when I was really ill (about 5-6 years ago) and simply could not groom Lacie (only had Lacie then), I made an appt with PetSmart where a Lhasa friend was working as a groomer and promised to do Lacie herself. Jerry took her to PetSmart and my friend was off sick that day. He left Lacie there and she ended up being there for 10 hours. She was so unhappy when she got home and very skittish of grooming for several weeks after this. She had always loved grooming before. I vowed to never use an outside groomer again.

You could always use a comb on the body and if it's not short enough you could take it down more. It easier to take more hair off than put it back on -- although it does grow back pretty quickly. LOL


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

jmm said:


> Really worst that happens is you cut them...which is not the end of the world.
> A 4 will be quite short, but it does grow back so quickly. I use a 3 f or even a 3/4 snap on in the winter for Roo to leave the coat a bit longer.





Lacie's Mom said:


> I don't think you're paranoid at all. I sometimes wished that I could take mine to a groomer to have a particular pattern cut in and then I could just follow it, but, like so many of us, I don't trust others to groom my babies. One time when I was really ill (about 5-6 years ago) and simply could not groom Lacie (only had Lacie then), I made an appt with PetSmart where a Lhasa friend was working as a groomer and promised to do Lacie herself. Jerry took her to PetSmart and my friend was off sick that day. He left Lacie there and she ended up being there for 10 hours. She was so unhappy when she got home and very skittish of grooming for several weeks after this. She had always loved grooming before. I vowed to never use an outside groomer again.
> 
> You could always use a comb on the body and if it's not short enough you could take it down more. It easier to take more hair off than put it back on -- although it does grow back pretty quickly. LOL


Thanks, ladies! I think I'll start with a 3/4" comb so it won't be so much of a shock. That's what I used on Lady except in the real hot weather.

I plan to do it very slowly so hopefully he'll be good. I'll bathe one day, rough cut it the next, then finish it the day after that. He still jumps on my lap when I turn the clippers on, though. This is the same boy who thought grabbing helium balloons by the string and running around with them was fun this weekend at my grandchildren's birthday party! Bailey is pretty fearless once he's had the chance to check something out so hopefully he'll come around about the clippers. Otherwise I guess I'll have to put a sheet over the couch and give him a haircut on my lap!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

I've used the 1/4" clipper comb on mine but I clip in a downward stroke with the hair growth so it's a longer cut. I've noticed on Zoe, since she's bigger, it does cut her hair shorter then the other two. I'm not sure why that is but I can sometimes see a bit of a pink hue on her body right after I do the cut for a couple of days and I never see that on the littler ones. I used to take their bodies down to between 3/4 and 1/2" but then I was having to do haircuts way too often. So we just go down to about 1/4" now no matter the time of year. Mine are dressed most the time so I don't worry about them getting cold with a shorter cut. I just purchased several sizes of the ceramic finish blades to try so I can't advise on that yet. Also, I don't leave a 'skirt' on the body of my 3. Looks too much like a terrier cut imo and I like to have the contrast of the short body hair with the long leg hair. I also like to see a nice 'tuck' area on the belly. I used to clipper the chest but have learned to scissor with thinning shears so we don't get that bald spot where there's a cowlick. My 3 are still growing out a bit in that area. I clipper down the sides and under the tail but not too short. Thankfully mine really don't get messy in that area so I don't have to go so short there. I also on occasion 'thin' the legs with a long clipper comb attachment but not every time. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I also take the clipper between the legs so there is a definite separation between the back two legs and the front two legs. In the latest pics, they had just had a haircut the day before. Their bodies were between 1/4" and 1/2" long.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks, Crystal! That was really helpful. Your three have the perfect haircuts IMO. You do a fantastic job.


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

Oh Marj, I know how your feel truly. Oh how I battled with myself to cut Ana's hair. It was killing me. I even talked to my breeder about it, she just giggled at me . But she said there is nothing wrong at all with cutting your baby down, it will grow back. Because I love harness wear, when I take my kids for a walk, I really had no choice, becuase I was so afraid of it cutting stuck on the velcro.

Oh how I admire you ladies who do it yourself. I wouldn't know where to begin. I do cut my MIL's hair, LOL, but that is slightly different.


This is little Ana's first cut. I think the groomer did a great job based on my strict instructions . The hair grows so fast, so the second time, I did go a tad shorter in the body area. I tell you, you really do come to terms with the shorter cut. My breeder said..awwww she looks like a little puppy again :wub:

Good luck Marj, don't worry about it. I really admire that all of you ladies do it yourself, I think that is great.


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