Mini Eskimo Grooming Styles

The mini American Eskimo is characterized by a large, white fluffy coat that turns heads wherever this beauty goes. Maintaining regular healthy grooming habits is essential to this breed to prevent unsightly and possibly painful tangles and mats.

Many pet owners who show their dogs go for a more natural look, with the feet trimmed, the legs and body trimmed to a medium length and the hair around the neck, tail and back of the legs left long, usually around 4 to 5 inches.

The foxy cut is particularly suited to mini American Eskimos due to their light fluffy coats. In this cut, the hair around the neck is left long while the rest of the body is trimmed closely. The foxy cut is similar to a lion cut used on other breeds like the Yorkshire terrier, but in this cut the rest of the hair is trimmed by hand and left a little longer to preserve the thick undercoat.

Whatever style you choose for your mini American Eskimo, make sure that you have the groomer keep your dog's belly, the area around the anus and genitalia and the area at the base of his tail closely trimmed. This will ensures the area will not easily mat, possibly causing infections. This is especially important if you leave the rest of the coat long, because the longer hair is more likely to hold debris and get tangled near problem areas.

Although it might be tempting to shave your American Eskimo to lessen the effects of his shedding or to prevent him from getting hot in the summer time, do not ever let a groomer shave his undercoat. This can permanently damage it, never allowing it to properly grow in again. Trimming the coat by hand will ensure the coat is not cut too closely and will remain intact to properly insulate your pup's body from the elements as it is supposed to.