# Panda's New "Do"



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ducky has been driving me crazy pulling out Panda's topknot. If I use a terry, to save her hair, it's out in 30 seconds. If I use an elastic, to keep it in longer, it's out in 30 minutes, with a hunk of hair. As a result, I've just been leaving it down all the time except when she's actually training. That means I can't see her eyes, it's always wet, getting in her mouth, getting in her food, carrying in leaf material from the yard... NOT ideal. And <sniff> she is scheduled to be spayed in Dec., so her show career is effectively over. (Thanks, Covid!)

So... Today I got brave and cut her a little "window". I'm not sure you can exactly call it "bangs", but it's a small spot that helps the rest of her hair fall to either side. It seems to be working beautifully. Every time I look at her, I can see her eyes. I think I like it! I can always remove more hair if necessary... it's hard to put it back if I take off too much!


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## LWalks (Feb 7, 2021)

krandall said:


> Ducky has been driving me crazy pulling out Panda's topknot. If I use a terry, to save her hair, it's out in 30 seconds. If I use an elastic, to keep it in longer, it's out in 30 minutes, with a hunk of hair. As a result, I've just been leaving it down all the time except when she's actually training. That means I can't see her eyes, it's always wet, getting in her mouth, getting in her food, carrying in leaf material from the yard... NOT ideal. And <sniff> she is scheduled to be spayed in Dec., so her show career is effectively over. (Thanks, Covid!)
> 
> So... Today I got brave and cut her a little "window". I'm not sure you can exactly call it "bangs", but it's a small spot that helps the rest of her hair fall to either side. It seems to be working beautifully. Every time I look at her, I can see her eyes. I think I like it! I can always remove more hair if necessary... it's hard to put it back if I take off too much!
> 
> View attachment 176213


She looks lovely!! I’m curious… which parts did you cut to get that shape? Just some in the middle, above the eyes?


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Good job! Looks great!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LWalks said:


> She looks lovely!! I’m curious… which parts did you cut to get that shape? Just some in the middle, above the eyes?


Her hair largely parts in the middle anyway, which helps. The part that comes forward is fairly light. So I wanted to be careful and ONLY cut that part. First I chipped away at just the middle, between her eyes. Then CAREFULLY, with thinning shears, I feathered the hair over her eyes. I let her shake her head a couple of times, and continued to feather whatever fell forward.

This WOULDN’T have worked with Kodi when he was in full coat. When his head hair was down, he basically looked like Cousin It! LOL!


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## LWalks (Feb 7, 2021)

krandall said:


> Her hair largely parts in the middle anyway, which helps. The part that comes forward is fairly light. So I wanted to be careful and ONLY cut that part. First I chipped away at just the middle, between her eyes. Then CAREFULLY, with thinning shears, I feathered the hair over her eyes. I let her shake her head a couple of times, and continued to feather whatever fell forward.
> 
> This WOULDN’T have worked with Kodi when he was in full coat. When his head hair was down, he basically looked like Cousin It! LOL!


Lol yup Kodi sounds like Jo…. Her hair comes straight down in front of her eyes! I really don’t think she can see very much so must master the topknot!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Panda looks so cute! The shape is beautiful, you did such a great job! Do you think it works for her because of her head shape or coat texture? 

I tried so hard to do that with Sundance once early on and it didn’t work at all. Every time I thought I had cut just enough and the shape was good he’d move and something found a way to flop right over! A groomer was successful once but his eyebrows looked weird, and the top of his hair was very rounded, which I really dislike. It only lasted a couple of weeks, too. I learned later (his face has grown out multiple times now) that unless he’s nearly bald it just poufs out and tips over. It’s easier to keep it long and up, but that’s because I don’t have outside puppy forces heroically Freeing The Hair


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## UrsaMinor (Jul 4, 2021)

Pandas looks adorable. You're really good at this. 



krandall said:


> This WOULDN’T have worked with Kodi when he was in full coat. When his head hair was down, he basically looked like Cousin It! LOL!


This is exactly Ursa's hair--nothing goes to the side or back, the entire set of front hair is in front of her face covering her eyes, nose and almost her mouth.
Is this just determined by how a dog's hair grow (the direction in which it grows)? Is there anything we can do to "encourage" the hair to fall sideways?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LWalks said:


> Lol yup Kodi sounds like Jo…. Her hair comes straight down in front of her eyes! I really don’t think she can see very much so must master the topknot!


Oh, you have no idea… Kodi’s was also THICK, and came all the way down past his CHIN!!! LOL!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Panda looks so cute! The shape is beautiful, you did such a great job! Do you think it works for her because of her head shape or coat texture?
> 
> I tried so hard to do that with Sundance once early on and it didn’t work at all. Every time I thought I had cut just enough and the shape was good he’d move and something found a way to flop right over! A groomer was successful once but his eyebrows looked weird, and the top of his hair was very rounded, which I really dislike. It only lasted a couple of weeks, too. I learned later (his face has grown out multiple times now) that unless he’s nearly bald it just poufs out and tips over. It’s easier to keep it long and up, but that’s because I don’t have outside puppy forces heroically Freeing The Hair


I think it’s three things. Shape of the head, coat texture, AND cowlicks on the top of the head. In Kodi’s case, he has VERY thick, silky, slippery hair, and a cowlick that sends a BIG hunk of hair STRAIGHT forward, no matter what you do! LOL!

Panda has a light and very silky coat, but it naturally tends to split in the middle anyway. If you notice, in this photo of her at the top of the stairs, it is going to both sides, and she hadn’t even been groomed that day.










Pixel’s tends to divide naturally in the middle too. We don’t do anything to MAKE it do that! Her’s is also very silky and fine.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

UrsaMinor said:


> Pandas looks adorable. You're really good at this.
> 
> 
> This is exactly Ursa's hair--nothing goes to the side or back, the entire set of front hair is in front of her face covering her eyes, nose and almost her mouth.
> Is this just determined by how a dog's hair grow (the direction in which it grows)? Is there anything we can do to "encourage" the hair to fall sideways?


Nope! I’m afraid it’s just luck of the draw! LOL!


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

Good Job! Panda looks beautiful.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Panda looks adorable in her new do! You did a great job! Truffles has a ton of hair on her head. Our groomer said it would be a mistake to cut it because the hair would just fall in her face. Her hair is so heavy that top knots never last long. I've had the best results keeping the hair up and out of her eyes with the Dolce Flip. I don't use it often, but it does work.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather's said:


> Panda looks adorable in her new do! You did a great job! Truffles has a ton of hair on her head. Our groomer said it would be a mistake to cut it because the hair would just fall in her face. Her hair is so heavy that top knots never last long. I've had the best results keeping the hair up and out of her eyes with the Dolce Flip. I don't use it often, but it does work.
> View attachment 176218


Is that where you pull the pony tail through the middle? I've seen that a few times. Panda's hair is MUCH too light for that! Here are a couple of Kodi with Bangs. You can see how well that worked! LOL!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

krandall said:


> Is that where you pull the pony tail through the middle? I've seen that a few times. Panda's hair is MUCH too light for that! Here are a couple of Kodi with Bangs. You can see how well that worked! LOL!
> 
> View attachment 176219
> 
> ...


Yes...It takes a little more time, but it really holds the hair in place until I take it out. I see Kodi and Truffles have the same problem.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather's said:


> Yes...It takes a little more time, but it really holds the hair in place until I take it out. I see Kodi and Truffles have the same problem.


LOTTA hair!!! LOL!


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