The top knot style is used on such long coated , drop coated breeds as the Shih Tzu or Maltese to keep their hair out of their eyes. In the dog world, tied up top knots are used on many breeds or mixed breeds with this coat type. The hair is effectively caught up onto the top of the head with small elastic bands.

On light coated dogs, hair can be pulled up into a single top knot and held in place with an elastic band. Start by thoroughly brushing the top knot coat. Mist it slightly with an anti-static spray to make it easier to pull smoothly together at the top of the head. Pull up a section of coat from the center part of the head and band it with a small elastic band.

On dogs with moderate to heavy coats, single top knots stay in place better by combining two ponytails at the center of the headpiece. For the second ponytail, pull up the section just behind the eyes and gather it into the existing ponytail.

If the coat is moderate, use another band to combine this section with the first ponytail. If the coat is really heavy, you may wish to band the second ponytail itself before combining it with the first ponytail using a third band.

Depending on the size and shape of the skull, you can use the eyes as a reference point to determine the amount of coat to gather into the band. On some dogs, the reference point will start at the center of the eye, others at the outer corners of the eyes.

Once the coat is gathered into one top knot, slide a comb between the skull and the elastic band to ensure that only hair is caught up within the elastic and not skin. Finish out the top knot by applying a small bow. Such multiple-banded top knots stay in place better because there is lesser amount of coat being gathered into each ponytail.

To create buttons, find the center of the skull and create an even part using the center part as a base point. Working from either the mid-point of the eye or the back corner, part off a semi-circle going toward the ears and back to the center part.

Gather the hair into a smooth ponytail and begin banding it off. As you come to the last pass of pulling the coat through the elastic band, do not pull the coat all the way through, rather leave it in a small button just off center of the skull. Repeat on the other side. Finish the top knot with tiny, matching bows.

Banding Off Top Knots

• Use small, sturdy elastic bands like those used by orthodontists.
• Use as many wraps with the band as you can to hold the ponytails or buttons firmly in place.
• Always slide a comb between the top knot band and the skull to ensure no loose skin is caught up in the band holding the top knot.
• After creating buttons, minimize how much they are handled when applying the bows.