Mine gets matted behind her ears within a week of a new groom, and I know that yours does too. Your adorable, fluffy little face turns into a tangled, scraggly mess almost too fast to be believable.
And that’s not cheap. You make an appointment, pay a small fortune and then 2 weeks later your little pup looks like they got in a fight with a ceiling fan.
The truth is, the cut matters more than the frequency. A good haircut for a morkie can make the coat easy to maintain longer and make your dog look Pinterest-worthy between visits to the groomer.
These 11 styles are the ones that actually work for Morkies (the texture, the size, and the general vibe).
#1: The “Big Ears Baby” Cut — Morkie’s Most Iconic Natural Look
This song will melt your heart when your dog stares up at you from the floor.
This style keeps the Morkie’s coat short and fluffy on the body, with only a “half-inch to one-inch length” of fur, and lets those huge ears stay natural and fluffed up. That adorable “baby animal” face that makes random strangers stop mid-sentence is the ultimate goal with this style.
What makes this style of trim special is the contrast. A white and golden-tan coat left a bit longer around the face frames the eyes and nose without hiding the expression of the Morkie. Ask your groomer to give your Morkie a rounded face trim with blending shears, so there are no harsh lines anywhere.
Looking for an easy win? Tell your groomer you want a “puppy face, clean body” and show them this photo.
keep the top of the head just long enough to have that little poof that helps to make the ears pop out a bit, and never trim the actual fur on the ears, they are supposed to be more of a wispy look, feathered almost.
For upkeep at home, try a soft-bristle pin brush to go through the fur every other day. This will help remove tangles without flattening the shape. The short length of fur means that your puppy will take less time to groom than she would with long fur.
Fancy one of these soft, round styles? Then you should check out Teddy Bear Dog Haircut Ideas: The Ultimate Guide to an Adorable Look for more of the same.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @bubsadventure
#2: The Teddy Bear Cut (And Why It’s the Cutest Thing You’ll Ever See on a Morkie)
Every time my dog does something super adorable I grab my phone to take a picture and when I was trying to drink my coffee this was how I took the picture. Every time I get my dogs haircut I love the way it looks and it’s always the cutest little puppy!.
This is the Teddy Bear Cut! This cut leaves the fur 1-2 inches all over the body and keeps the fur short and velvety on the legs. The face is left fuller and rounder with the contrast being everything.
If you take your Morkie to the groomers, they will use blunt-nosed scissors around the face to make that soft, rounded head shape. The rest of the body will get a #4 or #5 clipper blade to give that uniform, plush look. Finish it off with a fall bandana tie like the one in the picture and your Morkie is Pinterest-ready.
And my dog loves to play with us in the living room, so I usually have to deal with the mess of mats in her body fur afterwards. Well, not any more. With this cut, her body fur is shorter so there is less matting.
Keeping the paws slightly fluffier than the legs, will give the dog a teddy bear look that will make people stop in their tracks!
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @charliebrown.themorkie
#3: The Bandana Cut — Scruffy on Top, Styled at Heart
Doesn’t it just always happen when your dog comes back from the groomer, you’re like… Who is this little guy???
That’s exactly the energy this look gives.
This is a Bandana Cut. I love this cut, it keeps the top of the head fluffy and full of scruff for us “morkie” lovers and the rest of the body is trimmed shorter. That way there isn’t as much matting and brushing to do.
The cut around his face is super cute! The longer fur around the ears and the soft, soft beard under the chin give him a more distinguished look… almost like a little terrier.
Real talk: Ask your groomer to keep at least 1.5 inches on the head while trimming the body down to half an inch. This contrast of length gives the dog the look you want.
And the red polka-dot bandana? Non-negotiable finishing touch.
Tie a cotton bandana around the neck. Make sure to use a bandana. It needs to be about 18×18 inches folded diagonally. Otherwise it will irritate the skin. It will stay on the neck and make you look Pinterest-worthy in every photo.
Morkie fur grows fast so book a touch up every 6-8 weeks to keep that contrast fresh.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @sky.and.pixie.morkies
#4: The Schnauzer Cut That Works Perfectly on Morkies
My Morkie is looking a little scruffy, “just rolled in something” after a week without a trim. You know what I mean.
I’ve seen this style on lots of Miniature Schnauzers, but it’s one of the most polished cuts you can put on a Morkie. The body is clipped short and tight all over the back and sides with a #7 or #10 blade, while the legs are left puffy and rounded like little columns so they look like little stuffed animals.
The face! It’s where the magic happens! Rounded beard with blunt-tip shears, the eyebrows are left slightly longer and the cheeks are shaved rather close, which provides a nice contrast between the dark topcoat and the silver-white beard. “Oooooo!!!”
Ask your groomer to finish with a plaid bow tie collar; it gives the entire outfit a masculine, comic book kind of vibe without being fussy.
One thing to remember: the leg furnishings tangle fast. brush them every two days with a metal pin brush to keep that fluffy column shape between appointments.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @ricar_dogroomer
#5: The Fluffy Teddy Bear Cut — And Why It’s Everyone’s Favorite Morkie Look
Morkie running to greet you? Just notice that perfect little puff of fluff and gold brown … the paws dangling down like a stuffed animal and you have the Teddy Bear Cut. Honestly, that’s the one for me!
This cut keeps the fur 1-2 inches all around the body, face, and legs of the dog. The face is left full and soft, with a rounded cut that leaves the eyes of the dark Morkie dogs looking just popping! The warm honey and cream color of the Morkie just looks so different with this cut!
Ask your groomer to keep the leg fur a bit fuller than the rest of the body. This creates the “boots” you see here. The paws are rounded (not shaved), so the fluff is kept intact.
Our dogs really love it! Their paws are much fuller now, so they are not so sensitive to the cold floor in winter.
Brush the face area every 2-3 days with a soft-bristle pin brush to prevent matting around the eyes, but without ruining the fluff.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @leo_themorkie123
#6: The Teddy Bear Cut — Round Face, Big Heart
Okay, this is the one I text my sister every time I see it on a morkie.
Look at that face… it’s literally the face of a stuffed animal who learned to beg for treats.
The Teddy Bear Cut keeps the fur about 1-1.5 inches all over the body and rounds everything out around the face, especially the cheeks and ears. The groomer uses blending shears (not straight scissors) to soften harsh lines to give it the cloud-like shape. The coat in this picture is a warm golden-tan, which means his black and tan morkie coloring has been evened out slightly by the angle of the cut.
Keep this in mind: the ear fur stays just long enough to fold softly, not shaggy, not clipped military-short.
Ask for rounded paw pads and a blunt-trimmed muzzle when you are getting your dog shaved for his summer cut.
That light blue harness here is a little “Chefs kiss” against the tan coat. Not a lot but definitely adds a nice touch.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @moose__themorkie
#7: The “Half-Up Topknot” — The Cut That Makes Every Morkie Look Like a Tiny Disney Character
It happens to all dog owners and it may happen to you more often than not. Your dog is walking past and their hair flops into their eyes. You are thinking – something has to change.
This is that something.
With the half-up topknot, the face is left completely clear and the rest of the coat is able to flow softly full. The little red elastic is pulling up on the crown hair.
The coat here is a gorgeous golden-brown and white parti-color, trimmed close on the body, but left fluffy on the chest and legs. The groomer left her ears fluffier too, so no harsh lines there.
The trick: Ask your groomer to give her a “puppy trim” on her body (1 inch in length) and to leave her topknot long. This cut will grow out very nicely so you won’t be back at the salon every 3 weeks.
Brush the topknot daily with a fine-tooth metal comb to prevent the elastic from matting the hair underneath. I swap the elastic every two days.
Just saying, this photo style photographs great against light wood floors!
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @flushie_coco2828
#8: The “Teddy Bear” Morkie Cut — Fluffy, Round, and Absolutely Irresistible
If you are on Pinterest and you see a dog so cute it makes you hurt, this dog is it! The Teddy Bear style on a Morkie is basically a full round face with fluffy soft puffy ears and a tan and steel blue coat left long enough to look like a real stuffed animal came to life.
This dog’s steel-blue and golden-tan coat is trimmed to about 2-3 inches all over, keeping the chest hair a little longer for that fluffy “bib” look. The ears are left natural and erect, giving the dog its wide-eyed, baby-face look. The muzzle fur is rounded, not tapered, and the whole face is one soft circle.
Ask your groomer specifically for a rounded scissor finish around the face with no razor thinning- the razor thinning shears flatten out that volume and you’ll lose the whole teddy bear effect!
Did you know that you should keep the topknot a little loose, so it is natural and not pinned up. It will make your cut look a bit more effortless and a little less formal.
If your Morkie is blue-steel (like mine is), be sure your groomer doesn’t over-brush before the cut. If the Morkie is brushed too much before the cut, the hair will be too smooth and won’t have the right texture for the style to pop.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @cute_yorkiess
#9: The Teddy Bear Cut — Fluffy, Round, and Ridiculously Cute
You know that moment when you are so proud of your dog that you just stop and stare at him? Well, this is the Teddy Bear Cut energy.
This style keeps the coat full and rounded, especially around the face, giving the Morkie the soft, plush look that everyone seems to stop and gaze at on the sidewalk. The body is trimmed to about 1.5 to 2 inches, while the head is left full and fluffy, giving it the round look.
To get the same look at home, ask your groomer to use rounded scissors (not thinning shears) around the face and a snap-on comb size 4 for the body. If you have a pup with golden-cream tones, it’s best to stay away from bleach and harsh shampoos and opt instead for a moisturizing oatmeal wash to keep her color warm.
a. Brush the ears daily. The matting hides there first.
A slicker brush plus a metal greyhound comb catches the knots my brush doesn’t, which means one less painful grooming session for both of us.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @archie_archibald_morkie
#10: The “Teddy Bear Flop” Cut — Soft, Floppy Ears and All
I know that moment when my gold does the couch armrest lean and just stares at me. This Morkie is giving me the same energy and honestly, the hair is doing most of the work here.
Our Teddy Bear Flop was adopted by the name of the Teddy Bear Flop because the ears are kept long (2-3 inches), left natural and floppy, and not trimmed blunt. The body coat is kept 1-1.5 inches, but not a chaos of fluffiness. The face is rounded and soft, with no sharp lines.
My groomer called this the “wash and shake dry” cut because the texture does all the heavy lifting. This cut calls for longer ear feathering that frames the face, which means less touch-ups between visits!
Ask your groomer to leave your Morkie’s ear fringe unthinned! Thinning shears on your Morkie’s ears will kill that floppy, golden-wheat softness that you see here. In fact, that softness is the whole point.
And if your Morkie has that warm cream-to-apricot coat color, do not use a whitening shampoo. The shampoo will cool the color down and you will lose that cozy, honey biscuit warmth.
Keep the paw fur trimmed to pad level to keep your floors clean and the rest of the foot stays plush.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @friendly.faith.the.morkie
The Morkie Haircut Mistake That’s Actually Making Your Dog Look Scruffy
If you don’t know what a morkie is, it’s a mix between a maltese and a yorkie. Sounds cute right? It can be… the thing no one tells you is that once you get one, every time they’re groomed, they come out of it looking like a sad wet mop.
Many groomers leave the face and ears the same length. Don’t let them.
The ears need to stay about a half inch longer than the face trim. This is the reason why the face trim has to be just right and longer than it looks on the finished teddy. Without the length difference, the face looks flat and the ears kind of disappear into the head. Ugly.
My cousin finally decided to try a new groomer and texted me a picture like “WHY did nobody tell me this sooner?”
another issue is that the morkie has 2 coat types fighting each other. (thanks to the yorkshire terrier and maltese genetics). the texture closest to the neck will grow faster and coarser. have your groomer check this area between appointments since this is where the mats will start, not the back or belly like most people assume.
Catch it early and you can avoid a shave-down. Nobody wants that.
Your Golden’s Muddy Paws Just Met Their Match
I completely understand that you want a home that not only looks perfect, but one that can survive an actual dog. These two things are possible together.
I want to start small so I decided to pick one room, grab one piece, and make it work. I went with one washable slipcover for my cousin. I love it because it makes her whole living room feel like a magazine spread her dog can’t ruin.
Your home should be beautiful and tough enough for the best boy. So which room are you tackling first: the muddy entryway or that drool magnet sofa?
Amr Mohsen is a software engineer who traded his keyboard for a leash — at least on weekends. His love for dogs inspired him to share what he learns as a dog owner and enthusiast, bringing a detail-oriented, research-driven perspective to every article he writes. If it’s about dogs, he’s probably already looked it up twice.
