When the dog has its legs and feet trimmed with a #7F, #5F, #4F or a #2 comb, the foot should be detailed and edged when trimming the pads. There is very little we can do on these low maintenance trims to camouflage poor conformation. Neat and clean grooming is the main goal of the bladed foot style.

• Much of the foot and the pad area can be neatened when the pads are clipped.
• Hold the leg up brushing the coat down over the foot prior to clipping the pad. Once the coat is brushed, slide your hand down the foot. Your first finger and thumb will wrap around the outer edges of the foot pad. They will be your guide and buffer as you edge the foot minimizing cutting too far up the sides of the foot.
• After clipping, if there are long strays around the foot, use thinning shears to trim them evenly with the rest of the coat. Small detail shears are used for the edges. Sometimes using the same blade that was used on the overall trim can be used in reverse, gently, to safely neaten the toe area.

The key to getting the top of the foot smooth with this trim style is holding the foot in such a manner that your blades can be effective. On small- to medium-sized dogs, use a hold that is comfortable for the dog, yet holds the foot rigid. For the front legs, simply stand in front of the dog and wrap your fingers around the top of the leg, just above the elbow. Squeeze gently. The foot will become rigid as you squeeze and relax when you loosen the hold.

For the back legs, place your thumb on top of the ischium bone, just under the tail — stretch out the rest of your fingers to the stifle area just above the knee. Lift the leg slightly, squeezing gently. The foot will become rigid — as the hold is relaxed, so will the foot.

Tips for Clipping the Foot

• Round the foot and clip the pads at the same time.
• On dogs that you just can’t get smooth over the top of the foot, try reversing a blade that is two lengths longer than the one used with the overall haircut.
• Back brush the foot with a heavy slicker brush before clipping the foot and the toe area.