# Ernesto lost his pants!



## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

Mr. Fluffy pants finally went to the groomer today! I’d been putting it off because I was concerned he’d be majorly stressed out and I thought _maybe_ I couldn’t manage his coat myself... not the case. Aside from throwing up twice in his Sherpa bag on the way there I think he did pretty great. I’m annoyed bc the lady doing the intake wasn’t as interested as I would have liked when it came to hearing my requests and answering questions. I specifically told her he doesn’t need his anal gland expressed however when I picked him up and spoke w the very nice man who did the grooming he told me he’d done it... I have no doubt the communication wasn’t passed along. I didn’t complain bc I was ready to get out of there and I don’t believe it was his fault however I’m still very annoyed. Anyway I’m glad we both are past his first grooming. I get a fresh start maintaining his coat and hopefully this time we’ll have better luck avoiding mats. I’m blaming his mats on the possibility of him blowing coat - the lady doing intake acted like only dogs with double coats do this...? All in all an ok experience. Ernie appears to be relatively unphased and that’s what matters most!

Ps - I do miss his formerly fluffy self! It gave him SO much character. Longterm I’d love to maintain a full long coat 😌


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## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

Off topic - does it look like Ernie is getting enough to eat? He’s only eating Ziwi Peak now and they give a big range on the amount to feed, I feel like I’m guessing. His vet said (a month ago) that he looked good but I feel like he’s stretched out a lot since then. I was curious to see his body without the fluff, he looks so skinny now!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mama Mills said:


> Off topic - does it look like Ernie is getting enough to eat? He’s only eating Ziwi Peak now and they give a big range on the amount to feed, I feel like I’m guessing. His vet said (a month ago) that he looked good but I feel like he’s stretched out a lot since then. I was curious to see his body without the fluff, he looks so skinny now!


You can’t tell from this photo. He is at a sort of gangly, adolescent stage. I think you said he is around 6 months old? Here is a useful chart for gauging a dog’s body condition. But with fluffy dogs, even as short as Ernie is now, you need to feel for it, not look.










Ernie is long backed, even for a Havanese, and for this reason, you will want to keep him on the slender side. Dogs with this physique are more prone to back problems if they are allowed to become overweight.

If he his only 6 months old, it is unlikely that he has started to blow coat yet. However, downy baby coats can mat pretty badly if you don’t either keep them cut short or comb through them thoroughly, right down to the skin. And that can take practice if you aren’t used to it. Now that he is short again, you have a fresh start, and can decide whether you want to keep up with daily grooming, or whether, with your human little ones, it makes more sense to just keep him trimmed short, at LEAST until he is through blowing coat. (Which typically is about 10-18 months)


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

I think he looks adorable in his puppy cut . The only thing I do differently for Perry is that I let his ears stay fuller and do more of a column leg.

On the other hand, I don't know that I would go with a groomer where I couldn't talk directly to the one who would be doing the grooming to discuss what I want done. Even though we've been using the same groomer for years, she still asks us every time what we want done which I appreciate.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Mama Mills said:


> I’m annoyed bc the lady doing the intake wasn’t as interested as I would have liked when it came to hearing my requests and answering questions.


I think our amigo ERNESTO looks great either way! Here is a tip about haircuts:

I always printout on paper exactly how I want RICKY groomed, the person at the counter never gets it right.
I ALWAYS insist on the same person to cut his hair
When dropping him off, I INSIST on meeting the hair cutter face to face, hand them the printed instructions, and go over each point in detail. If I am not happy with the results when I pick him up, I go over my printed instructions again so it doesn't happen a second time. She is ALWAYS happy to trim a little more here and there to satisfy me while I wait. A good relationship with your groomer is so important. I always tip her and give her a bonus at Christmas.
@krandall sticks around and supervises the cutting. I don't have 3 or 4 hours to sit in their office to wait for his turn, wait for them to bathe him, wait for them to blow dry and brush him, and then give him his haircut. But if you have the time, that works good too. I have considered using a local mobile groomer who is highly recommended. They park their van in front of your house and you can watch them groom and cut his hair. Unfortunately they charge about double for this convenience.



> Ps - I do miss his formerly fluffy self! It gave him SO much character. Longterm I’d love to maintain a full long coat 😌


HAIR GROWS for better or worse! We had RICKY cut down when he was a year old. He looked like ERNIE, a skinny dachshund, a long stretch with short legs! That was the only time we did that! It took almost a year for his full coat to grow out. Today he has a full luxurious coat. We like RICKY best that way, your needs and desires may vary.


Mama Mills said:


> Off topic - does it look like Ernie is getting enough to eat? He’s only eating Ziwi Peak now and they give a big range on the amount to feed, I feel like I’m guessing. His vet said (a month ago) that he looked good but I feel like he’s stretched out a lot since then. I was curious to see his body without the fluff, he looks so skinny now!


You can't tell anything about a dog's desirable weight by looks alone. A Vet determines adequate weight by feeling the body. I have learned from our Vet what RICKY should feel like and when he is wet in the bath, he looks a lot like ERNESTO in his puppy cut. A dog with the right weight is healthier than an overweight dog. If your Vet says that ERNIE's weight is okay, then it is okay.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> @krandall sticks around and supervises the cutting. I don't have 3 or 4 hours to sit in their office to wait for his turn, wait for them to bathe him, wait for them to blow dry and brush him, and then give him his haircut. But if you have the time, that works good too. I have considered using a local mobile groomer who is highly recommended. They park their van in front of your house and you can watch them groom and cut his hair. Unfortunately they charge about double for this convenience.



Well, I never have to wait for any other dogs to be groomed... My current groomer only grooms one dog (or in my case, SET of dogs) at a time. My last groomer always made my appointments the first in the morning, so I wasn't behind anyone else... and I always went across the shopping center and brought her back coffee while she was bathing them! 



Ricky Ricardo said:


> You can't tell anything about a dog's desirable weight by looks alone. A Vet determines adequate weight by feeling the body. I have learned from our Vet what RICKY should feel like and when he is wet in the bath, he looks a lot like ERNESTO in his puppy cut. A dog with the right weight is healthier than an overweight dog. If your Vet says that ERNIE's weight is okay, then it is okay.


Which is fine, if you are going to be SEEING the vet any time soon. But with a growing puppy, that is probably not the case. And their weight is a moving target. So it makes sense to learn what good body condition should feel like on any dog. It's really not that hard to recognize once you are familiar with it.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

I have gone to the same Grooming Family for over 40 years with different dogs. The Grand-daughter and her husband are running the place. In my more elder years I'm more particular and have f*ound passing info along, verbally, in written form and with photos *to the groomer via someone else doesn't work.

Now... I tell the husband before I come in, that when I come in I want to talk to the Tesa the groomer. When's a good time? That is working better on getting my point across as we both are looking at Patti and the areas I'm talking about.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Ernesto looks cute either way. But my hint is don't go to a shop like Petco or Petsmart. The word "intake" makes me think so. I would find a very experienced groomer who has been at the same shop(owner) for years where you speak directly to that person who will be doing the grooming.
My groomer grooms by appt. so there might be a slight overlap of a dog that she is finishing when we arrive. With covid and my groomer's shop being hit by lightning, she was grooming with one dog allowed at a time inside. I would pass him in through the door and she didn't follow my instructions. It's been a tough time here for everyone. But Shadow's last grooming, I laid down the law! And she did him the way I asked. Speaking directly to the groomer is important.
My Shadow has a similar build. He is an adult, 4 years old now, weighs 10 lbs. barely. Vet says he is the perfect weight for his frame. Probably best to check with the vet. (editted)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> My Shadow has a similar build. He is an adult, 4 years old now, weighs 10 lbs. barely. Vet says he is the perfect weight for his frame. His food says to feed 1/2 cup a day to a 10 lb. dog. That is barely 250 calories. He eats 1 full cup a day which Iis the right calorie intake for an adult dog. Puppies need more calories.


Be careful with general advice like that, however, because each type of kibble (even within one brand!) will have a different calorie count per cup. I just changed my dogs from Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Turkey, to Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Lamb, and had to recalculate all their food amounts to adjust for the different calories in the two different kibbles.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

I was trying to say that the amount of food suggested on the bag is simply a suggestion. Each food and dog has individual requirements. I will edit that.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> I was trying to say that the amount of food suggested on the bag is simply a suggestion. Each food and dog has individual requirements. I will edit that.


My point was not that you need to check with the vet, only that when increasing or decreasing food amounts, you can't do it based on the amount cups another dog is being fed of a different kibble. If you think your dog is too thin on the kibble YOU are feeding, you need to increase based on the calories in THAT kibble, and vice versa. This isn't rocket science, and a vet isn't needed. But common sense is. And no two kibbles have the same number of calories. So a cup does not equal a cup. Not EVEN in the same brand line. That was my only point.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Melissa Brill said:


> The only thing I do differently for Perry is that I let his ears stay fuller and do more of a column leg.


RICKY just got back from his bath at the groomer. Here is a photo of what his classic column legs look like.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> RICKY just got back from his bath at the groomer. Here is a photo of what his classic column legs look like.
> View attachment 174296


YAY!!! A picture of Ricky!!! We don’t get them too often!!! ❤ ❤ ❤


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> YAY!!! A picture of Ricky!!! We don’t get them too often!!! ❤ ❤ ❤


You can tell by the expression on his face that he saw the picture of PANDA's food she eats right now. He is pottied at me right now. He wants to know when he can have puppies so he can eat like that!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> You can tell by the expression on his face that he saw the picture of PANDA's food she eats right now. He is pottied at me right now. He wants to know when he can have puppies so he can eat like that!


LOL! He looks to me like he’s probably WASTING AWAY under that long hair... he’s probably skin and bones under there!!!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Ernie looks darling either way... He has such a beautiful shiny black coat and nose! When Scout had to have his coat cut for surgery DH was pretty upset, but I found it to be so much easier to maintain. Years ago before I knew anything about grooming I would drop our first Havanese off to be groomed. There were many times I wanted to cry when I picked him up. We've had the same home groomer for eight years which has worked out perfectly. There have been no surprises! She has mentioned a dog owner should first interview a groomer before ever making an appointment. Bring written instructions with a picture of what you like so there is no miss communication. Make sure eyes will only be on your dog.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Ricky is such a pretty boy Popi! Love his white fluffy legs!


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Ernie looks adorable in his new do!!


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> LOL! He looks to me like he’s probably WASTING AWAY under that long hair... he’s probably skin and bones under there!!!


RICKY just died of starvation struggling to his doggie bed! His last gurgling sound was something about wanting to go to heaven at Kodi's house.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tell him I will try my best to revive him when he arrives!


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## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> RICKY just died of starvation struggling to his doggie bed! His last gurgling sound was something about wanting to go to heaven at Kodi's house.
> View attachment 174309


I adore Ricky’s coat! And I appreciate all the advice very much Popi! Bringing in printed instructions is an excellent idea. Thanks for always sharing so much wisdom.


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## Mama Mills (Jul 5, 2020)

krandall said:


> You can’t tell from this photo. He is at a sort of gangly, adolescent stage. I think you said he is around 6 months old? Here is a useful chart for gauging a dog’s body condition. But with fluffy dogs, even as short as Ernie is now, you need to feel for it, not look.
> 
> View attachment 174294
> 
> ...


I appreciate you taking the time to deliver all this valuable information. I’m becoming more confident when it comes to gaging Ernie's body condition. He is currently on the slender/lanky side but I do believe he feels very healthy. And knowing he’s long backed will help deter me from over feeding! Yes keeping him in a short cut is probably most practical until he’s a little older. I need to practice combing more and probably invest in another brush. I’m thinking the ice slip will be next 🤔


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mama Mills said:


> I appreciate you taking the time to deliver all this valuable information. I’m becoming more confident when it comes to gaging Ernie's body condition. He is currently on the slender/lanky side but I do believe he feels very healthy. And knowing he’s long backed will help deter me from over feeding! Yes keeping him in a short cut is probably most practical until he’s a little older. I need to practice combing more and probably invest in another brush. I’m thinking the ice slip will be next 🤔


Remember, You can use the Ice Slip, and I do live mine! But if you can’t get a fine comb through every inch of him, RIGHT down to the skin, he’s not completely mat free. Brushes alone really can’t do the job on a Havanese coat.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Mama Mills said:


> I appreciate you taking the time to deliver all this valuable information. I’m becoming more confident when it comes to gaging Ernie's body condition. He is currently on the slender/lanky side but I do believe he feels very healthy. And knowing he’s long backed will help deter me from over feeding! Yes keeping him in a short cut is probably most practical until he’s a little older. I need to practice combing more and probably invest in another brush. I’m thinking the ice slip will be next 🤔





krandall said:


> Remember, You can use the Ice Slip, and I do live mine! But if you can’t get a fine comb through every inch of him, RIGHT down to the skin, he’s not completely mat free. Brushes alone really can’t do the job on a Havanese coat.


I keep Perry in a puppy cut and I generally comb him much more than brush - I only ever really brush him (CC wire brush) to give him a sort of back massage  not to get any tangles out at all. I imagine a brush might be more useful if they're in a full coat (still with using the comb to get down to the skin), but personally with a puppy cut I wouldn't worry about getting another brush - I'd focus on having a really good comb. I have a few but the only one I consistently use is the CC 006 . It's smaller so fits in your hand nicely and is easy to maneuver around the beard/ chin/ ears... but also has the small and wider teeth to use the wider to get some tangles out and the smaller to make sure they're all out. Technically they call it a "face" fine/coarse buttercomb, but I use it for his whole body (in a puppy cut).


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## MMoore (Aug 20, 2020)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> RICKY just died of starvation struggling to his doggie bed! His last gurgling sound was something about wanting to go to heaven at Kodi's house.
> View attachment 174309


Finn does this exact thing - we have five dog beds in one room right now, and more often then not, she's lying down in front of one, not on it. We're having a bit of winter weather right now, so the floors have been cold. My husband is always saying she looks like a fainting goat!


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