How to Groom a Poodle in the Asian Teddy (Asian Fusion) Style
The **Asian Teddy (Asian Fusion)** style is one of the most popular grooming choices for Poodles because it creates a **round, adorable, teddy-bear-like appearance** while still preserving the breed’s elegant features.
1. Coat Preparation
Proper coat preparation is essential before styling:
* Bathe the dog thoroughly using dog-specific shampoo.
* Dry completely, brushing while drying to ensure the coat is fluffy and straight.
* Use a slicker brush to thoroughly brush the entire body, paying special attention to the ears, armpits, belly, and legs.
* Detangle any mats or knots.
* Use clippers to tidy up the belly, anal area, and paws if necessary.
**Note:** The straighter, cleaner, and fluffier the Poodle’s coat, the easier and more beautiful the Asian Teddy styling process will be.
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2. Creating the Round Head
This is the most important part of the Asian Teddy style.
The goal is to create a **round, full head shape** without sharp angles.
* Leave a generous amount of hair length on the top of the head.
* Use straight or curved scissors to create a rounded line from the top of the head down to the cheeks.
* Avoid removing too much hair from the cheek area.
* Ensure a smooth, soft transition between the head, cheeks, and ears.
* Frequently view the dog from the front to check for symmetry.
👉 For Poodles with long faces, you can leave the cheek hair fuller to make the face appear shorter and rounder.
3. Grooming the Teddy-Style Face
**The face is the “soul” of the Asian Teddy style.**
Instead of the traditional Poodle muzzle cut, the Asian Teddy style aims to create the impression of a **short, full, and round muzzle**.
How to do it:
1. Neatly trim the hair around the eyes.
2. Clear the hair from the corners of the eyes to make them stand out.
3. Keep the hair on the cheeks sufficiently thick.
4. Use curved scissors to shape the muzzle into a rounded form. 5. Blend the muzzle into the cheeks smoothly to avoid creating harsh creases.
6. Check both sides to ensure the muzzle is symmetrical.
Avoid cutting the muzzle too short or too close to the skin, as this will ruin the “Teddy face” effect.
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4. Creating large, bright eyes
A recognizable feature of the Asian Fusion style is eyes that look **large, round, and expressive**.
* Trim the hair above and around the eyes neatly.
* Do not let the bangs cover the eyes.
* Clean the area around the inner corners of the eyes.
* Leave an appropriate amount of hair above the eyes to maintain a soft look.
**Tip:** After trimming, stand about 1–2 meters away and look at the dog head-on. If the eyes are obscured or the sides of the face look uneven, make further adjustments with scissors.
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5. Shaping the ears
The ears in the Asian Teddy style are usually kept **soft and natural** rather than being shaped into rigid forms.
You can:
* Keep the ears long enough to reach the chin or slightly lower.
* Trim the edges of the ears into a rounded shape.
* Blend the ears seamlessly into the head shape.
* Avoid leaving the ears too thick, which can make the face look heavy.
Depending on the individual Poodle, the groomer can adjust the ear length to create a more balanced facial appearance.
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6. Trimming the body into a rounded shape
The body hair does not need to be cut too short.
The Asian Teddy style prioritizes a shape that is:
**neat – rounded – soft – balanced.**
* Neaten the back area.
* Maintain a moderately full chest.
* Create a smooth transition from the neck to the shoulders.
* Tidy up the belly area without making the body look too “thin.”
* Ensure both sides of the body are symmetrical.
If the Poodle has a slightly long body, you can leave the chest and legs fuller to create a more balanced overall look.
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7. Creating Teddy-style legs
The legs are what help the overall look resemble a **teddy bear**.
* Keep the leg hair relatively long.
* Create straight, full-looking leg lines.
* Avoid trimming the legs too thin. * Use scissors to shape the fur around the ankles into a rounded form.
* Trim and round off the paws.
Notably, **avoid making the legs look too slender in proportion to the head**. An Asian Teddy style looks best when the head, body, and legs are harmoniously balanced.
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8. Trimming the Paws
You can use clippers to tidy up the fur between the toes and on the pads of the paws.
Then, using scissors:
* Round off the paws.
Remove excess hair around the paws.
Ensure the front and hind legs look relatively balanced.
9. Styling the tail
The tail should retain some volume and be shaped into a soft, round ball or “pom-pom.”
Avoid making the tail too small, as this disrupts the overall proportions relative to the Asian Teddy style’s large head.
✂️ Recommended grooming sequence
For groomers new to the Asian Teddy style, the following order is suggested:
Bathing → drying → brushing → hygiene/sanitary trim → legs → body → tail → ears → head → face → final shaping.
The head and face should be styled last, as these areas define the dog’s overall expression and charm.
Common mistakes
❌ Cutting the head too small
❌ Trimming the cheeks too close, making the face look elongated
❌ Muzzle shaped too pointedly
❌ Asymmetrical sides of the face
❌ Eyes obscured by hair
❌ Ears cut too short or left too heavy
❌ Legs appearing too small relative to the head
❌ Body trimmed too close, losing the soft, fluffy look
Tips for a beautiful Asian Teddy style
There is no single, fixed Asian Teddy template that suits every Poodle. Groomers must adjust the shape based on each dog’s specific head structure, muzzle length, eye placement, ear length, and coat quality.
The ultimate goal: viewed from the front, the face should appear round, full, and balanced—with bright eyes and a soft muzzle—while the body looks neat yet fluffy, resembling a teddy bear.