# Hair length?



## bhmelzer25 (8 mo ago)

Hi everyone!

I recently got a Havanese puppy, she's 6 months and her name is Peaches. I'm unfamiliar with her breed so I was wondering what is the best hair length for her breed? 
I took her to a groomer for a trim but they took her hair down very short. Is this bad for temperature regulation? Appreciate any responses!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It’s really completely up to you. Some people keep them in full coat, some people like fluffy puppy cuts,others prefer shorter cuts. Yours is about as short as I would go. You don’t want exposed skin.

You can see mine in my signature photo. I keep two in full coat and two in sort of fluffy puppy cuts.


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## Johanna (11 mo ago)

As Karen said, it's up to you. And really up to what you want and are willing to do with grooming on your end. I keep my adult girl in a puppy cut with a fluffier coat and her face is longer. I comb her face and legs daily and her body a couple of times a week to keep her free of tangles. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my puppy as his coat grows out. I know he won't be in a full coat as he gets older but I won't keep him really short either. He has a totally different type of hair so we're waiting to see what happens as his hair grows out and the adult coat develops. 
Temperature regulation isn't a problem as long the dog is properly groomed regardless of coat length. If they are shaved too short and the skin is exposed then you have to watch for sunburn in the warmer months and they'll get colder in the cooler months. If they have a long coat that isn't properly combed then they can retain heat in warmer weather and it's just uncomfortable all the way around.


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## bhmelzer25 (8 mo ago)

Johanna said:


> As Karen said, it's up to you. And really up to what you want and are willing to do with grooming on your end. I keep my adult girl in a puppy cut with a fluffier coat and her face is longer. I comb her face and legs daily and her body a couple of times a week to keep her free of tangles. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my puppy as his coat grows out. I know he won't be in a full coat as he gets older but I won't keep him really short either. He has a totally different type of hair so we're waiting to see what happens as his hair grows out and the adult coat develops.
> Temperature regulation isn't a problem as long the dog is properly groomed regardless of coat length. If they are shaved too short and the skin is exposed then you have to watch for sunburn in the warmer months and they'll get colder in the cooler months. If they have a long coat that isn't properly combed then they can retain heat in warmer weather and it's just uncomfortable all the way around.


Thanks so much Johanna, that was exactly what I was thinking. Thanks for sharing that information with me. Peaches is so adorable with short or long, but I want her to be conformable, so that's why I got her a summer cut. I was just nervous it was to short. Have a wonderful day.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I think Havanese can look cute short or long. I have had Mia in many coat lengths. She has silky thick hair which is easy to manage, however the longer hair is a bit more work. And the main thing I don’t like about it is how long it takes to dry. I recently cut her short again because I live in a heavily infested tick area and found that I was missing some ticks with her super thick long hair. It is also very rainy and humid right now and her long leg hair was acting like mops. She would be totally sopped when she came in. In addition, we have foxtails and other awns here. My yorkie had one of those recently. These are more easily prevented and found with shorter hair. Anyway, there are many things to consider when choosing the best length for your dog. And it does not hurt to change things up once in awhile. Mia’s hair grows very fast. I may grow her out again during the seasons where it is dry and there are less ticks.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

bhmelzer25 said:


> Thanks so much Johanna, that was exactly what I was thinking. Thanks for sharing that information with me. Peaches is so adorable with short or long, but I want her to be conformable, so that's why I got her a summer cut. I was just nervous it was to short. Have a wonderful day.


Not too short at all! She looks cute! …and hair grows fast!!!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

You can definitely go with a really short puppy cut - just make sure they use the smallest clipper guide and not a naked blade which would be shaving instead of a short puppy cut. You don't want to shave (unless you need to for mats or surgical procedures) but a really short puppy cut is fine. I have done a variety of short lengths on Perry including the very smallest guide size. 

Other people like to keep them longer - it depends on how much grooming you want to do, how well your dog tolerates daily or regular at home combing (you will want to use a comb in addition to a brush) and what looks best on them . '

I tend to keep Perry's ears and tail a little longer - ears usually about the same length as his beard and the tail I keep long and just have the groomers trim it a bit to keep it shaped. 

I keep Perry in a puppy cut all year long. I find that even when his hair is a bit longer (though I've never kept him in a really long / natural length) even in the winter he seems cold so he ends up wearing a sweater anyway, so a short cut is easier for it not to mat. He does get cold very easily though (anything under 65F he seems to shiver) - might not be the same with others.


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