# IT is done.



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

The scene of the "crime" ...


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

TAMMY!!! No photos of Tillie?? What a stinker! :biggrin1: Start posting them, girl!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

As some of you know, I have been itching to trim Tillie down a bit... and today I just DID it.
I broke ALL the 'rules' ... she wasn't freshly bathed, blowdry, etc. I also used SCISSORS only (gasp!) LOL NOW, if I would have PAID to have someone trim her and she would have come out looking like THIS, I would be APPALED and refuse to pay. BUT since I did it to my own dog... I think she looks pretty darn cute, for my first EVER cut!! 
I didn't touch her head at.all. in fact, I put her ears in rubber bands so I didn't accidently cut them! (should have taken a picture of that! LOL). and I tried my best to blend her shorter body into her longer head to avoid the bobble head look. She DOES look choppy in areas and some areas are longer than others... LOL oh well. as I now know for sure, hair DOES grow. fast. 

Tillie is now 1/2 the dog she was...


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

OK, sorry, when I saw just the photo of the table, I thought you weren't posting photos of Tillie - should have known you would come through! 

She does look cute. If there are any uneven places, they will no doubt blend in short order. Does Tillie just sit there for you? On that table? With no grooming arms or anything? Wow. I am not sure Augie would stand for a whole haircut, even though he does tolerate a comb out quite well. Finn - NO WAY. I have a hard time just trimming feet, and then I usually end up cutting too short in spots. Haha - like my pruning - once I start cutting, I have trouble stopping! :biggrin1:

Good for you Tammy! I would think the first time is the hardest.


----------



## ErikaAnn (Mar 29, 2012)

She is so cute, I love her experssion in the first picture.


----------



## curly_DC (Nov 27, 2011)

Tillie really has perfected the "head tilt"!! Adorable!! She looks great. You did a good job, and you didn't spend $50!


----------



## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I think that's a great first effort. What a sport Tillie is!


----------



## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Did Tillie act as though she was "lighter than air" after the hair cut? You did a great job!!!


----------



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

I am thinking about doing Rosie, if I was sure she would come out looking as good as your baby, I would do it today.


----------



## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Looks great, she will be very comfortable. is she liking it?


----------



## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Tillie always looks cute, no matter the length of her hair. One of the great things about our dogs is that they do not criticize us no matter what we do to them. They just love us.

She looks terrific, Tammy. Good job!!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks so much everyone!! it will take some getting used to, and after her next bath (in the day or 2) I will probably find areas that need to be trimmed and cleaned up.

Linda ... I typically groom her/blow dry, etc on the kitchen counter. and as unsafe as I know it is, she has never had any loop or anything. I have been very lucky. She clearly does NOT 'enjoy' grooming, but tolerates it. The only thing that she really does is LAY DOWN every 2 minutes! LOL sometimes I let her and just work where I can, but most of the time I stand her back up and keep going! I decided to do the big trim outside on our picnic table because the weather was perfect, not breezy, cloudy so no glare from the sun. It was a NOW or never moment.  and then I went to work. LOL oh and yes, once you start trimming, you just go and go and go ... then whooooooops, didn't mean to trim her THAT short, but now I have to even it up ... 

She doesn't seem to even notice the trim. Although she does keep shaking to 'fluff' the non existant fluff! LOL
It was really way to easy, just clipped up one layer of hair and trimmed the other and then tried my best to match it all up... knowing it will grow and look fine in a week. it does get VERY hot around here, so I'm sure Tillie will appreciate the trim down soon! 

Michele, seriously, I do not know where or HOW she learned that head tilt, but seriously, I think she has been watching "America's Next Top Model" or something! if you look through my pics, that is how she POSES, nearly every time the camera is turned on! LOL and YES, i saved a bundle... and hair grows!  besides, my new harness and leash just arrived. I can tell hubby, LOOK how much I save by grooming her myself... and THEN break the news to him about my newest purchases. eace:


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Augie is really good about grooming, but it just takes a short while to comb him out. I am not sure he would stand there for as long as it would take me to cut his hair. His coat is coming in very nicely again, since Finn quit chewing on it, so at this point, I plan to leave him. I just combed Finn out. He does the laying down thing. I need a table with two grooming arms, one to hold up each end and keep his mouth out of the way. I do not know what he got into, but his whole right rear side is gummy/sticky - ICK. As soon as I get off here and get my bird cages cleaned, he is getting a bath. 

If you do your own grooming, then you should be able to have some of the other extras. :biggrin1: That is how I am going to justify getting a grooming table and dryer, once I figure out which ones. Do you have the grooming video? The Jodi Murphy (is that her name?) one?


----------



## nlb (Feb 26, 2012)

Bravo Tammy! A great first effort! See, it's not so hard! After her next bath, it should be easy to even things up. She's so cute! 

I took out the sissors to Cassie's back legs yesterday, and they look so much better now. I'll just wait on the rest until it looks too sparse, or coat blowing happens.


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I saw the clippers! And thought..............oh no! Where are the pictures? Well, saw the pictures. You did great! And you only used the scissors, I know that took some time! Once you get your nerves back and you quick shaking (me) you will try those clippers. 

Use the clippers with an attachable comb. The hair HAS to BE MAT/TANGLE free before using a clipper. How much (length) did you cut off? What is the length of the hair now.

You did great! You will only get better with time...because...how often are you going to clip? Not much....maybe...once every 3 months? I was always tweaking Dexter's haircut. I love grooming! The last time, I picked up the big clippers were in October. 

You did great....and.... Tillie still looks like a Hav!


----------



## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Not bad for your first try! She looks so super sweet!


----------



## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Tammy, you are so brave! Tillie looks adorable, too. If I thought mine would turn out that well I would try it but I have no earthly idea how to even begin!

I used to scissor cut our poodles and DH clipped the face and feet. The curly hair was easier and much more forgiving.

I'm sure Tillie is going to enjoy that cut this summer, too!


----------



## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Tammy, Great intro to the thread! LOL
She looks so cute! What bravery! I know what you mean about once you start, you just keep going. I did that to Lucy's head a few weeks ago and never said anything or posted pictures because she looked so horrible. I tried to do a Sierena cut an she ended up looking like a Cocker Spaniel. 

I do have a question though. I thought the long hair was to insulate them from the heat. I've read that since their from the tropics you can actually make them hotter if you cut their hair off. ???


----------



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Well I finally trimmed Rosie's bangs and around her feet. Took DH little electric clippers to do the sanitary trim. With the guide on it doesn't cut so I took it off and tried to not touch the skin. Well I did. Poor thing I had to spray Lanacaine on her to stop the burning--it worked. Don't think I will go any further.


----------



## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Luciledodd said:


> Well I finally trimmed Rosie's bangs and around her feet. Took DH little electric clippers to do the sanitary trim. With the guide on it doesn't cut so I took it off and tried to not touch the skin. Well I did. Poor thing I had to spray Lanacaine on her to stop the burning--it worked. Don't think I will go any further.


Lucile, best thing is to Always put the clipper blade on the inside of your wrists, if it gets too hot there, it will be too hot on the dog's skin and will do a clipper burn, which hurts and leaves red spots. The better clippers stay cool longer, but remember to test..


----------



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Thanks for the tip Flynn and Diane protection for the heat was why we southerners invented air conditioning.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Not sure about the whole "insulating" from the heat thing, but I'm not too concerned, she isn't outside THAT much, except for walking and potty trips! 

Honestly, I just kept seeing some super cute cuts on the forum and I had been looking at how her hair grew out over the last year and found that I really, really loved the way she looked last summer!!

LOL, I had the clippers out there in case I did actually need them, but really, I don't have enough HANDS to use them! LOL Tillie is typically pretty matt free, so I wasn't too concerned and basically did a comb out as I was trimming.
and as for starting, I started at the back because I have been occasionally trimming her feet/legs/rear end, so I thought that would be a good starting place since I at least had a BIT of a guide to go by. I just clipped part of it up and did the bottom layer then worked my way up to the top layer, then would move onto the next 'chunk'. I was ready to do this and wasn't sad at all!!  I feel like I can 'allow' her to be a big more doggie when she is shorter, the kids can wrestle her with a polyester blanket and I don't have to freak about the matts they are causing. NOT to say her hair won't matt, BUT she is nearly 2 so MOST coat blowing is done and her hair is getting progressively silkier as she's getting older AND I don't know if you can see in the pics, BUT in person you can clearly see the apricot on the top of her head and her back!!  yay!!
Oh and I totally planned on breaking this up into a few smaller sessions, but just couldn't stop myself once I started! LOL and once Tillie realized I was trimming nails, or using a shaver, she relaxed and just enjoyed being groomed outside for the first time!!  It really only took me about 45 minutes. but I know when I give her a bath I'll do some more tweaking! And I have no idea how often I will trim her, maybe 2-3 times a year? just depends on what 'mood' I'm in what length I want her hair! ha ha! 

Actually we were out (picking kids up/dropping at girl scouts/errands) and I noticed I totally missed (or just didn't trim much) a section above her "waist" LOL if I held it out it was like she had a skirt on! bwhahahahahaha! ound: Anywho, I trimmed that right when we got home!!  I think she looks better now. 
I kind of really like this look. I don't know when/if I will ever trim her head, but I think at some point I will HAVE to, right?? My son was like, won't her ears drag on the ground someday if you don't trim them?? ha ha 

I'm not sure of the length, I think it is probably 1 1/2-2 inches long in most spots. I would guess I trimmed about 2 1/2-3 inches off. a bit more than I had planned, but oh well!

oh and she still has plenty of hair to 'shade' her skin and help insulate her if neccesary! 

I love that you guys understand what a big deal this is!!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Luciledodd said:


> Well I finally trimmed Rosie's bangs and around her feet. Took DH little electric clippers to do the sanitary trim. With the guide on it doesn't cut so I took it off and tried to not touch the skin. Well I did. Poor thing I had to spray Lanacaine on her to stop the burning--it worked. Don't think I will go any further.


oh no!!! poor little Rosie! how's she doing this evening??
How did her bangs turn out!? we need pictures!!


----------



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

How long did it take to get your harness after you ordered it? I need to order one still. It needs to come on Friday at the latest, because puppy k is on Saturday. Hope I have enough time still.


----------



## Iris (Jan 2, 2012)

I think she still looks adorable. Very brave of you. Rudi is 6 months and i really like the length of his hair now -- about 5", I would say. I thought that one of the benefits of clipping him myself would be that I could keep it the way I want it by trimming it more often than I would be willing to pay a groomer. I haven't been brave enough to try yet because his black hair is wavy and his white collar hair is straight and almost wispy, so I haven't gotten up the courage to get started on anything more than his feet and a little bit between his eyes.


----------



## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Which harness did you order Tammy?


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Wow, girl! You did a GREAT job!! Maybe you missed your true calling?? 

She looks great!

Kara


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

angiern2004 said:


> How long did it take to get your harness after you ordered it? I need to order one still. It needs to come on Friday at the latest, because puppy k is on Saturday. Hope I have enough time still.


The company is in the Bay Area, so I'm sure it will get there in time!!
I ordered it Thursday and it was here yesterday, so very fast shipping!
I got the sensation harness, it was the only one offered in the Mini size (def. the size for Trooper probably too!). I got a leash also, but tested it yesterday and it is SO freaking LONG, it is tooooo much to handle, I am going to have to figure something out to shorten it. 
I will give the harness a test run today, it doesn't LOOK impressive, but hoping it helps and is comfortable for Tillie!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Thumper said:


> Wow, girl! You did a GREAT job!! Maybe you missed your true calling??
> 
> She looks great!
> 
> Kara


bwhahahahahaa ound: ya, well, not many dogs are as tolerant and forgiving as Tillie!! LOL I am a BIT of a perfectionist also, so IF i am going to do something I must do it as close to 'perfect' as possible! LOL and I wonder where my SON got that trait from?? sheesh!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Thank you Iris!! Don't you wish there were a "STOP" button on thier hair growth!!? LOL

I think she looks super cute, although a little 'bobble-head-ish' ... I am considering trimming just a LITTLE bit near her beard/ears, after her bath. BUT I probably won't, because I like her head hair longer, even if she looks a little silly!!


----------



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

TilliesMom said:


> The company is in the Bay Area, so I'm sure it will get there in time!!
> I ordered it Thursday and it was here yesterday, so very fast shipping!
> I got the sensation harness, it was the only one offered in the Mini size (def. the size for Trooper probably too!). I got a leash also, but tested it yesterday and it is SO freaking LONG, it is tooooo much to handle, I am going to have to figure something out to shorten it.
> I will give the harness a test run today, it doesn't LOOK impressive, but hoping it helps and is comfortable for Tillie!


Was that with their regular shipping or the one step up (priority mail)??


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Angie, that was the regular (cheapest) shipping!


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Tammie, we are a lot alike , I want to do it right. And, I agree "that it is very hard to stop" once you start grooming. It is so much fun! Having my boys have relaxed me and made my housekeeping more relaxed. 

I did a sanitary clip on Jack's underside. He is such a dream to groom. Do you have some cheapy thinning scissors? The scissors come in handy for me all the time.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

She looks great! Especially for your first time and breaking all the rules! I follow the rules and my guys don't always look so good. I like the ears in a rubber band idea. I will try that tomorrow when I cut my guys!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks so much Linda!! I even'd her out today a bit more... she still has some areas that I would like to fix over the next couple days. I am very confused as to what to do about her head. with body short her head hair just looks messy. LOL but I worked SO hard and SO long on growing out her bangs that I don't want to trim them!!!

and No, I don't have any thinning shears. I looked at them, but couldn't figure out HOW they help, with all those gaps, if I am really trimming her down and now just thinning her out in places... maybe I am confused as to what the thinning scissors really DO? 
I asked here on the forum about scissor for trimming but didn't get much feedback other than that I 'couldn't scissor trim her whole body' ... LOL I am such a rebel! I swear, tell me to DO something and I dig my heals IN and refuse! BUT tell me I CAN'T do something... and well... I DO it!


----------



## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

:thumb: I think that's a very impressive outcome for your first try with scissors alone! And I'll bet Tillie will love the shorter cut as the temps heat up. Way to go, Tammy!


----------



## tokipoke (Feb 13, 2012)

TilliesMom said:


> I don't have any thinning shears. I looked at them, but couldn't figure out HOW they help, with all those gaps, if I am really trimming her down and now just thinning her out in places... maybe I am confused as to what the thinning scissors really DO?


Thinning shears help cut the hair and blend. They are used to avoid choppy lines. For instance, on a teddy bear type of head, you can cut off the bulk hair to the approximate length that you want with shears, then go over the edges with thinning shears to blend. It gives the appearance of a natural haircut. They are also used like erasers to fix boo-boos: holes in the hair or chunks accidentally taken out of one spot.

I was told that the shears that have a set of teeth and a cutting side are called "blenders" and that thinning shears are shears that have two sets of teeth. Then there are "chunkers" which are "blenders" with less teeth. Most groomers call all of them "thinning shears" though. When I say thinning shears, I'm referring to shears that have a set of teeth and a cutting edge. They are listed with different numbers like, "42-tooth thinning shears" which indicates how many teeth it has. The higher the number, the finer the blending. Which also means, the longer time it takes to blend. You have to sit there and really blend away to cut the hair, because it only cuts small amounts with each snip. They even sell thinning shears that are only 8-tooth, which takes out big chunks of hair = faster. This is mainly for bulking purposes with a dog that has a lot of coat, or thick dense coat. I have a pair of 44-tooth and a pair of 24-tooth. I like the 24-tooth for rounding out the "pants" (hair on the butt) on shepherds and collies.

A pair of thinners will help you avoid the choppiness after using scissors. For the all over cut you did to Tillie, you'd have to go back over it again and lift the hairs and blend the edges with the thinners. OR, you could use the same method you used to give her the all over cut with just the thinners alone.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awesome!! thanks so much for the explaination on thinning shears!! Now, i totally want some!!  which kind would be best for 'light' minimal grooming? I will probably only cut her down 2-3 times a year.


----------



## tokipoke (Feb 13, 2012)

The 44-tooth one is good for general use. It's also good for the face and around the eyes.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

great, thanks!!


----------



## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Now I don't feel so bad about Jack's last trim. ound: You did a good job for your first time. 

I waited a week before trimming up all the spots I missed. How I missed the band of 2 inch long hair I haven't figured out. I have discovered that I have to do scissors around his front legs. He get antsy with the clippers and we get into extreme battles.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Ya, I started out with the clippers, but since I don't use them on a regular basis she kind freaked out, so I just used scissors!
Gave her a bath today and she def. has some un even spots, but overall I like her trim!


----------



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

AWWWWWWWW!!!! What a darling girl!!! I like it too!

Is it May yet?


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Thanks Angie!! we are on the countdown!! 3 more weeks, right? or is it 4....? just enough for Tillie to get a little bit more shaggy looking!! can not wait to meet you and Trooper!!!! woooot wooot!!:whoo:


----------



## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

3!!!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

:bounce::whoo:


angiern2004 said:


> 3!!!


yahoooooooo!!!


----------



## Murphysmom2011 (Apr 24, 2012)

*Nice job!*

Tammy you did a nice job with Tillie, especially using scissors. I can see the resemblance to Murphy in the face with these pictures. I just trimmed most of Murphy yesterday. I do the body with a clipper and snap on comb so I still leave a couple inches. It is the fastest way to trim Murphy. It is not completely perfect, but he gets so wavy, that it does not matter. I use scissors on the legs and face. I love using the thinning shears, but they are super sharp and I have cut myself twice already.

I did buy the Jodi Murphy DVD when I decided to take care of the grooming and it is helpful, although Murphy would never sit as well as the dog on the DVD. My biggest issue still is that a groomer shaved his nose area and I am trying to grow it out still.

Great work on Tillie!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

hey! thanks! It amazes me how fast her hair grows!! I need to invest in some thinning shears as I have had her in a long coat and now trimmed and I really love the way she looks right now and plan on keeping her in a long scruffy 'puppy cut'!  
How long do you keep Murphy's coat?? They look like they have very similar coloring... or they DID before Tillie grew up and lost 90% of her color! LOL


----------



## Murphysmom2011 (Apr 24, 2012)

Tammy, how old was Tillie when she lost her color? Murphy is almost one and has gotten lighter but still has color, especially on his back and his face and ears.

I keep Murphy about 3 inches. He is longer than a puppy cut, but not a full long coat. I do keep his face trimmed around his eyes and top of his head so we can see his eyes. His legs are also a bit shorter, about an inch.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Tillie got lighter and lighter, I had to have her shaved down at 8 months old during blowing coat (her coat is VERY cottony) and at that point she lost most of her color, the darker blackish tips and the apricot coloring. She still has color on her ears... haven't cut those! LOL She will be 2 next month (gasp!!) and DOES have some light apricot on her back but it doesn't come through in pictures for some reason... or maybe only I can see it. LOL 
glad that Murphy is holding some more color than Tillie is!!


----------



## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Tillie's always a beauty!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks! she's a little uneven, but I really like the way she looks with shorter hair!


----------

