# Havanese Groom - Long trim



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Ok, this isn't the best example for what I was trying to get, but I don't really come across many Havs, and then most of them don't get a "long puppy cut" so I guess I'll just post this one just for the heck of it. I groomed him the other day and he usually come in a big mess, and all the groomers go "ugghh, I hope I don't have THAT dog," but he's my request client so they have nothing to worry about. After he's groomed, everyone agrees that he's not such a bad-looking dog after all, which I knew all along but I wanted them to see for themselves. 

He had eye problems so his vet had to shave the eye area and the hair is growing back. His hair is very long but flat, but he does have an undercoat. He gets combed out every day and sees me about once a month. The hair at the ends, especially the white parts, tends to be frizzy and I haven't really figured out how to get it smoother, but that may be due to underlying health issues that just got diagnosed, maybe the hair will start growing out a little nicer? Anyway, sometimes a trim him up more than this, it just depends on what I want to do that day, his mom pretty much just says, "Do your thing" and hands him to me, she's so sweet! I use my curved shears to get a little bit of an upside-down "U" shape, since I found that flows pretty nicely into the legs and it's easy to use the natural shape of the scissors. It's just a matter of seeing what line I want and trimming all the sticky-outies.

Before and after.


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Looks like a completely different dog. My God, he is gorgeous! And what a great job you did! I wish I knew how do that!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

wow..what a difference...you did a wonderful job making that coat look just gorgeous!!! Hope you get a big fat tip!!!! Wow again!!


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

She usually does tip me but this last time she didn't.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Very nice. My girl had limp at times greasy and the ends looked dry, it was a health issue, now her coat has come in lush the color is has much more gold.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

He looks good! I do like the before pic too. Lizzie always looks like the before but without mats or knots. Even when I dry her I cannot get that sleek look. Part of the problem I think is I have to hold the dryer with one hand and brush with the other. She doesn't like the dryer near her face so her bangs always look like Scuttle.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

He looks GORGEOUS!!! Great job!


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

WOW Wonderful !!


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

I wish I lived in CT. There is no one here that can do Rosie.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

WOW! gorgeous!!!!! HOW do you get the hair so straight and shiny!!!!?? man, I need some grooming tips! LOL


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

His hair is pretty thin, limp and long, so it's not all too dificult to get it straight. PetSmart equips their grooming salons with Metroforce velocity dryers, and with the cone on it's quite powerful. 

I don't have one at home and I just use a CHI handheld dryer, which I picked it out because it had the most power and a heat control. I actually found that if I blow dry her at home with the handheld and using a technique similar to how a hair stylist blow dries straight my thick, long wavy hair, the results are better that way than with the velocity dryer. For a picture of what I mean, go to the thread of her at 10 1/2 months. Basically you take your brush or comb, take the hair in sections, pull it down and then blow dry from the roots out, with a condenser attachment on the blow dryer. Dry ones section at a time, instead of a little all over the dog, that will make him frizzy. The next step is critical. After she is completely blow dried, she actually looks like a big frizzy mess. You just have to keep going with the coat and combing/brushing it down until it's tamed. I also mix in a heat serum in her conditioner to protect the hair and put a little more weight in it.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

wow... that sounds complicated! LOL thanks for sharing!!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm sitting here wondering how long it would take me to get to Connecticut to have my troops done. Gorgeous work, absolutely gorgeous. I'm so jealous.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Beautiful job!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

What products did you use?


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I used a Hydrosurge coco-nut based shampoo, and then I used the Hydrosurge hypoallergenic conditioner and also the Furminator conditioner. I groomed this pet at PetSmart so I don't really have a lot of say in product. Hydrosurge is fine for pets, but not ideal for long Havanese coats. The low-shed coconut shampoo is the best match for this type of coat, as it strengthens the hair shaft and put essential oils into the coat. This is what helps shedding dogs shed less, strengthening the hair shaft so less falls out, but at the same token works well to help prevent breakage. Also, the Furminator is basically a really rich conditioner, so I have no problems using it on my full coated clients, although it is against code. The hypo conditioner I basically use as a primer before the Furminator, I like the results of conditioning twice. Before I blow dryed him I sprayed him down with Eqyss remoisturising spray. I avoid spraying the coat after it's dry because it makes the coat curl up again.


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## Cindi (Sep 5, 2011)

atsilvers27 said:


> She usually does tip me but this last time she didn't.


Yikes .... she sure should have! Kudos to great groomers (I'm really lucky to have one, too). I tease my hair stylist all the time: why does my appointment cost twice as much as Mojo's and I don't get nails, certainly no "sanitary" clip", and I SIT STILL! The whole time! I never wiggle or lick. But I cost twice as much 

Seriously, very nice work!


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I just got the Eqyss shampoo and conditioner, I will be using it again on Hanna. The first time I used it I made the mistake of spraying her afterwards with a home-made concoction, which made her coat really sticky and I couldn't really see the real results. I'm still in the trial-and-error process.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

atsilvers27 said:


> I just got the Eqyss shampoo and conditioner, I will be using it again on Hanna. The first time I used it I made the mistake of spraying her afterwards with a home-made concoction, which made her coat really sticky and I couldn't really see the real results. I'm still in the trial-and-error process.


 That is a nice job I wish you could have someone video while your blow drying! I have problems because Zoeys coat has a period while wet that I cant brush without it really tangling . The brush goes threw so much easier almost dry and by then the hair is wavy. I just got back from a weekend show that I was told to try Pure Paws H20 for a havanese who has a wavy coat. The price is spendy. Has anyone tried it?


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Suzi, I will be very interested to see how you like it. Is it a conditioner or shampoo? I have used Pure Paws Ultra Reconstructive Shampoo on both boys and like it. I didn't get their conditioner when I bought that. I really like my own ISO HydraCondition for Augie. His hair is so easy to comb through when wet after I use that on him. It sort of works on Finn but not nearly as well as on Augie. For Finn's last bath I used Show Season AminoFlex - small sample bottle that I picked up somewhere. I really liked how that felt, and then I put a Show Season Conditioner on him - YUCK. It made his hair stick together and I knew I would never get a comb through it so I rinsed it and went back to my ISO. I am still looking for a conditioner that is compatible with his coat, and it sounds like his and Zoey's coats may be somewhat similar.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

WOW! WOW! WOW! Beautiful Groom! I love it! How many years have you been grooming?


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## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

Beautiful job - Hanna looks fantastic!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Suzi, I will be very interested to see how you like it. Is it a conditioner or shampoo? I have used Pure Paws Ultra Reconstructive Shampoo on both boys and like it. I didn't get their conditioner when I bought that. I really like my own ISO HydraCondition for Augie. His hair is so easy to comb through when wet after I use that on him. It sort of works on Finn but not nearly as well as on Augie. For Finn's last bath I used Show Season AminoFlex - small sample bottle that I picked up somewhere. I really liked how that felt, and then I put a Show Season Conditioner on him - YUCK. It made his hair stick together and I knew I would never get a comb through it so I rinsed it and went back to my ISO. I am still looking for a conditioner that is compatible with his coat, and it sounds like his and Zoey's coats may be somewhat similar.


 I haven't bought it yet because its **** Over $40 with shipping. I had success the last few baths using spectrum 10 nothing seemed to work when she was blowing her coat. I even tried apple vinager . More and More breeder friends are telling me to just use human products that Havanese hair is very similar to our human hair. Maybe I can get a sample Pure Paws H20 or the travel size. I'm really liking the nutragina leave in conditioner I have very few mats these days.


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## whitzend (Dec 1, 2011)

Absolutely beautiful!

Linda


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

What a transformation! Looks like she is ready to step into the show ring!


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

How gorgeous!


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Video please of your hair drying process. This is beautiful work. Is this a pet Havanese, not going into the ring?


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Yes, he is a pet. I've been a groomer for about 1 1/2 years and before that I was a bather/brusher for almost a year. I will have to cave in soon and get a more serious dryer as Hanna's coat is starting to get pretty long and my wimpy human dryer isn't going to do the job soon.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Really.................NICE work! You have earned that new dryer!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

atsilvers27 said:


> Yes, he is a pet. I've been a groomer for about 1 1/2 years and before that I was a bather/brusher for almost a year. I will have to cave in soon and get a more serious dryer as Hanna's coat is starting to get pretty long and my wimpy human dryer isn't going to do the job soon.


 When you do look at the CC dryer. I bought a cheep imitation a Bear for about $100 it gets the job done but I have lost hearing like I need to wear ear protection. Stand dryers are also very nice.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Suzi said:


> When you do look at the CC dryer. I bought a cheep imitation a Bear for about $100 it gets the job done but I have lost hearing like I need to wear ear protection. Stand dryers are also very nice.


I have the B-air dryer too, and either through operator error or because it's a cheap one, it just doesn't work well for me. I agree with you, Suzi, it's too loud, but I solve that by putting it outside the bathroom and mostly closing the door to muffle the noise. That works, because the hose is really long.

But it says that you aren't supposed to run it for long periods on the low setting, and on the high setting, it dries him so fast, I can't keep up with it. He ends up so puffy he looks like I stuck him in an electrical socket!ound:

So I end up using my dual speed, 3 temp human hair dryer in a stand. Maybe I need a lesson with the force dryer.


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