Elevate Your Grooming
Butterfly Ears: Not Just for Papillons! typography
a light brown yorkie with large long haired ears stands on a grooming table before their cut
a light brown yorkie with large long haired ears stands on a grooming table after their cut
butterfly graphic
by Blake Hernandez

N ow of course we have gorgeous Papillons named after their distinctive butterfly ears, but what about giving other dogs this cute and expressive look? Here I’ll demonstrate this ear style on a yorkie, but it can also be executed on other breeds that possess long, flowing coat on the ears.

Fig 1) Start by tipping the ears, but less is more here. You basically want to shave less than ¼” down the tip of the ear. Here I’m using a #15 blade.

Fig 2) Make sure not to edge the ear into too pointy of a shape. A curved ear tip grows out a little cuter than a pointy ear will, which will be more foxlike.

the left ear is tipped and trimmed
the tip of the right ear is shown with the surrounding hair held out of the way
Fig 3) Use small scissors so you can see the length of the entire blade. Always scissor away from the dog’s head.

Fig 4) Next you’ll create a clear delineated line that separates the head from the neck. Here I’m using a #7F in reverse on the throat latch.

the right ear is trimmed with small scissors
the head is held upward as clippers are ran along the center of the neck
Fig 5) This is the key part. Use your clipper down the cheek in a straight and clear line that sets the ear back. Do not try to blend in front of the butterfly ear; you want a stark line.

Fig 6) Here you can see the distinct line with the ear pulled back.

clippers trim a straight line down the left cheek
the ear is pulled back to show the distinct line down the left cheek
Fig 7) Using a #40 blade, come from the lip corner to outline the lip line, clipping against the grain.

Fig 8) Use a fine-toothed comb to lift the hair towards the eyes.

clippers are ran along the left lip, against the grain
the head is held up with the lip and nose hair combed back toward the eye
Fig 9) Then use a thinning shear at a 45-degree angle in front of the inside eye corner before connecting through the stop.

Fig 10) To finish, thin the face down and blend it together. Think short and smooth like a Papillon’s face because that will help the ears to pop.

thinning shears at a 45-degree angle connect the trim from the inside corner of the eye to the stop
thinning shears shorten and blend the face hair

This works great on yorkies, of course, but I find a lot of terriers kept in pet trims can grow ear hair like this, too. Most may be more wiry and not as flowy but the shape and expression still remain. Give it a try!

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