There’s a few ear style you can choose from, when grooming your dog. Here’s the most popular ones and how it is done:

• Shaved or Teddy Ear
• Short Ear
• Medium Ear
• Long Ear
• Tasseled Ear

With all ear styles, double check the length and balance from ear to ear. They should be equal in length and in balance.

Double-check the line at the junction of the head and at the ear bulbs. This line should be neat and softly blended. Under the ear, just in front of the ear canal, the hair should be short and tidy.

For dogs whose ears drag in their food or water dishes, trim the ears to the length of the nose to solve the problem of constantly wet, greasy and dirty ears.

Shaved or Teddy Ear

Clip the outside of the ear leather with a #10 or #15 blade. Work out from the center of the ear toward the edges. Always keep the clipper blade at right angles to the outside edge of the ear leather. Otherwise, the leather could feed between the cutting teeth, resulting in a nicked ear.

Hold and brace the ear with your fingers while clipping. A #40 can be used with a soft touch on the inside and around the ear canal. Edge the ear with small detailing shears, keeping the tips of the shears toward the tips of the ears.

A more coated look to the ear leather can be achieved by using longer blades from a #7F to longer guard combs. These longer cutting lengths are a bit more risky to the pet because the ear leather can easily slip between the cutting teeth if the proper technique is not used.

Done correctly, the result is a cute, low maintenance style that instantly makes the dog look like a puppy again.

Short Ear

This bobbed ear style offers a nice balance to many round head styles. Trim the ear furnishing to about an inch from the bottom of the ear leather. Gently round the edge, giving it a nice curve or leave it blunt cut. If the line is too sharp, soften it with thinning shears.

Medium Ear

For short-muzzled dogs, this ear length will be about an inch or two beyond the length of the muzzle. On dogs with longer faces, trim the ears to the end of the nose. Gently round the edge, giving it a nice curve or leave it blunt cut. If the line is too sharp, soften it with thinning shears.

Long Ear

Long ears can be left totally natural or trimmed slightly, either with shears or thinning shears.

Tasseled Ear

Clip the bulk of the outside of the ear leather with a #10 or #15 blade, leaving the fur on the lower third to half of the ear leather. Work out from the center of the ear toward the edges. Always keep the clipper blade at right angles to the outside edge of the ear leather as you clip.

If the leather feeds between the cutting teeth, a nicked ear is likely. Hold and brace the ear with your fingers while clipping. A #40 can be used with a soft touch on the inside and around the ear canal.

Edge the ear with small detailing shears, keeping the tips of the shears toward the tips of the ears. Shape the tassel or leave it natural.