# When to have first haircut?



## Jneling (Dec 8, 2020)

Hi. Zoe is now 17 weeks and 7 lbs. I have been bathing her at home since we got her at 8 weeks. Thanks to the forum, we have found a comb and made a great detangling spray that I use about once a day. The vet trimmed her nails once (at least) and had to take a mat out. 
So now the question is when to get her hair cut. Most people I know in my area use PetSmart for grooming and we have lots of other (mobile and other) choices. Any thoughts?
Thank you.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

You don't have to have her hair cut, (just in case you didn't know that.) Some of us keep/kept our dogs in full coat, with us keeping them combed everyday. I don't have any recommendation for you on taking to a groomer, but I'm sure others will be commenting later.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

The most important thing, getting her used to the comb, and being handled, you are actively doing. She probably doesn’t need to be professionally trimmed for a while, even if you’re keeping her on the shorter side, if that’s what you mean. As for as when she’s actually old enough, I think some of it depends on where she’s at in her vaccinations. 

If I brought home a puppy during covid, I would be more inclined to schedule grooming as early as the vet okays it, even if the puppy doesn’t “need” it. It’s hard enough to keep up on early socialization outside of covid, and puppies benefit from the exposure to people, new sounds, etc. A lot of groomers do those puppy “orientation” type appointments, and keep it short and comfortable. Even scheduling something like a nail appointment could be useful, whatever helps you. But as far when to trim, that’s based on your ideal length, budget, etc. maybe save pictures of what you like. In some areas where there are less Havanese (like mine) pictures are especially helpful.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Welcome! I echo EvaElizabeth, she is a wise woman😋 Personally, I would choose a mobile groomer. Then you know what's happening and your puppy won't be in a kennel by herself. Ultimately though, it's whatever works best for Zoe and your peace of mind.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I think it is important to bring a puppy to the groomer early on, if you are planning on using one in the future. They need to get used to a different environment - grooming table, professional dryers, bathing tub, other grooming tools you don’t use. If you don’t want a cut - a bath, blow dry and nail trim is all you have to do. You can research different options for groomers because there is a big difference. I like a private groomer that takes one dog at a time. The atmosphere is much calmer and my dog doesn’t have to be there as long. She doesn’t have to be crated and there aren’t a lot of other barking dogs in the room. Shops with multiple groomers working at the same time tend to be the most chaotic.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Something to consider also is what vaccines are required by the groomer and whether or not they accept titers. A mobile groomer may be more lenient in this regard.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JaJa said:


> Welcome! I echo EvaElizabeth, she is a wise woman&#128523; Personally, I would choose a mobile groomer. Then you know what's happening and your puppy won't be in a kennel by herself. Ultimately though, it's whatever works best for Zoe and your peace of mind.


I agree. A "big box" groomer would be my absolute LAST choice. Some real horror stories from those, and the employees are like a revolving door. You will not be able to develop a long-term rapport with someone, and have them learn exactly how you like her to look.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Yes to mobile grooming or individual appointments! 

We have been to a few different grooming places, with pros and cons to all, because there weren’t any mobile groomers in my area. There is one who will come out if a few people from the neighborhood will schedule on the same day, but that never works for me. Then a groomer moved into my neighborhood who only takes one dog at a time, and I really love it! I might never trim him myself again. It has taken time to work out the details, I forgot to tell her some of my preferences the first time so his muzzle was sort of cut too much on top, and he had a very shaved sanitary trim, but that’s my fault and it’s completely worth it. He loves it. 

It’s most important to me that the groomer asks questions about preferences and is good with the dog, because as picky as I am, haircut details can be refined over time. 

I did have a good experience with a puppy appointment at PetSmart, but we had a recommendation for a particular groomer and she is no longer there. She was great, very calm and gave him lots of praise and treats, read him very well, really skilled at handling his paws, etc. When she left we were scheduled with someone else and it was terrible. When we got there she told us she couldn’t do a “perimeter trim” like the previous grooming so we decided not to do the haircut, but kept the appointment for the bath and everything else. Considering it’s more expensive than mobile grooming, and nails and teeth are add-on, skipping them after also skipping the haircut was not okay with me. At least she asked, because there are people in my neighborhood who went there and ended up with surprise clippered haircuts.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

It's good to start grooming early. Bathing, nail clipping and maybe touch up grooming around the butt area. This is Patti at 12 weeks. Her first trip to the groomer.

As mentioned by others I personally would NOT use a place like Petco because it's a training room. You might let them bath a dog if there are no other options and see how things go.

In my area is very hard to find a good groomer that knows how to cut a Havanese or any other fancy dog that requires scissors. Havanese have human hair not fur.

Here is a video by Shu and Tree. A fancy Korean groomer. These are Fun! videos to watch and it's a good example of the kind of Dog Groomer we'd all like to have access to ... but most of us don't.






If you can find a groomer you can observe when they cut a Fancy Dog that would be helpful. Otherwise, you need to talk to them about what type of dogs they groom and then test them out with small touch ups.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I am REALLY picky about who trims my dogs, and I will only use someone who will let me stay there WITH my dog. I know most people don't even want to, but I have trust issues. What can I say? LOL! For a few years when I first had Kodi, I took him to a nearby groomer for her to trim his feet and sani once a month. When I got Pixel, she started doing her too. Then the shop she worked for started insisting on annual vaccines including kennel cough and would not accept titers. So I couldn't use her anymore.

I tried a mobile groomer who came to my house, which worked for a few times, until she cut Pixels' tongue, requiring a trip to the ER for stitches. It was a TOTAL accident, Pixel moved quickly and unexpectedly, and she felt terrible. She also paid for the vet bill. But after that, she didn't want to groom her anymore. (which I also thought was a bit over the top, but...) 

Now I use a GREAT show groomer... who, unfortunately, is 50 minutes away.  But I also need more grooming but less often now, because I have two in puppy cuts now. So I only go once every 7 weeks. Before Covid, I would just sit and chat with her, or I'd wash and groom Panda while she did the other two, because she was fine with me using her equipment. It is her own private salon attached to her house, so my dogs are the only dogs there when we go. Now, with Covid, it's a little less pleasant, because I either have to wait in the car, figure some errands to take up time, or go home, for an hour in the middle, just to do almost 2 hours of driving to go back and get them. But she is is REALLY good, she does EXACTLY what I ask her to, I DO feel completely comfortable leaving them alone with her at this point because she knows them so well, and she is less expensive than a "commercial" salon. So for me, it's worth going the extra distance. 

She has also been AWESOME giving me tips learning to trim Kodi myself, and cleaning up my messes when I've chopped him up on my own! LOL! In the end, I decided that she does a WAY better job than I do, and gets it done SO much faster, that it was stupid for me to keep doing it on my own! LOL!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

My groomer, Tesa, is a Third Family Generation Groomer. Her great-grandmother passed the grooming business to her daughter, Tammy, who passed the business to her daughter, Tesa.

I went to the great-grandmother (I've forgotten her name) when I had a Poodle. My Schnauzer and Poodle went to Tammy. Now Patti and our daughter's Golden-doodle go to Tesa the great-granddaughter.

The groomers live next door to their grooming and kennel business. The great-grandmother's home is abandoned from old age sits across from the business. Tammy and her husband built a new home on the other side of the business, that Tesa and her husband now live in with their two kids.

The grooming and kennel buildings are old but the younger generation are making improvements as they go along, as did their parents before them. _There's a new beautiful modern grooming business in town that's temping but I've not tried it out. The groomer is an employee and not the owner. Good groomers tend to own their own business. _

Tesa does Fancy Dogs, as well as, fur covered dogs but there are NO! Havanese in the area and she's had to learn how to groom Patti. Good Dog Groomers are like Human Hairstylists. The best ones are artistic and have an innate ability. Those types are few and far between.

Because a decent to good groomers are so hard to find I have a routine appointment every other week for a bath and six weeks for grooming. I, also, make sure Patti's hair is untangled and in good condition when I take her in because it makes Patti an easy dog to groom - except she's a bit wiggly on the grooming table. :laugh2:

I can almost always get her in whenever I want an appointment because I'm a good customer with an easy dog. Good groomers are busy and can pick and choose what dogs they want to groom. I have a friend who called for an appointment for his Golden Retriever who told me the appointment wait time is 6 months.

My Point: If you're lucky to find a groomer who does a decent job and is good to your dog routine appointments that they can depend on will go a long way in good will and make your life easier when it comes to groomers.

If I could find a Shu and Tree ... I'd probably drive 50 miles for grooming. :grin2:

Personally I wouldn't let a Petco type business even bath Patti.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Mikki said:


> If I could find a Shu and Tree ... I'd probably drive 50 miles for grooming. :grin2:


I would drive 50 miles and pay an obscene amount of money. I tend to skip parts of YouTube videos longer than 5 minutes, but these are impossible to stop watching. It is mesmerizing.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I am lazy and only willing to walk to my grooming table in the great room.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I would drive 50 miles and pay an obscene amount of money. I tend to skip parts of YouTube videos longer than 5 minutes, but these are impossible to stop watching. It is mesmerizing.


The videos are super fun to watch and they're educational. I would love for Patti to be so calm and cooperative on the grooming table like the dogs on Shu and Tree and not a wiggle worm. :wink2:

There's another young woman who does video on how to train and groom Havanese. Her videos are excellent but not as mesmerizing as Shu and Tree.


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## Jneling (Dec 8, 2020)

Thanks everyone! Now off to look for mobile groomers and "Fancy Dog" groomers in my area.


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