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21 Bichon Frise Haircuts & Grooming Styles in 2024 (With Pictures)

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Groomer trimming a Bichon Frise dog

Bichon Frises are toy dogs with delightful personalities. They are playful, goofy, fun, and adorable. And yes, they have curly, brilliant white fur that requires more than average grooming and maintenance.

It takes being crafty with your trimmers to ensure your furry friend always looks their best.

Today, we unveil some of the best haircuts and grooming styles for Bichon Frises. In this article, you’ll find everything from basic styles ideal for beginners to complex hairdos that will push your dog’s looks to the next level. Read on.

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The 16 Bichon Frise Haircuts & Grooming Styles

1. Teddy Bear Cut

The Teddy Bear cut, commonly called the Panda Bear Cut, is among the most popular hairdos for Bichon Frise dogs. It’s relatively easy to maintain and works best for pet parents with busy lifestyles. First, trim the body fur to achieve a medium-length coat and aim to keep it at one to two inches long throughout the body.

Also, the hair at the top of the head should be longer to allow accessorizing with hair bows. Your doggo will look gorgeous with a bright-hued ponytail bow and a matching collar. You also want to leave longer fur around the ears to give your dog a longer face.


2. The Puppy Cut

The Puppy Cut, also called the Pet Cut, is similar to the Panda Cut in that you should clip the hair to medium length throughout the body. The main difference is that the fur on top of the head and around the ears should be shorter. If you must leave longer hair on top of the head, shape it into a square to give your pet that cute puppy look.

The Puppy Cut is one of the easiest styles to maintain, mainly because the short coat length is easier to brush. It does not trap debris and generally remains tangle-free, provided you brush your dog’s coat at least twice weekly.


3. The Round Head

As the name suggests, the Round Head haircut will give your dog that perfect circular face. Although it provides a simplistic look, it is one of the most popular haircuts for Bichon Frises.

It’s fairly easy to maintain, and you only need to freshen the trim once a month.

You must work your trimmers around the dog’s head to ensure it appears round from the front and sides. Leave fur around the ears and ensure they remain hidden to achieve symmetry. Again, chop the body coat to about an inch long and leave the tail slightly fluffy.


4. The Cute Face

The Cute Face and the Round Head are similar in that their objective is to make the face appear more circular. However, they are different because the Cute Face involves cutting the fur closer to the face. The ears and muzzle must remain above the round definition of the rest of the hair.

Compared to the Round Head, the Cute Face haircut is more manageable because the furs around the muzzle don’t trap food and debris. It offers an easier means to keep your pet clean and neat.


5. The Lamb Cut

Another hairdo you must consider for your Bichon Frise is the Lamb Cut. This involves trimming the fur on the legs and body to about an inch long. You can leave slightly longer hair around the ears and on top of the head to showcase your dog’s curls and give it a baby-lamb appeal.

Like most haircuts for Bichon Frises, the Lamb Cut is interpreted in different ways. You’ll need to be quite descriptive, especially when getting the hairdo from a groomer. Fortunately, it’s a beginner-friendly grooming style that can be done at home with scissors or a clipper.


6. The Show Cut

The Show Cut, also known as the Classic Bichon Cut, is an upscale style that will upgrade your pet’s looks. It is ideal for both male and female Bichon Frises and mainly involves giving your pet a fluffy look. Unfortunately, it is not the easiest cut to achieve or maintain.

To achieve the Show Cut, the coat must be several inches long. Using only a pair of scissors, trim the guard hairs to a point where they appear coarse and curly. The undercoat must remain thick and puffy for your pet to achieve that perfect cotton ball look.

If you opt for this hairdo, brush your dog’s fur frequently to keep the undercoat tangle-free.

bichon frise
Image By: Eudyptula, Shutterstock

7. The Utility Cut

The Utility Cut is probably the easiest haircut to maintain and is one of the most practical hairdos for hot summers. And even with basic hair-trimming skills, it’s easy to achieve

If you desire to give your Bichon Frise a Utility Cut, you must chop down all the fur to a little over half an inch. Before you proceed, beware that this is not the most flattering hairstyle for a toy dog because it does not showcase its curls. Still, you can use accessories to give your pet show-stopping looks.


8. The Bell Ear

The Bell Ear Trim is another classic Bichon Frise hairdo that can turn your furry friend into the cutest pet on the block. It’s pretty simple to achieve and is also not troublesome to maintain.

First, cut the body fur to at least an inch long. Second, leave longer hair around the ears so that they drape down and accentuate the head’s shape. It would help if you also gave the tail a neat trim and left it fluffed like a cotton ball.

Put emphasis on showcasing your dog’s ears to achieve an overall charming look.


9. The Regular Dog

The Regular Dog Cut will give your Bichon Frise that neat trimmed-back look. This hairdo is easy to maintain, provided you keep up with the needed coat grooming routines.

You must cut the fur close to the body without leaving it overly fluffed out. Also, give your pet a closer trim around the ears to leave them more revealed. The Regular Dog may have that classic Bichon Frise look, but it takes a lot of skill to bring out the style as intended.

Bored Bichon Frise
Image By: gabrijelagal, Shutterstock

10. The Fluffy Ears

Yet another low-maintenance haircut for Bichon Frises is the Fluffy Ear. This is the perfect hairdo to consider if you prefer not to spend most of your time brushing your pet’s hair. As the name suggests, among its most appealing and prominent attributes is the fluffy ears.

To bring out this hairdo, trim the hair around the body and muzzle as low as possible with your clippers and leave the fur around the ears longer and fluffed out. Again, accessories like a dog collar can make your furry friend irresistibly cute.


11. The Long Hair

Bichon Frises look extra cute with longer locks. Even though styles like the Long Hair require more maintenance to prevent tangles and matting, they look particularly attractive on this canine breed.

Although the hairdo is called “Long Hair”, you must cut the body fur short. The hair at the top of the head and the tip of the tail should be longer. You don’t even need to accessorize it, and you can let it drape down like human hair.

white bichon frise dog smiling with green apples on the floor
Image Credit: JoyceMcCombs, Pixabay

12. The Lion

Your Bichon Frise will feel warmer with a longer coat during the cold months. This is where The Lion comes in handy. The style features longer hair on the body and a fluffy mane like a lion’s mane.

Begin by trimming around the eyes to ensure your dog maintains a good range of vision. You can further give it that lion-like appearance by chopping the furs around the legs and torso. Make sure you leave the tail long and bushy to make your toy dog look as fierce as possible and achieve a proportionate look, given the mane size.


13. The Helmet

The Helmet Hairdo resembles the Cute Face and the Round Head but you’ll need to be extra crafty with your trimmers. Your goal is to make your pet appear like it’s wearing a helmet. The fur on the body should be trimmed relatively short to make the “helmet head” stand out.

The helmet is a unique hairdo ideal for showcasing your dog’s gorgeous curls. However, it’s not an easy hairdo to achieve or maintain.

bichon frise dogs near tree
Image Credit: Eudyptula, Shutterstock

14. The Square Head

The Square Head and the Round Head are similar in that they deliberately shape the dog’s head into a specific shape. As the name implies, the Square Head involves making precise trims to give the head a block shape.

Start by trimming the body coat short and also chop the fur on the legs and tail. You can then start shaping the dog’s head and chopping just enough hair to leave the ears tucked into the fur. Because this hairdo involves leaving significant amounts of hair around the head, it requires a lot of upkeep to save your animal from looking unruly.

bichon frise
Image Credit: Eudyptula, Shutterstock

15. The Bushy Tail

If you are looking for an easy-to-maintain hairdo that can give your doggo great aesthetics, consider the Bushy hair. You’ll only need to occasionally brush your pet’s coat to keep things neat, especially around the rear.

Give your Bichon Frise a close trim around the nose, muzzle, and ears, and leave them almost bare. Also, trim the body fur to at least an inch long but leave the hair on the tail longer and bushier.

bichon frise puppy is given a treat
Image Credit: sergey kolesnikov, Shutterstock

16. The Egg Head

A lot of hairdos follow the concept of the Round Head. The Egg Head is almost similar, only that it involves trimming the facial fur to resemble an egg’s shape. According to most pet parents, the easiest way to achieve the style is to leave slightly more hair around the cheeks and give your dog a wider-longer face appearance.

You must also cut the body fur short to incorporate the grooming style into your dog’s looks. The idea is to make the head shape the center of attention. A colorful collar can do justice to your dog’s overall aesthetics by drawing attention to its head.

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Final Thoughts

Choosing the right haircut for your Bichon Frise has never been easier. You only need to select a style that matches your skill level when handling your clippers or scissors. Also, settle for a hairdo whose maintenance you won’t find overly burdensome. This assures an easier time keeping your furry friend looking its best.

Simplistic styles like The Utility Cut are popular because of their ease of maintenance. However, it is the fancy and upscale hairdos like the Show Cut that will turn heads as you take your doggo for a walk. It pays to experiment outside your comfort zone and even attempt personalized styles once you get comfortable with your clippers.

 

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Featured Image Credit: Studio Peace, Shutterstock

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