What is ‘puppy cut’ ?

Dogs in puppyhood are quite messy, so for long-haired pups it’s better to cut the hair around the mouth shorter, so it won’t be full of food all the time A puppy cut is basically the short cut for puppies, which is about the same length on all parts of the body. The fur is about 1/2 inch long, which gives a cute, fluffy look.
Maybe for the first cut it is worth to take your Maltese to a groomer, just to see how it goes. You’ll probably pay a real fortune, but later on it can be done by you too, it just takes a bit of practice.

How to do it?

First, let’s see the things you’ll need:
- towel
- a wide-toothed and a fine-toothed steel comb
- electric clippers
- scissors
Always give your dog a bath before grooming, it is very important to be clean while being groomed. After drying, place your dog on a towel, or something soft, to feel comfortable.
First, groom the hair with a wide-tooth comb, it won’t be too hard, as Maltese dogs don’t really shed. If you find a large knot or mat, don’t be afraid to cut it off carefully. The second step is to brush the hair with a fine-toothed comb. For the third step, you can start trimming with an electric groomer. When doing a puppy cut, the fur has to be trimmed around the puppy’s ears, eyes, toes and rear end too. The style of the hair on the face is totally up to you, but it is advised to cut it quite short, so it won’t bother while eating. In case you prefer to keep it long, use a rubber band or a ribbon. It is also very common to leave the hair long on the tail.
As you can see, doing a puppy cut seems quite simple, but let’s not forget to be precise and careful all the time. Watch out for not cutting it too short at the first time (and in the winter) because this way they can easily catch a cold.
Good luck for the first cut!
Please feel free to comment if you have a question or you are a professional with a lot of experience to share!

Grooming your own dog can be a fun activity for both of you, provided that you are confident in what you are doing is right. This video set is going to teach you just that: how to have a good time and save money at the same time. There are a lot of things you should be a aware of before you start grooming your Maltese yourself. For instance, what equipment to use (clippers, blades, shears) and what areas you must take extreme care of. You should not start your home grooming experience, unless you know all these things, otherwise you can end up spending long hours grooming your dog or even hurting it. However, with the  Dog Grooming Instructional How To Video Set you can gather enough knowledge on grooming, to start your own grooming business!

Whether you want to become a pro groomer or just save money on grooming bills, this video set can get you where you want to be.

Brushing of the teeth is also needed to remove plague that may cause gum irritation. It was noted that toy dogs have more plague due to their lack of chewing or biting. So having chew toys are also a good tip. Tearstains are also present with this breed. If not cleaned regularly it could cause irritations. To prevent this, a daily washing and wiping of the face with a washcloth will do wonders for the dog. Grooming simply isn’t combing or brushing but the overall care of your Maltese.

If matting develops, use your fingers to part them and a fine toothed comb to finish removal.  The removal should be prior to bathing because mats are harder to manage when wet.  Eyes may get irritated by the hair so it can either be clipped or tie up with a bow. The ears should be inspected once a week for infection due to the hair in them. Some owners may opt to have a “puppy cut” or shorten the hair but the grooming regimen still applies.

A show-dog Maltese: