Maltese Feet

[Maggy]

The maltese ears thread prompted me to ask what do you do with maltese feet? I do one where the body is left about 1.5" long, but when I get down to the feet it ruins the whole haircut. She has teeny little feet so if I trim along the edge it looks like she has parachute pants on, but if I leave the feet longer, it looks messy and un-trimmed. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I've down schnauzers and yorkies with fine, limp hair, and they usually turn out OK.

[k2p1e]

I have the same question! But for my own yorkie, Reg, has cottony thick hair (no limpness here!). His coat is almost a full coat...so the only thing that I like the look of is when I bevel the feet almost like a cocker.

I would love to here how other do it!

[Bearmtn]

Are you leaving the legs that long too? Usually, if I am doing a yorkie or any other dog one and a half inches long on the body, I normally do the legs shorter. I scissor around the bottoms of the feet, than hold the legs out various directions and scissor them up the same length pretty much all the way up the leg and blend into the body. I don't just scissor the back of the legs, but all the way around like poodle or bichon.

[Helly]

Are you leaving the legs that long too? Usually, if I am doing a yorkie or any other dog one and a half inches long on the body, I normally do the legs shorter. I scissor around the bottoms of the feet, than hold the legs out various directions and scissor them up the same length pretty much all the way up the leg and blend into the body. I don't just scissor the back of the legs, but all the way around like poodle or bichon.

I sometimes do the same thing. Other times I leave the leg hair long, so it covers the foot, push it up with one hand and scissor the foot short. (Those notorious Helly Feet). Then let the leg hair down, and you can't tell the foot is short. It just looks bevelled.

It really depends a lot on the amount and texture of the hair on the legs.

[k2p1e]

Now with my yorkie his coat his about 2" from the floor, but his legs are left long like sleeves, and beveled.

With matese with longish coats (1"-2 1/2"), I trim the legs too.

[Maggy]

The problem is, I don't think the hair will bevel, it bends out at the foot. (That makes sense, right?) I'm such a visual person, it would be so easy if I could just show you guys the dog. haha

I usually leave the hair the same length as the body, except this last time I took the body shorter than I meant so I left the legs longer. Its weird because its fluffy but limp at the same time. lol

[shihtzugal]

I agree with trimming the legs, but Im wondering if maybe your cutting the ankle hair too short?
I agree with Helly on letting the leg hair cover the foot. Maybe trim the legs but not too short on the ankles, so it helps cover the foot