# Help me decide!



## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

I know this topic has been beat into the ground  But I just can't make a decision on whether to trim Sophie down or not.

I absolutely love the look of the long coat and I don't mind at all brushing her. But she is such a tomboy and we go so many places she gets wet and muddy and dirty and very very happy doing it (I love it). 

I had decided to go ahead and have it done but then I look at her and she's so dang cute with her puffy hair I decide not to. 

So would love to hear of any negatives people have found from trimming them? Does it cause any permanent changes like coat texture? I know a friend of mine had her cute little sable girl trimmed and she lost most of her color I know Sophie won't change color being black but want to be sure there isn't something else I'm not considering that I'd be sorry for.

I know it grows back but I'm still chicken.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

On the fence here too. Tucker has a lot of black on the tips and is such a cute ball of fluff. We are afraid if we trim him the black will be GONE!!!! He is a gold sable. He is getting so woolly though he is going to need trimming in the near future. Then on the other hand we LOVE the puppy cut. Decisions....decisions....:|


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Before brushing (wild hair) and after brushing (doesn't stay that way long)...


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## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

M&J said:


> On the fence here too. Tucker has a lot of black on the tips and is such a cute ball of fluff. We are afraid if we trim him the black will be GONE!!!! He is a gold sable. He is getting so woolly though he is going to need trimming in the near future. Then on the other hand we LOVE the puppy cut. Decisions....decisions....:|


I am pretty sure that you are going to end up with a light/white pup if you trim off those sable tips. I looked at alot of before and after sable photos and it seems very rare for the sable markings to regrow after a trim. But that is also very beautiful.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Ack glad I am not alone 

Yes Tucker is SO precious and cute. I'd be afraid of losing some color too if trimmed. Although he is going to be adorable no matter what his color ends up! Hallies BFF, May, is sable and I know a lot of sables will lighten with age regardless but they did a really short cut on her last time and she is almost white now. (I really love the look of the light/white but it is so hard to photograph, easy to blow highlights, so searched for a dark puppy that would hopefully not change much since I do a lot of photography with her). /

Will be interested to see what you decide also. Tucker is darker than May was at that age so maybe it wouldn't be as big of a difference if you have him trimmed than it was with May? I just don't know that much about Havanese and all their color changes, Sophie is my first and my other dog children I've had were born one color and stayed that way. 

Here is May before and after. She is 13 months old in the after photo. The before was the first time we met her, she was about 6 months old then. The after was this weekend. She and Sophie are about 3 weeks apart in age.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Wow I had forgotten had dark May really was! I guess Tucker is not darker than she was.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Eveningpiper said:


> I am pretty sure that you are going to end up with a light/white pup if you trim off those sable tips. I looked at alot of before and after sable photos and it seems very rare for the sable markings to regrow after a trim. But that is also very beautiful.


Do you mean a WHITE WHITE or a goldish color? We could have got his brother Snowball and had a white pup....:grin2:


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Oh MAN is he cute or what??? 
His unbrushed photo looks very tidy compared to Sophies LOL. I have the same problem though the brushed out look just doesn't last very long. But it's gorgeous when first done. If they could stay like the fresh brushed look there is no way I would even consider trimming. Here is a before and after of Sophie. It was much easier to keep her looking tidy when she had her puppy coat.


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## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

M&J said:


> Do you mean a WHITE WHITE or a goldish color? We could have got his brother Snowball and had a white pup....:grin2:


What colour is your pup at the roots of the hair? That might give you an indication of what will be growing out.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Eveningpiper said:


> What colour is your pup at the roots of the hair? That might give you an indication of what will be growing out.


I will look when I get back to the house in about 15 minutes.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Dee Dee said:


> Oh MAN is he cute or what???
> His unbrushed photo looks very tidy compared to Sophies LOL. I have the same problem though the brushed out look just doesn't last very long. But it's gorgeous when first done. If they could stay like the fresh brushed look there is no way I would even consider trimming. Here is a before and after of Sophie. It was much easier to keep her looking tidy when she had her puppy coat.


Nope, they get to playing and doing the RLH thing and its over for the brushing. We wouldn't trim either if it would stay that smooth. We just don't want the matting although we brush regularly but with 40 acres of playground he's loving the outdoors here.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

> Do you mean a WHITE WHITE or a goldish color? We could have got his brother Snowball and had a white pup...


From what I understand, (someone can correct me!) it depends a lot on the lines as to how much or if the sables lighten up. I think it's more likely they will lighten than not, to at least some degree. Many do end up white. I think a few can stay the same or even darken. I had my eye on a sable pup before I got Sophie until I learned he would end up white, some in that line keep a gray on the tips of their ears which is beautiful sort of like a siamese cat. (just ears though). Sophie's dark coat has exposure challenges with photography but not as much as white so I held out and Sophie came along and I loved her white face and dark body. But love all of the colors.

Great suggestion, to check color of roots. Sophie's breeder said the sable pup I had considered would end up the color around his eyes which was a very light cream.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

40 acres! What a lucky guy!!!! I'll bet he has a ball out there. Sophie has a fairly big back yard but she'd really love 40 acres to explore in. 

I know some people with long coated breeds don't let their dogs out other than to potty. I don't agree with that at all. The coat is nice but much more important for pups to enjoy the outdoors.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

He is mostly a medium creme color at the roots. Yes he loves the outdoors. First time he looked over the property which was his first time outside I bet he thought...**** it's a big world out here!!! ound:


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

I'll bet he did! will be interesting to see any color change on him
That's so funny because that is the title of one of my prints


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I spend a lot of time brushing Scout and Truffles daily and it sure doesn't last long. They always have that shaggy look in a few hours.  I kept Sparky in a puppy cut most of his life. Even with a puppy cut he was shaved many times. His hair always grew back soft and fluffy. He looked like a puppy again.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Dee Dee said:


> I'll bet he did! will be interesting to see any color change on him
> That's so funny because that is the title of one of my prints


His mask and ears are black mostly at the roots. So that's cool. I have seen your art...I will be in touch about a couple of things in the future. :smile2:


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

that's interesting Heather! I thought maybe Sohie had a particularly hard coat to manage. I wouldn't mind at all a perpetual puppy look! Curious why don't you have Scout and Truffle shaved? They always look perfectly groomed in their photos would never know you have to work hard at it.

It's going to be very interesting to see Tucker change in time if much! Espeially with the dark roots. I guess it's still possible for Sophie to silver out. I see a few more silvers in her tail but overall she is still very dark clear to roots except certain areas.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Here's a couple pictures today of my shaggy Truffles!  She has now just been brushed and fluffed! Scout next....


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## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

Truffles looks like a human toddler girl. So cute!


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

OMGosh she is sooo cute! She has a wonderful coat! Would love to see more and of Scout!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dee Dee said:


> I know this topic has been beat into the ground  But I just can't make a decision on whether to trim Sophie down or not.
> 
> I absolutely love the look of the long coat and I don't mind at all brushing her. But she is such a tomboy and we go so many places she gets wet and muddy and dirty and very very happy doing it (I love it).
> 
> ...


Well, most sables eventually lose their color anyway. It's just thta cutting off the colored tips makes it happen faster. If they are foing to lose it, they are going to lose it. 

As far as coat texture, since they are a breed where the hair grows continuously (losing just a few hairs at a time, as people do) cutting their coat does not PERMANENTLY affect the texture of their coat the way it can with a truly double coated breed or a wirey haired breed like a terrier. That said, it can take a while (like over a year) for it to start to look "normal" again after a short cut. I have had friends who have complained about a lot of matting when growing a coat back out too.

That said, a LOT of people cut their Havanese down to avoid the terrible matting that can go along with blowing coat. Many of them then choose to let the dog grow back out again, and don't have much trouble.

Pixel, like Sophie, is ALWAYS getting wet and dirty. She LOVES rolling in dead plant mTerial and is often covered with so many seeds we call her the "Chia Pet". As you know, I made the decision to cut her down before I went away to Europe. I am REALLY glad I did. The gals who took care of them while I was gone were lovely, and the dogs enjoyed them. But they did an AWFUL job grooming Kodi, even though the emaled me daily saying they had "brushed" him out. (That should have been my clue that they weren't REALLY grooming him!) he was matted to the skin and it took me two hours to get through it, losing a LOT of coat in the process. If Pixel, in the middle of blowing coat, had needed to be really groomed while I was away... I am afraid I would have come back to a dog who needed to be shaved to the skin.

I think Pixel looks cute in her puppy cut, and I think, since she and Sophie look so much alike, it would give you a good idea what she would look like. One advantage with these black dogs with minimal white markings is that you CAN see their markings better. I LOVE seeing her little white toes!!! 

Will I keep her cut down? Probably not. Even with the extra work of a longer coat, I LOVE how pretty she looks with it... And CLEARLY Havanese rather than just another little fluffy dog in a puppy cut. But it was the right thing to do when I needed to go away, with her in the middle of blowing coat. And having bitten the bullet and done it once, I wouldn't be so scared about doing it again for a good reason.

There is one thing for sure about Havanese... hair grows!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

M&J said:


> On the fence here too. Tucker has a lot of black on the tips and is such a cute ball of fluff. We are afraid if we trim him the black will be GONE!!!! He is a gold sable. He is getting so woolly though he is going to need trimming in the near future. Then on the other hand we LOVE the puppy cut. Decisions....decisions....:|


The black tips WILL be gone, and all at once. But over time, he'll lose them anyway. Some sables have full-length dark hairs thoughout their coat, and those stay, no matter what. But anything that is only on the tips will eventually be lost whether you cut it (fast) or it grows out naturally. (more gradual) think of it like someone who has had their hair colored and then stops. They can just let it grow out until all those hairs (one by one) are replaced on their head, or they can get the colored part cut off with a shorter hair cut. It's exactly the same.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Dee Dee said:


> OMGosh she is sooo cute! She has a wonderful coat! Would love to see more and of Scout!


Just finished brushing the Scouter boy! He's takes a lot more time than Truffles. I need to work on them both a little more later...
Yesterday I got those cute Goody's flower bands in the mail for Truffles. Last night I noticed the Truffles chewing on something brightly colored. I guess the package must have fallen off the table and she got it. She destroyed all the flower bands except two.  
Here's my sweet boy!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

M&J said:


> Do you mean a WHITE WHITE or a goldish color? We could have got his brother Snowball and had a white pup....:grin2:


The gold can fade too. It is likely to come and go. I have a friend (actually, she's on the forum from time to time... Tammy, with Tillie) Tillie is a gold sable Irish Pied. I think she's 6 years old. Sometimes she looks white, sometimes you can see her gold areas more clearly. Interestingly, she was sick for a while, and when they figured out what was going on (If I remember properly, she has a thyroid problem) and she started getting treated, she turned VERY dark again for a while. But now she has lightened up again.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Eveningpiper said:


> Truffles looks like a human toddler girl. So cute!


She is sooo funny....I call her the munchkin.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Dee Dee said:


> that's interesting Heather! I thought maybe Sohie had a particularly hard coat to manage. I wouldn't mind at all a perpetual puppy look! Curious why don't you have Scout and Truffle shaved? They always look perfectly groomed in their photos would never know you have to work hard at it.
> 
> It's going to be very interesting to see Tucker change in time if much! Espeially with the dark roots. I guess it's still possible for Sophie to silver out. I see a few more silvers in her tail but overall she is still very dark clear to roots except certain areas.


DeeDee I had the discussion of having my two get puppy cuts the last time the groomer was here. I thought it might be easier to maintain. She said the mats develop at the skin. It would still involve brushing to the skin daily. She doesn't want to cut them. My husband would be very unhappy!!! When I had Sparky I didn't know anything about combing daily. When he went to the groomers they would usually shave him. He would grow out and be fluffy again and then back to the groomer and shaved. It would take about eight weeks for Sparky to have that fluffy puppy look again.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I'm also debating cutting Lola's hair for the same reasons. Although she's not really having any blowing coat issues yet, about two months ago, she started showing signs of silvering, and her hair at the roots on her paws and body are a very light caramel color along with the white hairs growing in. I've decided, for the time being, to keep her long, only because I know she'll not be this rich chocolate color for long.

I just love Truffle's silver. I hope Lola turns out as pretty.


Here's a St. Paddy's Day pic. You can see the silver coming in by the part near her bow.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

I left Leo long until he was 13-14 months old. I found myself making the decision as to whether or not he could go out to play with Porter and Becca on whether I had time to bathe and dry him because he would get so dirty. I had him cut down to a cute puppy cut. I trimmed him down a couple more times before letting his coat began to grow again. If you cut her coat, let her be the puppy she still is, you can always let it grow again as she becomes a mature dog. Leo can go out and run around now at 3 yrs old and not come in filthy. The thing about these coats they grow continuously for the life of the dog!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Pretty Lola! She doesn't look silvered at all. She is such a beautiful reddish brown. Truffles was very dark brown with white paws and started lightening up by seven months old. It all started with about three white hairs on her back and spread. It's going to be very interesting to see if Lola's color will change.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Emmie is a total tomboy. At around 13 months I shaved her down due to a ton of mats after a weekend at the beach, and she was blowing coat. Since then, I haven't cut her hair at all; she's 4 years old now. She still loves to roll in the mud, explore, and is my little swifter collecting twigs and leaves, but the good news is she has silky hair (not cottony) so I don't have to comb her everyday. I like how she looks with tousled, slightly wavy hair, which is good since that's how she looks most days. LOL


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

I was so glad to open the forum and see this thread today. I am trying to decide if I want to trim Raffi or let him grow. Right now I just worry about him being able to see. I just finished brushing him and he is so much better behaved for brushing than he was. Looking at this picture how long do you think it will be before I can pull his hair back? I know they all grow at different rates. The longest hair on his body is about three and a half inches long. Do you ever trim around the eyes and let the rest grow?


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

Let me try the picture again. Obviously he needed to be brushed here.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

OMG...Raffi is absolutely adorable! We do keep Scout's hair trimmed around his eyes.


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

Heather Glen said:


> OMG...Raffi is absolutely adorable! We do keep Scout's hair trimmed around his eyes.
> View attachment 111946


Thanks! This picture is helpful, so beautiful! I left Raffi with my sister and brother-in-law last week and they said he kept running into things while playing with their dogs. I don't want him to get hurt.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

krandall said:


> The black tips WILL be gone, and all at once. But over time, he'll lose them anyway. Some sables have full-length dark hairs thoughout their coat, and those stay, no matter what. But anything that is only on the tips will eventually be lost whether you cut it (fast) or it grows out naturally. (more gradual) think of it like someone who has had their hair colored and then stops. They can just let it grow out until all those hairs (one by one) are replaced on their head, or they can get the colored part cut off with a shorter hair cut. It's exactly the same.


Sorry...been away tonight for training class. Tucker did GREAT!!! So smart are these pups. I looked closer and he does have several black hairs all the way to the skin. Thank you all for the info and help on how he will change. That's one thing we did not know about them when we decided on getting one. Wouldn't change a thing though. So in LOVE with these fluff balls!!!


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Thank you Karen, you always have such good advice. I think Pixel is adorable in her cut (and so impressed you did it yourself!) I had kind of decided not to do it again but now I think I will, like you said it grows back and I'll have tried it and either gotten it out of my system or like it and keep it that way. But I can't imagine not letting her become a little puff ball again. I wouldn't mind all the grooming so much but I don't think it's her favorite thing, she's so good and tolerates it but keeps trying to turn it into a game so it can be over.  I would LOVE to hear about your trip was it wonderful?? So glad you had pet sitter for the pups but I'd have been upset if I came home to matted dogs also. Good idea to trim Pixel before you went.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Scout you look as adorable as your sister!!! I love his full beard I hope Sophie's gets that full. I love the trim around his eyes too.

Sounds like Truffles might be poopin' out rainbow colors LOL.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Heather did Sparky's coat mat too then when it was cut? Sophie seems to get mats that both start at the skin and also on the ends that get bigger going inward if I don't keep up with them. (I think those are mainly the ones she gets from doing her scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch scratching....can you tell I'm really tired of her being itchy?  ) It seems like it would still be easier to comb out any mats with a shorter coat? At least I'm hoping.  Her puppy coat was super easy to keep brushed but I know that the texture is not the same now so even at the same length may not behave alike.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Lola is a gorgeous color I was hoping Sophie might redden up a bit more like that. But even if Lola does lighten for sure having seen how beautiful Truffles is, she's going to be as much of a beauty either way.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Those are excellent points Pucks! I never thought of keeping her in a cut until she calms down as she matures. Although I never want her to calm down or mature!  I LOVE the puppy stages. But I think she will appreciate being trimmed shorter for the summer anyway. I have read that their coat actually helps keep them cool (Sophie gets hot really easily) but I haven't been able to really buy that, I know people here with Havanese who saw a big difference in how they handle heat once they were trimmed. I hope it will would be nice to help her out this summer. (she and I are winter "people").


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Emmy!!! Is SUCH a darling girl! <3 you are so lucky she has silky hair. Sophie's is cottony. I wish it were silky like Emmy's She is so beautiful and how nice you haven't had to cut her coat again. Hope we'll have the chance to meet one day with the pups!


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Goodness Raffi is SO CUTE! I love that hairy look too. You can see in Sophie's avatar and signature photo her hair was long over her eyes until she was over 6 months because I showed her in the puppy classes in the breed ring and you can't trim them for that. I couldnt' wait for the day to get to trim her bangs and see her beautiful eyes looking back at me! (having my last furry daughter be blind I am extra sensitive to that). 

Everyone kept telling me she could see just fine through that hair. But if you can't see eyes or much of eyes through it, they certainly can't see out that well. When she was not trimmed yet I would throw a tennis ball for her and she would take off after it but off at an angle and wouldn't be able to locate it until she heard it hit the ground. Then she'd turn and go search for it. 

Once I trimmed her hair, she has been able to bee line straight after the ball every time and get it straight away. 

She also would just stand and stare at stuff...birds going over head, anything that moved like she was seeing it for the first time. So I kind of hate to see dogs with their hair thick over their eyes as I'm sure if they could have a choice they'd rather have a clear view of the world. 

Pulling her hair up wasn't an option for Sophie I could never get it in real well and she was always losing them.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather Glen said:


> DeeDee I had the discussion of having my two get puppy cuts the last time the groomer was here. I thought it might be easier to maintain. She said the mats develop at the skin. It would still involve brushing to the skin daily. She doesn't want to cut them. My husband would be very unhappy!!! When I had Sparky I didn't know anything about combing daily. When he went to the groomers they would usually shave him. He would grow out and be fluffy again and then back to the groomer and shaved. It would take about eight weeks for Sparky to have that fluffy puppy look again.


Not sure I buy the idea that mats start at the skin. Unless Kodi is woefully neglected, his (small) mats tend to only be attached to him by a few hairs, and are very easy to remove. Pixel has DEFINITELY been matting MUCH less in her short coat. I comb her every day or two, just because I like her to look soft and cuddly. But there is rarely even a snarl, let alone a mat now. and I scissor cut her, so it's not THAAAT short.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dee Dee said:


> From what I understand, (someone can correct me!) it depends a lot on the lines as to how much or if the sables lighten up. I think it's more likely they will lighten than not, to at least some degree. Many do end up white. I think a few can stay the same or even darken. I had my eye on a sable pup before I got Sophie until I learned he would end up white, some in that line keep a gray on the tips of their ears which is beautiful sort of like a siamese cat. (just ears though). Sophie's dark coat has exposure challenges with photography but not as much as white so I held out and Sophie came along and I loved her white face and dark body. But love all of the colors.
> 
> Great suggestion, to check color of roots. Sophie's breeder said the sable pup I had considered would end up the color around his eyes which was a very light cream.


I've never heard of one getting darker. Most lose the black outer layer, and the base color (the color at the roots) is left. Some are much more reddish as puppies, and turn more to a grizzled, greay color as they mature. Pixel's mother is that sort.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Oooh so good to hear Pixel isn't matting! 
I just sent this photo to the groomer to see if she can do her coat similar to this when she was about 4 months old.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Dee Dee said:


> Heather did Sparky's coat mat too then when it was cut? Sophie seems to get mats that both start at the skin and also on the ends that get bigger going inward if I don't keep up with them. (I think those are mainly the ones she gets from doing her scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch scratching....can you tell I'm really tired of her being itchy?  ) It seems like it would still be easier to comb out any mats with a shorter coat? At least I'm hoping.  Her puppy coat was super easy to keep brushed but I know that the texture is not the same now so even at the same length may not behave alike.


Sparky did get mats when his coat was short DeeDee, but that was because I never knew to comb to the skin. His coat was very soft and wavy. It wasn't until I got Scout and our present groomer that I learned about the matting thing. The coat is easier to maintain short because the mats are more noticeable before they become big mats. There are so many different coat textures and some just mat more.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

I'm going to grow Rudy's coat into a longer puppy cut. It's almost 2 inches in length and I'm going to try for 3 inches and see if I can keep up with the mats during the blow coat stage. He will be 10 months on the 28th and still no signs of this stage.
I will have his bangs trimmed but have the groomer not touch the rest of his face, ears, or tail. He has been to the groomers twice for puppycuts. The first time the groomer just trimmed his bangs and didn't touch the rest of his face. The last time I went to the groomer, I told her the same cut. However, This time she trimmed his muzzle and around his eyes. That was a month ago. The hair around his eyes are starting to grow. However his eyes are tearing and he has tear marks under his eyes. It always looks wet.

So for Rudy, we are going to grow out the hair on his face and just have the bangs trimmed. And for the body I'm going to stay in the length of 2 to 3 inches. He loves to get combed. I first comb him and use the spray The Coat Handler. It works well. Then I use the brush. His hair is silky soft. Even with the puppycut, his hair texture did not change. 
He definitely got lighter. He started out a milk chocolate Irish pied. Now he's very light. His chest, stomach, and all 4 paws are white, as well as the tip of his tail. He has more of a silvery milk chocolate color now. We still think he's beautiful. He's still very cuddly even with the puppycut. And he still up to his funny antics. We took him to visit my daughter at college and my husband says Rudy is a chic magnet.

No matter what you decide, havanese are just plain adorable and have such great personalities!


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Here's a picture of Rudy as a puppy


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Here's a current picture


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Still can't figure out how to rotate picture. Sorry about that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

Dee Dee said:


> I know this topic has been beat into the ground  But I just can't make a decision on whether to trim Sophie down or not.
> 
> I absolutely love the look of the long coat and I don't mind at all brushing her. But she is such a tomboy and we go so many places she gets wet and muddy and dirty and very very happy doing it (I love it).
> 
> ...


Dee Dee,
We had to have Zoe shaved down to the skin a couple of times and it grew back with none of the problems that you mentioned. And in fact Zoe seemed happier afterwards with the mat free short hair.. She started jumping and dancing all around. But IMHO, since you don't mind brushing Sophie and since you photograph her, I think her full coat even a little tussled, accentuates her goofy personality. So I vote for leaving it. Either way, it does grow back.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

What a cutie pie!


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## Karen Collins (Mar 21, 2013)

Go ahead and cut it. You won't regret it. Mine have been shaved to the skin and in full coat and every length in between. They were adorable every way. The nice thing about cutting it and growing back out is you get new hair. If you've been fighting mats for awhile, the hair gets broken and damaged causing more mats. Be free! :smile2:


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## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

This thread is really helpful with the long coat/short coat decision making process. I was sure I wanted to be a purist...no haircuts. Then, while thinking about that, reality hit...we live on a lake and I like to walk along the shore. Besides sand and dirt there are some wild overgrown areas. Not a good area for a dog with long hair.

The 2" puppy cut looks like a great option. Since I don't have my little girl yet it I'll watch to see what decisions are made for Sophie and Tucker. All of the pictures in this thread are so cute.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Just thought I would mention that the groomer shaves most of Scouts abdo area. She does such a great job you can't notice when he is standing. It is so helpful in keeping him clean and mat free. He goes to the park everyday and would be a dirty matted mess if he was not trimmed being so close to the ground.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Heather Glen said:


> Just thought I would mention that the groomer shaves most of Scouts abdo area. She does such a great job you can't notice when he is standing. It is so helpful in keeping him clean and mat free. He goes to the park everyday and would be a dirty matted mess if he was not trimmed being so close to the ground.


Ha ha...we call Tucker the Low Rider puppy!!!:grin2:


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

I _wish_ we could cut Nino. When Mario blew coat, we still hand't written off showing him in the breed ring, so cutting wasn't an option. During the blowing coat stage, he spent a week at my aunt and uncle's, and they are a very outdoorsy family. They brushed him, but of course it was minimal. It took a solid 3 hours of brushing to get all of the mats out. I think he was groomed to a puppy cut as soon as he recovered from his neuter (at 18 mo). Now, we let his hair grow to a very specific length where he mats like crazy (he has a very cottony coat...mats very easily) and get him shaved almost all the way down, then repeat the process. It works for him, though he's pretty naked looking for a bit. We won't be able to do the same with Nino, but his coat is a lot more typical than Mario's is. Nice and silky and wavy. I would recommend trimming to about 2 or 3 inches for those who aren't showing (unless you prefer the look and can keep up on grooming).


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Thanks Heather I hope the easier care of the coat will lessen the shock of seeing her cut shorter lol.

Lisa Rudy is definitely a Chic magnet LOl!!!! (that made me laugh). He is over the top cute both as youngster and more recent. It really is fascinating to watch them change color. 

It's raining here and Sophie is wet from racing around the yard just now. We are on our way to a dog training facility which is a big covered horse arena that has been securely fenced with wire also. We are renting it for an hour and plan on playing on the agility stuff, do some training, and a lot of monkey business. She is going to get FILTHY in that dirt and sand. You can bet when we get home and I am giving her a bath I'll be more open to having her trimmed down some LOL. She has to look nice tomorrow she goes with me to an art gallery opening night where my art is hanging and then a nosework test (ORT) Friday then riding the Easter steam train on Saturday....a girl has to keep up appearances when she goes into public!


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