You’ve made the grooming appointment. You drop off your dog, your groomer asks what you’d like today, and you confidently say:

“Just a puppy cut.”

There’s only one problem.

Your definition of a puppy cut, your groomer’s definition of a puppy cut and the haircut currently living inside your imagination may be three completely different things.

And that’s okay.

You don’t need to speak groomer to communicate with your groomer. But giving us the right information—and preferably a few photos—can make a huge difference in getting the haircut you’re picturing.

So, what should you actually tell your groomer?

First: Bring Photos

This is probably the easiest way to communicate what you like.

If you have a photo of your own dog after a haircut you loved, that’s ideal. It gives your groomer a realistic reference based on your dog’s actual coat, anatomy and proportions.

If you don’t have one, inspiration photos of other dogs are absolutely helpful too.

But there’s an important catch:

Try to choose a dog that looks somewhat like yours.

If you have a Maltese and show us a photo of a Toy Poodle, we can absolutely talk about the elements you like—but your Maltese isn’t leaving with Poodle hair.

Different breeds and individual dogs have different coat textures, density, growth patterns, coloring and anatomy.

Think of the reference photo as inspiration, not a guarantee of an identical result.

We can recreate the haircut.

We cannot exchange your dog’s genetics.

Tell Us What You Like About the Photo

This might be even more useful than simply showing us the picture.

What exactly caught your attention?

Maybe you love:
The round face.
The fluffy ears.
The short body.
The fuller legs.
The tiny teddy-bear muzzle.
The long topknot.
The dramatic bell-bottom legs.

Point it out.

Sometimes a client shows us a photo assuming we understand which part they want, while we’re looking at an entirely different feature.

You might be showing us a picture because you love the ears.

We’re staring at it thinking, Okay, beautiful round head.

Communication saves lives.

Or at least haircuts.

“Puppy Cut” Doesn’t Tell Us As Much As You Think

This is probably one of the most common requests in pet grooming.

“I want a puppy cut.”

The problem is that, in everyday pet grooming, people use “puppy cut” to describe all kinds of different styles and lengths.

One person means half an inch all over.

Another means a fluffy teddy-bear haircut.

Another means, “Make him look exactly like he did when he was four months old.”

Your groomer unfortunately does not have access to the time machine required for option three.

Instead of relying only on a haircut name, talk about length, shape and the features you want to keep or change.

“Short, But Not Too Short” Is Also Open to Interpretation

We hear this one a lot too.

The problem is that “short” is subjective.

So is “fluffy.”

And don’t even get us started on “just take a little off.”

Your groomer’s little and your little may not be the same little.

If you’re unsure about measurements, that’s completely fine. You don’t need to walk into the salon asking for a specific blade or comb attachment.

Show us with your fingers.

Tell us:
“I want about half of this length gone.”
“I want the body shorter but the legs fluffy.”
“I don’t want to see skin.”
“I want enough length that she still looks fluffy.”
“I want this much left on the ears.”

That’s information we can work with.

Tell Us About Your Lifestyle

The prettiest haircut isn’t necessarily the best haircut for your life.

Be honest with your groomer about how much maintenance you’re realistically going to do at home.

Do you brush every day?

Amazing. You may be able to maintain considerably more coat.

Do you brush once a week?

We can work with that.

Do you currently own a brush but aren’t entirely sure where it is?

Also useful information.

There’s no judgment.

We would much rather design a haircut that works for your actual lifestyle than give you something beautiful on pickup day that becomes unmanageable two weeks later.

Longer, fluffier styles generally require more frequent brushing, bathing and professional maintenance.

If you want lower maintenance, tell us.

The best haircut is one that looks great on your dog and that you can realistically maintain.

Tell Us What You DON’T Like

This is incredibly helpful.

Sometimes it’s easier to describe what you don’t want than what you do.

Maybe you hate very short ears.
Maybe you don’t like a mustache.
Maybe you prefer a round face rather than a long muzzle.
Maybe your dog’s last haircut made their legs look too skinny.
Maybe you absolutely do not want the tail shortened.
Tell us.

A simple comment like “I loved the last haircut, but I’d like the face slightly shorter this time” gives your groomer a clear direction.

And if you’re returning to the same salon, tell us what you loved about the previous groom too.

We want to know when we got it right.

Your Dog’s Coat Condition Gets a Vote

This is the part nobody loves hearing, but it’s important.

Sometimes the haircut you want isn’t possible that day. If your dog arrives with significant matting, your groomer may not be able to safely leave the coat as long as you’d hoped.

We always have to balance aesthetics with the dog’s comfort.

Trying to preserve a long haircut by brushing through severe matting can be uncomfortable, stressful and unfair to the dog.

In those situations, we may recommend going shorter and then creating a maintenance schedule that allows us to work toward your desired style over future appointments.

Sometimes the dream haircut is a process, not a single appointment.

And that’s perfectly okay.

Your Dog’s Anatomy Matters Too

One of my favorite things about grooming is that a great haircut is designed around the individual dog.

Two Poodles can receive the exact same haircut and still look completely different.

Why?

Their bodies are different.

One may have longer legs. Another may have a longer back. One may have a narrow face. Another may have a wider muzzle. Ear placement, neck length, tail set, coat density and natural proportions all influence the final silhouette.

At Mimo, we don’t simply think about how much hair we’re removing.

We think about what we’re creating with the hair that’s left.

Sometimes we’ll adjust proportions slightly to make legs appear longer, create a more balanced body, emphasize a beautiful neck or make a face appear rounder.

That’s where grooming starts becoming design.

Be Open to Your Groomer’s Suggestions

You should absolutely tell us what you want.

But a good consultation is a conversation.

Your groomer may suggest making one area slightly longer or shorter because of your dog’s proportions.

They may recommend a different style for the coat texture. They may explain that the reference photo requires more maintenance than your current schedule allows.

That’s not your groomer ignoring your request.

Ideally, it’s your groomer figuring out how to translate what you love into something that works on your dog.

If someone shows me a reference photo, I’m not necessarily trying to copy every inch of it.

I’m trying to understand:

What do you love about this?

Then I can interpret those elements for the dog standing in front of me.

What If I Don’t Know What I Want?

This is actually one of my favorite answers from a client:

“I don’t know. What do you think would look good?”

If you trust your groomer, giving them some creative freedom can lead to a haircut you might never have thought to request.

You can still give us boundaries.

For example:

“Do whatever you think looks best, but keep the ears long.”

Or:

“I trust you with the style. I just want something relatively lowmaintenance.”

That gives us creative direction without leaving us completely in the dark.

Because “Do whatever you want” followed by “Oh… not that” is a plot twist we’d all prefer to avoid.

The Perfect Grooming Consultation Is Actually Pretty Simple

You don’t need to know grooming terminology.
You don’t need to know blade numbers.
You don’t need to know exactly how many inches of coat your dog has.

Just tell us:

What do you like? What don’t you like? How much maintenance are you willing to do? And do you have a photo?

From there, a good groomer should be able to guide you.

And if your expectations aren’t realistic because of coat type, condition or anatomy, they should explain why and offer an alternative rather than simply saying no.

Ultimately, the goal isn’t for you to become an expert in dog grooming.

That’s our job.

Your job is to tell us how you want your dog to look and live.

Our job is to figure out how to get as close to that vision as possible while keeping your dog comfortable, safe and looking incredible.

Find Your Dog’s Look at Mimo

At Mimo, the consultation is part of the creative process.

Whether you want a practical maintenance haircut, a beautiful breed-inspired style, Asian Fusion, hand stripping or something considerably more creative, we’ll work with your dog’s individual coat, anatomy and personality to find a look that works.

Visit us at our La Jolla or University Heights grooming studios in San Diego, bring your inspiration photos and tell us what you love.

And if all you know is:
“I want them to look really cute.”

Don’t worry.
We’ve got a few ideas.