# Papillon feet?



## PappyMom (Jun 5, 2009)

So, I know that Paps get a 'hare-like cut' on their feet..meaning it kind of comes to a triangle at the very front and that is how I've always done it..but recently we got Gizmo groomed, and she rounded the feet. I have to say..I think I actually like the rounded look better?

I'm asking because I'm about to do Roxy's myself, as today's my grooming/training/spa day with Roxy. (The dog's each get their own day, once a week, where I really try to focus on them. The rest of the days I work with the 3 together.) What do you guys like better, the 'hare' cut or the rounded?


----------



## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Papillons are only suposed to get their pads trimmed and the rest of the foot is supposed to be left alone. That said, I prefer a nice trimmed foot myself, but then again I have aussies and I trim their feet monthly.


----------



## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I trim them to breed standard but I can't see why a rounded foot would hurt. For example our cavalier always gets her feet trimmed neatly but the standard says to leave it all hairy. Just do whichever you think looks good.


----------



## dtails (Mar 8, 2010)

I like Papillon feet groomed like Golden or Sheltie feet personally.


----------



## PappyMom (Jun 5, 2009)

Michiyo-Fir said:


> I trim them to breed standard but I can't see why a rounded foot would hurt. For example our cavalier always gets her feet trimmed neatly but the standard says to leave it all hairy. Just do whichever you think looks good.


LOL, well you see, I didn't mind it on Gizmo when she did it, maybe because nothing about him is breed standard, aside from those humongous ears. I question doing it on Roxy, because she's more of a 'quality pap'. I guess it doesn't matter much, since I don't show them, and it will always grow back..


----------



## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I prefer the hare foot to the cat foot. Crystal's feet get pretty hairy, so I trim them into a nice hare-shaped foot, then clean all of the hair from the bottoms of her feet.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Actually Keechak you're supposed to neaten up the sides too. I personally wouldn't give them a cat foot. Their feet are shaped very differently than my shelties were. I rounded the shelties but I keep the papillons all in a show cut hare foot.


----------



## sizzledog (Nov 23, 2008)

When I groomed Papillons, I gave them the correct hare foot... but I always secretly wished I could round up their feet and give them adorable little round (or at least oval) feet. I can't help what my preferences are... 

I'd say if the dog is just a pet, trim the feet however you want them to look.

Question - I know Paps are supposed to have that hare foot, but why? Is there a purpose to it, or is it an aesthetic preference?


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

It's just for aesthetics as far as I know. They have really long feet comparatively anyways as I'm sure you noticed. There would be no way I could get their feet to look nice and compact like my shelties were. I'm just glad we at least trim the foot unlike the cav people. I can't take a messy looking foot.


----------



## BostonBelle (Mar 8, 2010)

If you aren't showing the dog I would say do whichever you like best, or what makes your dog look best.


----------



## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Cadence always had rounded feet... mostly because he's still growing out his fur, I think. The fur around his feet is starting to get longer, and it's just making trimming his nails THAT much harder now.. considering I have to trim them every couple of days. We'll see how it goes. I might keep his feet trimmed like a cat. Just for convenience sake!


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Laurelin said:


> It's just for aesthetics as far as I know. They have really long feet comparatively anyways as I'm sure you noticed. There would be no way I could get their feet to look nice and compact like my shelties were. I'm just glad we at least trim the foot unlike the cav people. I can't take a messy looking foot.


I trim Dudes feet like a golden or a sheltie, but his feet ARE compact. He broke his front left foot when he was about 2, and since then it's been almost impossible to get that foot to look "right". Dude doesn't grow his feet full enough to look good (they look someone did a sloppy job on a goldens foot and it's been grown out for 2 weeks), so they just look better rounded. I've never trimmed Tags feet.
Not the best pic, but you can kind of get the gist of how I trim Dudes feet (this was taken shortly after he passed his TDI and did a bit of TDI work)


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

It looks nice and neat and clean but it just doesn't look right to me, lol. I know it really doesn't matter in the long run though. My dogs have long feet when compared to my shelties. This isn't my dog but here's the shape I go for when trimming feet.

















Clean but it keeps the distinct pap look to me.


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Laurelin said:


> It looks nice and neat and clean but it just doesn't look right to me, lol. I know it really doesn't matter in the long run though. My dogs have long feet when compared to my shelties. This isn't my dog but here's the shape I go for when trimming feet.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's how we keep Pride and Jazz's feet, and I will probably take the plunge and decide to "neaten" Tags feet up at some point like that 
I used thinners once to "shape" Dudes feet, and all it did was make him look like he was wearing elf shoes


----------



## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

I've never really been told how to trim Papillon paws, so I just clip around the bottom of each paw pad and then hold the paw up and cut the edges into a general V shape. Personally I don't really think a rounded look would make a lot of sense because at least Basil's paws ARE pointy, lol! I don't really know, does this look right? 


















Pappymom, personally I think you should just do what you think looks cutest, lol! I actually secretly kind of want a breed whose fur continually grows, like a poodle or a yorkie, so I can cut it into all sorts of crazy 'do's, lol! I wouldn't stick to breed standard at ALL! Lol!

[EDIT]Laurelin- Do those Papillons have long fur growing off the backs of their hocks? I've never seen that, lol! Is that typical? Obviously you can tell that Basil's hocks are pretty smooth, but he's not exactly show quality or anything


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Nargle said:


> [EDIT]Laurelin- Do those Papillons have long fur growing off the backs of their hocks? I've never seen that, lol! Is that typical? Obviously you can tell that Basil's hocks are pretty smooth, but he's not exactly show quality or anything


Yep, they generally grow fur on the back of the hocks too. I cut it all off on mine though so that's why they don't look like they have any hair on the back of their legs.  I did that to my shelties' back legs too.


----------



## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

As mentioned, I trim Crystal's feet into the hare shape. I also trim her hocks and her front "ankles" (I find those difficult to trim properly!). Then I just do a bit of tidying up around the back end (with thinning shears) because Crystal has very fluffy breeches and I'd rather not have poop hitting that hair on its way down, haha. I don't cut off her whiskers, aside from the two at the base of her muzzle that grow backwards... I just don't like the look of those two.

I like this page for showing how to groom papillons.


----------

