# Poor Pickles got shaved! :(



## veridea (Apr 26, 2012)

Hi again everyone! Unfortunately, Pickles had to be shaved down by the groomer yesterday. I think he's blowing his coat (he's 11 months now), as he was matting terribly despite daily brushings. I was unhappy about letting the groomer cut him so short, but as my boyfriend reminded me, his comfort is what's most important. Even though he looks like a goof now. 

However, when we picked him up from the groomer, he whined and shook for ten minutes. And today, he did the same thing when I get his harness out to take him outside. I'm just assuming he thought he was going to end up back at the groomer's. He's never whined after being groomed there before. 

He has no scratches or cuts, and the shave looks neatly done. Is it possible that it frightened him? I thought it was the best thing to do considering his mats, but I'm having second thoughts now. I don't want him to fear the groomer!


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## wynne (Apr 30, 2011)

You probably had no choice if he was that matted, but you might want to look at different groomers. Maya had no problems getting groomed until she had a bad experience with one of the groomers that was filling in for her usual groomer.
Now she trembles when ever I take her. even though I make certain that only a select few are allowed to touch her.
I have let Maya's coat grow out now and when I do take her to new groomed, I will take her to an entirely new place. I am trying so hard to keep up on her brushing so that I can limit her need to go.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Poor Pickles. She probably is not liking what happened. Maddie had a bad time while getting her nails trimmed and it took about a week for her to trust me when I would go to put on her harness.I'm sorry Pickles is feeling bad.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Poor Pickles! Have you thought about grooming Pickles yourself? When you say brush your Hav, are you actually brushing or are you combing? Let's see the pictures please. Hair grows, don't forget.


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Shaving a badly matted young dog is the worst possible scenario. Understand that it is not the groomer's fault that the dog is matted, the groomer can only work with what she is presented with. The only way for this type of dog not to have some trauma from the experience is to put him completely out under general anesthesia, which is not recommended unless the dog doesn't tolerate grooming. A matted dog that gets shaved down feels like they've been wearing a heavy wool jacket, and then suddenly strips naked. That dog, as you can imagine, can be spooked by the air finally reaching the skin, anything that touches the dog such as collars, sweaters, people, the surroundings, and even their own tail will feel hyper sensitive. Add to that an owner who calls him ugly and that would make any dog very uncomfortable. The blood finally circulates properly which can result in a tingling sensation. All of this being preventable with proper coat care. Having said that, a dog with a profuse, thick coat can be very difficult to care for properly but as an owner, you are the one that has control over the maintenance. Please dont blame groomers on your letting your dog get to that point, she had nothing to do with it. Just be glad the groomers didn't turn you away and tell you to bring your dog to a vet for a medical shave. In my area that costs $300. There may be some groomer horror stories but for every one there are countless of owners blaming the groomer for something she has no control of. Groomers don't let dogs get terribly matted, owners do.


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## veridea (Apr 26, 2012)

Thanks for all your replies! I'm fairly certain he's blowing his puppy coat, as I've never had this issue with matting before. I admit to being a novice groomer-I used only combs for his first nine months, with rosewater to dampen the hair, and had minimal problems with matting. Then about a month ago, he would mat if you looked at him the wrong way! I brushed out what I could every day, then tried cutting them out, then finally commandeered my boyfriend's trimmer to neaten him up. No dice, unfortunately. The matts would always return. 

atsilvers27, I assure you that I tried hard with grooming, and obviously I failed. If you're insinuating some sort of neglect on my part, please know that's 100% inaccurate.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

We all cringe, when that blowing coat arrives. The Havs will mat before your eyes, we have all gone through this dreaded stage. You did the right thing to have your pup shaved down. It is the only humane thing to do. You now have the opportunity to start fresh with grooming. 

Forgive yourself, and learn from your experience. Give your Hav extra attention and play time. Have fun with some little sweaters for your pup. Thank you for sharing your experince with us and hopefully others new owners of Havs will learn that you have to stay on top of the grooming everyday or you will have to give your pup a short groom.

Groomers are not miracle workers. They do what is best for the pup. ATSilvers, thank you for your educational experience, I had no idea. I thank you for your response.

Your pup will be fuzzy again before you know it.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awwwwww, don't feel too bad, even the 'best' of us 'lose' the game of blowing coat....

I too was very careful to thourougly comb my hav at least once, sometimes twice a day as she was growing up ... as she got closer to the 10 month mark she was starting to matt so I was basically on "matt watch" and would comb them out as soon as I found them (I was a stay at home mom back then so I was always with her!) and I could NOT keep ahead of them! It seemed as soon as I got out a matt another one was waiting. It got to the point of spending over 3 hours a DAY grooming her and her becoming hesitant to come anywhere near me!! I finally decided to take her to the groomer for a shave down... she looked like a bobble head. lol She wasn't matted to the skin by any means, but it wasn't fair to her to be stalking her with the grooming tools!!
She hasn't been back to a groomer since (going on 2 yrs) I learned how to do everything and started over with a healthy coat. 
She is 2 1/2 and at this point I plan on cutting her down about once a year, in the spring and let her grow throughout the year. It really is very simple to learn to do your own grooming.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Tammy, I am seriously thinking about doing what you do each year. When is the first clip? Spring or Summer?


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Since I had Rosie shaved down, I have loved it and so has she. Actually she is more like a dog now and gets bathed when she begins to smell like a dog. But for a long while I could wash her off with a cloth. The hair about 15 inches now andthe muzzle has grown out. She is not as pretty as she was in the full coat, but she and I are a lot more comfortable. She used to hide when she saw a towel or comb and brush. Now I can run the pin brush through her hair every once in a while and no mats at all. I am going to let it grow a while more--until it gets to be a problem again. There should be a length that is easy to care for and nice to look at.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

HavaneseSoon said:


> Tammy, I am seriously thinking about doing what you do each year. When is the first clip? Spring or Summer?


it's a great balance, I still get to enjoy the gorgeous-ness of the long hair and I don't have to trim her very often! lol I usually trim her in April, but it depends a bit on the weather and how warm it gets. For sure by mid May... Right now she is probably the longest she's ever been, drove my mom CRAZY while she stayed with her while we were in Maui! lol


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I had to get Brody shaved down last May (he was 14 months). His matting just got beyond me and honestly while I thought I was getting him right down to the skin, I guess I wasn't. I really felt like a failure at first. I'll freely admit that grooming isn't my strong point. I don't find it as easy as many do. Anyhow, the first thing I did after was to buy better grooming tools (comb) and that's made a world of difference. Frankly, I no longer feel bad about having him shaved down. It was best for everyone and he got a pretty close shave. If it came to it again, I'd do the same thing, but hopefully I wouldn't have to get quite so close a shave again. I do think I'm doing a better job of combing him now, plus the whole blowing coat thing is hopefully finished.

I will say that afterward Brody showed no signs of trauma. He was as happy as could be. He still loved everyone at the grooming shop and he still thought he was the best looking Havanese ever. Brody is pretty easy going and forgiving by nature though. We just had a lengthy grooming/bathing/grooming again session last night and he wasn't too pleased with it all, but when it was all over he was content to cuddle up with his mommy again.

Anyhow, maybe Pickle's skin is sore (like a light razor burn that doesn't actually show).


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## sashamom (Jan 12, 2009)

veridea said:


> Thanks for all your replies! I'm fairly certain he's blowing his puppy coat, as I've never had this issue with matting before. I admit to being a novice groomer-I used only combs for his first nine months, with rosewater to dampen the hair, and had minimal problems with matting. Then about a month ago, he would mat if you looked at him the wrong way! I brushed out what I could every day, then tried cutting them out, then finally commandeered my boyfriend's trimmer to neaten him up. No dice, unfortunately. The matts would always return.
> 
> atsilvers27, I assure you that I tried hard with grooming, and obviously I failed. If you're insinuating some sort of neglect on my part, please know that's 100% inaccurate.


I am sure you are doing your best. It is difficult to keep up with matts when they are blowing coats. I have one that is 7 yrs and in a very short cut because she had to be shaved and one the is about to get his shave-down. He is 18 months and blowing coat for the second time. I love the look of a long coat but in the NW if they go out during the rain short coats are easier. Just give lots of love but do not coddle too much, my guys eat it up when I do the oh poor guy/girl thing and play it out longer.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

When I first got Pixie, I thought I was doing great keeping her coat matt free. I was wrong-I missed many spots. As much as I love love love the look of a full coat, it will never happen with my two. Teddy clips every 4 weeks make everyone happy.


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## Ewokpup (Nov 3, 2012)

Could the noise of the shaver been too loud?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Maybe just the hustle and bustle of just being busy in the shop, who knows?


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

veridea said:


> Thanks for all your replies! I'm fairly certain he's blowing his puppy coat, as I've never had this issue with matting before. I admit to being a novice groomer-I used only combs for his first nine months, with rosewater to dampen the hair, and had minimal problems with matting. Then about a month ago, he would mat if you looked at him the wrong way! I brushed out what I could every day, then tried cutting them out, then finally commandeered my boyfriend's trimmer to neaten him up. No dice, unfortunately. The matts would always return.
> 
> atsilvers27, I assure you that I tried hard with grooming, and obviously I failed. If you're insinuating some sort of neglect on my part, please know that's 100% inaccurate.


From your original post you write that your dog has no scrapes or scratches, yet has been shaking and whining and now you are having second thoughts about having taken him to the groomer. That sounds like you think the groomer/groom may have traumatized him. The question is, was your dog traumatized by the experience. The answer is, probably yes. If the matting was stuck onto the skin the clipper would have had a harder time cutting through the hair. Your dog is young and not used to so much grooming work being done, let alone getting through the discomfort of being matted, shaved, and then home again.
As I explained, A shaved down matted dog will feel hyper sensitive to everything, even the air, because his hair was in thick felts and nothing has really touched his skin for a while. Keeping an adolescent Hav in full coat is not easy, but you really shouldn't be second guessing the groom when a dog gets to that sort of condition. Left alone, severe matting causes poor blood circulation (dogs can feel tingly after being shaved) skin conditions such as hotspots, bruises, and even mold. Cappilaries under the skin can swell or even rupture after a shave because the pressure from the matting restricts the blood supply, and after the 
Hair is removed the blood rushes back. This is not tangles here and there, this would be severe matting down to the skin, but as a groomer I have seen all of this.

Some groomers turn these dogs away because they fear owners will blame them for traumatizing the dog and for the high risk of skin issues associated with matted dogs. Since you said the skin looked OK (and I am hoping you weren't suggesting that had the skin looked other than normal that implies the groomer was negligent) it sounds to me like a typical case of adolescent puppy that had a difficult blowing coat and the owner couldn't keep up with it. You shouldn't consider yourself a failure as it is a difficult feat to accomplish, even more so with having no grooming experience. Just don't blame the groomer for traumatizing your dog.


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## Anne Streeter (Apr 14, 2009)

Luci starts to tremble as soon as she figures out where we are going. However, I do not have to worry about what happens there because I never leave her. After viewing the dreaded cage dryer just once, I decided to bathe her at home (she trembles then too), comb her out, just have her clipped. My groomer was skeptical at first but once she knew Luci would arrive matt free, she was fine with it. I just stand there and we chat and we are all happy - well, Luci is mostly happy! I have also learned a few things for between visits touch-ups. Works for us.


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## veridea (Apr 26, 2012)

Thanks again everyone! Pickles has gotten used to his short coat and actually seems more energetic than usual! (I have scratches to prove it!). I've noticed that just combing his ears and tail have removed way more fluff than normal. And since the shave, we've found a new white patch of hairs on his back! I'm wondering if he's going to silver as he ages. He was all black when he was born!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Please keep us updated on the photos. Our little babies always look so small when their hair is shaved off because of all the thick fluff. Is he feeling better now?


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

I think pickles will be just fine. If you brushed him daily as best you could I doubt it was the matting that traumatized him, more the grooming experience if he'd never been before....all that barking from other dogs, all that noise... Someone he doesn't know doing something he's never had done to him before. My groomer insisted the first groom just be a clean up, feet, face and cleanliness... To get the pup used to them and the noise. But it sounds like you and the groomer had no choice... If you like this groomer, Perhaps take him in a month or so for a bath and nails and sanitary clip (with lots of love and treats). So he replaces the first experience with a nicer one. 

My boys run into the groomers... But then balk when they realize I'm leaving. But I trust the groomer and it is just part of what we anfd they have to do. 

Pickles looks adorable by the way.... What a face! And I love the cross on his chest...cash has one going the other way.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

He looks so cute! Sometimes the shorter coat bring out the markings that we can't see with all the long hair!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Pickles looks cute. I had a Hard time with Zoey during her coat change. It help me to have had a training session from my Havanese club. We had a pot luck and went over grooming from start to finish. I also had a one on one lesson from a club member. I have taken what I've learned and developed my own way. I am still surprised some times when we are out of the bath and I find matting in areas I thought I had gotten. Its still amazes me for being such small dog how much work they are. I could not imagine keeping up an old English sheep dog.
I would look into seeing if their is a club in your area. Its a lot of fun and if you have the time can be a great way to get together with other havanese owners. My club has many members that show and their years of experience has been very helpful for me. Unless you are a fly on the wall you will never really know what happened at the groomers. So many things could have happened. I don't like the cage dryers. The clippers could have been dull all sorts of things.From your posts it sounds like you were doing the best you could. If some groomers turn down badly matted dogs then they are being responsible. Its the ones that take it on that aren't. Most are on time schedules or they don't make any money. If Pickles was so bad that he came home scared and traumatized i blame the groomer for not suggesting a better route . Like two or three sessions. Or having a vet do it. You were not neglectful.


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## veridea (Apr 26, 2012)

He's been to that groomer two times before. He doesn't love it, but this was the first time he seemed so upset. I'm thinking of trying out a new one, as I've noticed that they don't always do things like remove his ear hairs or file down his nails well. 

Toronto must have some sort of Havanese group! I'll start looking around. 

I feel better knowing that I have the chance now to start from scratch with his brushing. Maybe as his hair grows, I can figure out what I was doing wrong. Being a first time dog owner, there's always room for improvement.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Where is Pickles? Love the name! Any pictures? Is he getting fluffy yet?


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