# "Delicate" grooming question



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

:help:
Can you tell me how you trim your full-coated male dogs in their private area? I'm wondering if there is a way to help the stream from wetting the hair on the tummy area or towards the sides. I have clipped the hair as close to the end of the penis as possible, but he now gets wet strands of hair at the sides of his tummy area although the tummy itself is staying clean. 

I'm wondering if there is a trick to it...I've never seen a professionally groomed dog, and don't know if I'm doing something wrong. 

He's trimmed/shaved for two inches on each side of it, and for another 2+ inches forward towards his chest. I think in order to stop this I'd need to shave him halfway up his sides, and what is done is already affecting the flow of his hair when you see him from the side! What am I doing or not doing, correctly?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Is he hiking his leg by any chance?


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Yep, he does. Has since he was a pup.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Sheri, I can't only tell you what my vet told me. When Cicero was about 6 months old and I took him for a visit she was checking everything and she ask me why had I clipped the hair at his penis so short. I told her I was trying to keep him clean and dryer. She told me that was the wrong thing to do because it would cause him to wet his sides or his tummy. She said the longer hair on the penis is to direct the urine to the ground. She said as soon as he starts peeing the hair get wet and directs it to the ground instead of him peeing on his legs....so don't cut it short. She told me to let it grow to around an inch long to keep him from smelling like urine!! So, I stopped cutting it and now he doesn't wet his tummy or sides....and I see him cleaning himself sometimes....gross!!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Don't trim the penis hair too short - they need at least an inch to guide the pee properly. I live Kubrick's at 1.5 inches as that seems to be the perfect length. Also, I do trim his belly hair about 2-3 inches above the penis short - like 3/4 inches short - to make sure he doesn't get it wet. You can't see this trim when he's laying on his side at all and on his back I can tell, of course, but I don't think it looks bad at all. Doing these two things have always kept his underbelly nice and dry.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Aha!!! Thanks, Dale and Lina! :hail: 

That explains why I've been having more and more problems...'cause I keep trimming it shorter and shorter trying to resolve the issue!  I've just been making it worse!

I'll quit trimming it, or at least until it gets 1 - 1/2 inches or so.


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## [email protected] (Sep 20, 2008)

Well, I have to say I learn something new everyday from this forum! I've been trimming Buddy's hair short because I thought it was the thing to do, but now I know. Very interesting and it makes sense! Thanks for the input everyone!

Hava good day!

Rose


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## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

Uh, good to know, one day late....I trimmed Moxie's little "private" today:Cry:


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Keep that stream hair!*

I shave a bit of the tummy around the penis and some of the hair at the base, but that stream of hair on the penis I keep at least two inches long. This way it goes in a straight stream even if he lifts his leg...this way more of it goes down with gravity.

Riki isn't intact, but he still has a lot of marking pee. And a long coat. In the summer I do cut more of the inside leg hair as he does get smelly from all the marking, even with the stream hair.

Riki pees ten times for every one time Daisy does.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

OMG! I would of never thought about this! The things you can learn on this forum!


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*just stick around...*

One day Riki had pooped on a walk after I had thrown out his doggy bag he had used previously on our walk. I picked up the new poop and carried it in my hand, which totally grossed out my friend. I told her it was the law, he is my dog, and it is my responsibility. When we got to the car, I put it in a bag and used sanitizer on my hands.

She probably thinks I am insane. I have cleaned out eye goop, wiped their little butts, shaved privates, and do that ever awful ear hair pulling.

We pet moms do what we gotta do, learn all sorts of new and wacky things, and never cease to amaze ourselves. I only had sisters, have a daughter...so Riki is teaching me all sorts of things. And I love him dearly.

Hey this is the only place you can say bitch and be swearing! LOL


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

:redface: I never would have been able to ask so I'm glad someone else did!

Scooter's we keep short but he's in a puppy cut. We're going to try to keep Murphy longer so now I'll know to tell the groomer not to cut it.


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

Okay, since were talking about private parts, do you trim around the bum? I haven't brought Izzy to the groomer's for awhile, I've been doing it myself since the last time I brought her they cut a mat out of her, right on the top of her back so she has this clump of hair sticking up (can you tell I'm really mad about it, pisses me off everytime I brush her). Anyway, she seems to be getting an awful lot dingleberries (I think that's what Amy called them). Unfortunately, she tries to clean it herself, while she's outside, and it makes such a mess. I'm wondering if I should be trimming back there. She's in full coat and I'm afraid if I trim back there it will look funny. I'm glad I have a girl so I don't have to worry about the other trimming you guys are talking about.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Some males work fine with the wick trimmed and others need it. It varies with the dog.


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## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

Thank you, Tom, for giving us a better "terminology"..the wick hehe.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

:nono: I learned from reading to never cut pee-pee hair. Quincy and Vin have never had their pee pee hair cut. Like others have said,it directs the urine down. 

I think I even started a thread on here about pee pee hair cutting once!ound: We are a funny bunch!ound:


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## Patti McNeil (Apr 20, 2009)

I wish I had read this earlier today......I just trimmed Toby's hair. Darn. I should read this forum before I do anything on my own again. You veteran hav owners have no idea how much we 'newbies' need you!


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Marianne, as for the bum....I only use scissors to trim a little strip, leaving the hair about 1/4 inches long. I don't want to see a bulleye!! I'm lucky with not having poppy butt, but I do have a rare cling on....and it's always at the bottom of his long hair. I think it happens because at times he will run as the poop drops and the hair flys back and catches it...ughhh


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

I was told to leave a 2 inch patch of hair on his male part as a pee stream guide


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Ah the wick!*

Works for me.

Seems that Riki is cleaning his wick just about now. And Daisy is jumping on him as she knows he is preoccupied and she will win this one!


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

Carole - That's what happens to Izzy too. If she would just leave it alone, I can get it out easy but now she has to try to do it herself. I was wondering if anyone trims the longer hairs in the back but I don't want to mess up her coat so I think I'll just deal with it.


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## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

I love the light "wick" chat with all the other heavy duty emotional threads tonight. :boxing::boxing::tape::tape:
Linda, YES, Moxie loves to tidy his "wick" too - leg in the air...man grooming, I guess.:thumb:


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## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

So, glad to have found this thread as I have this same issue with my Pap. Really frusterating as he smells like pee not too long after I've bathed him! I haven't trimmed his "wick" it used to be longer but has hit a growth stunt. Now its short & bushy. I was wondering if anyone tried using vaseline to help streamline the hair? Its worth a try I'll let you know how it works out after I bathe my gremlin.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*How about intact males who mark?*

Riki is an outdoor marker and he was neutered young. I just got fed up with that long coat and cut it short...he tends to lift his leg very high and pee on himself and then walk right through it...bringing those wet paws into the house and on everything.

I adore my boy but this is really a challenge.

I cannot imagine what you do if you have a full coated intact male dog...any one?


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## Sam375 (Feb 2, 2009)

I am guilty of trimming!!!! No more, thanks forum!


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