The Panda clip is ideal for owners who dislike Poodle trims on which the feet, face and tail are closely clipped. It also is a good choice for Poodles that constantly struggle during feet or face clipping, for dogs with foot allergies that are worsened by shaving, for older Poodles and for various Poodle crossbreeds that neither resemble either distinct breed, nor have true Poodle coat texture.

The attractiveness of this trim is that it gives the dog a casual, yet charming, look. Here’s a step by step instruction to achieve the Panda clip:

1. Bathe and fluff dry your dog.
2. Clip the hair from between the pads on the underside of each foot. Do not clip the tops of the feet or between the toes.
3. A clipped tail with a pompon at the end is optional. If no clipping is desired, scissor the tail to a length of about 1 inch all over, with or without a pompon at the end.
4. Stand the Poodle on the grooming table to face you. Ideally, the look you are trying to achieve is that of a neat and natural-looking dog, almost resembling the Bichon Frise, with no closely clipped areas. The hair on the front and back of the neck and the top and underside of the body is clipped or scissored to a length of about
   1 inch.
   Clipping the hair to this length is best accomplished with a medium to long snap-on comb attached to a #30 or #40 blade. This will remove the excess coat and outline the hair to an overall even length. All the clipping is done with the growth of hair, from the head to the tail and down the legs. Begin at the base of the skull, and clip the hair on the back and sides of the neck. Then clip down the middle of the back to the base of the tail. Shorten the hair all over the body and under the chest. Clip over the hindquarters and partially down the back legs. Gently lift up the head and clip downward from the throat to the chest. Clip over the shoulders down to the elbows. When you have finished trimming with the snap-on comb, the hair should be about 1 to 2 inches long, depending on the variety of your Poodle, with longer hair remaining only on the legs, face and head.
5. If you choose to hand scissor the body instead of clipping, begin by fluffing the hair up and out with your comb. Scissor to an even, overall length: the back, over the hips, over the ribs and underneath the chest, over the shoulders, under the ears and down the throat, to give a plush appearance, resembling the look of the Bichon Frise.
6. Stand the dog on the table with the hindquarters facing you. Fluff the hair on the back legs up and out with your comb. Lift the foot and scissor the coat underneath level with the foot pads. Then scissor neatly around each foot to remove any untidy ends and shape the paw round. Do not remove any hair between the toes. Shape each leg evenly all over, following the dog’s natural conformation by showing angulation above the hock joint and the curve of the stifle joint.
7. As you scissor upward toward the body, blend the leg hair evenly into the body coat. The lines should flow smoothly from one area into the other, with no breaks in the hair. Scissor the hair under the tail fairly short. This will make the dog look shorter in body and help to keep the anal area clean.
8. Turn the dog around to stand facing you. Fluff the hair on the front legs up and out with your comb. Scissor neatly around each foot to remove any untidy ends, then shape the paw round. As on the rear, do not remove any hair between the toes. Scissor each front leg evenly into cylindrical shapes, keeping them in balance with the back legs. As you scissor upward toward the chest and shoulders, blend the leg hair evenly into the body coat. Again, the lines should flow smoothly from one area into the other, with no breaks in the hair. Scissor any remaining long hair between the front legs to the same length as the rest of the body.
9. Sit the dog on the grooming table to face you. All the head work is done with shears. Begin by combing out the facial hair. Then use blunt-tipped shears to trim an indentation (like an inverted V) between the eyes. The hair here should be short. After the V is formed, shorten the hair at the inside corners of each eye with shears, going across the bridge of the nose and under the eyes, gradually increasing the length of hair as you scissor toward the sides of the face and the ears. Lift each ear as you scissor neatly underneath, to make them lie close to the head when they hang in a natural position. Comb the moustache and beard hair and shape it into the German style.
10. Comb the topknot hair upward and slightly forward. Shorten the topknot in front to prevent hair from falling into the eyes. Then shape the rest of the head. On this trim, the topknot follows the natural round shape of the skull, with more hair remaining in the center of the head, then tapering to the sides. The hair at the back of the skull blends into the hair on the neck. At the sides of the head, the topknot blends into the ear feathering. Unlike most other Poodle styles, on the Panda trim there is little or no scissored separation between the topknot and the ears.
11. Comb the ear feathering downward, and round the ends with your shears to remove any untidy hairs or excessive length for an overall balanced appearance.