# Brisket's Cord Progression 😉



## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

I've seen questions about the process here and there and figured I would give Brisket's hair its own post for anyone to ask questions regarding. Here's a complete documentations from Day 0 (when I decided to start cording him) to just two days ago... It definitely starts rough! Feel free to ask me anything about the cords, just remember that, while it may not be your cup of tea, he is still my pet and he is perfectly healthy and comfortable!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)




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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)




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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)




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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)




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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

At what point is the cording process complete? I like the look but I would never have the patience to do this.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

DogFather said:


> At what point is the cording process complete? I like the look but I would never have the patience to do this.


I would consider them complete at this point, just growing. I think somewhere around 8 months is where I was pretty happy with them, but as you can see they still had more tightening up to do. The cords themselves have been largely unchanged since about 11 months aside from length, so perhaps that's when they "complete"


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

This is very interesting but I agree with DogFather. I would not have the patience! Is it difficult to bath her and get her really clean? And I suppose it would take forever to get her dry. Thank you for the photo progressions. Is this how they get cords on breeds such as the Komondor or Puli? I always thought that was just how the hair grew out and you didn't have to do anything to get the cords on those breeds.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Did you have a point when you doubted yourself? I look at him around the 3-4 week mark, and I think I would be having a nervous break-down and trying to comb them all back out! LOL! You are brave!!! Once they really got going, and you can see the PATTERN, it's easier to see where it's going. Before that, ...it just looks overwhelming to me!!!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

How do you start each cord? Do you twist each section of hair? Years ago the groomer wanted to start cording Scout, but it looked like a long difficult process. The cords look great on Brisket!


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## PooPayGrandma (May 15, 2021)

I really appreciate you taking the time to record it. I always wondered how it was reached.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Jackie from Concrete WA said:


> This is very interesting but I agree with DogFather. I would not have the patience! Is it difficult to bath her and get her really clean? And I suppose it would take forever to get her dry. Thank you for the photo progressions. Is this how they get cords on breeds such as the Komondor or Puli? I always thought that was just how the hair grew out and you didn't have to do anything to get the cords on those breeds.


I'm VERY anal about keeping him clean. He gets at least one bath a week, if not more. I've always said that the moment he starts to smell is the moment the cords go. So far, so good! I typically bathe at night and put him in his kennel on towels in front of a box fan to sleep, and by morning he is bone dry - I don't think drying is nearly as fast for larger corded dogs.

Breeds like Pulis, Komondors, and Poodles will all cord a bit more easily as their hair will naturally coil, whereas a Havanese should just have waves, but even so, a coat like theirs left to its own devices will mat up horribly and pelt, so there's really no sitting back and letting it happen. It's hard work regardless of breed!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> Did you have a point when you doubted yourself? I look at him around the 3-4 week mark, and I think I would be having a nervous break-down and trying to comb them all back out! LOL! You are brave!!! Once they really got going, and you can see the PATTERN, it's easier to see where it's going. Before that, ...it just looks overwhelming to me!!!


It is mildly horrifying and you have to basically sit on your hands to keep yourself from brushing, but the knowledge that his coat would be horrendous if I tried to brush the baby cords out kept me from doing so 🤣 Hands on, the cords (or at least, sectioned off mats) were VERY apparent pretty early on as I never let any flat mats develop, so while it looked like 💩 I could definitely tell that they were going where they should. Still, it's a very "trust the process" process!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Heather's said:


> How do you start each cord? Do you twist each section of hair? Years ago the groomer wanted to start cording Scout, but it looked like a long difficult process. The cords look great on Brisket!


You essentially quit brushing and let them air dry. They will start to mat, but remain clean, and as those mats form, you split them into about 1" squared sections at the base. I did more rolling than twisting, typically wetting to "tighten" the hair and let it cord together vs just being a long, skinny mat. Because he is kept well groomed with a healthy and clean coat, he always has about a half inch of fresh growth at the base of each cord, so there is no pulling or discomfort and plenty of airflow.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Is it possible for a mat to develop at the base of a cord? Will you now just trim the bottom of the cords? He almost doesn't look real!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> It is mildly horrifying and you have to basically sit on your hands to keep yourself from brushing, but the knowledge that his coat would be horrendous if I tried to brush the baby cords out kept me from doing so 🤣 Hands on, the cords (or at least, sectioned off mats) were VERY apparent pretty early on as I never let any flat mats develop, so while it looked like 💩 I could definitely tell that they were going where they should. Still, it's a very "trust the process" process!


Did you have someone who had done it helping you or showing you how? How did you learn to do it? I just can’t wrap my head around trying to figure out how to trpurn MATS into CORDS!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> Because he is kept well groomed with a healthy and clean coat, he always has about a half inch of fresh growth at the base of each cord, so there is no pulling or discomfort and plenty of airflow


THAT makes sense to me! (Finally! LOL!)

Does it mean you can’t let him run in the woods or a field… or (heart be still… SAND!?!?)


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## UrsaMinor (Jul 4, 2021)

I appreciate you sharing the process with us.
I applaud you for the work.
Brisket looks so good! Congrats on the ribbons too!


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## LWalks (Feb 7, 2021)

He looks amazing! True labor of love!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Heather's said:


> Is it possible for a mat to develop at the base of a cord? Will you now just trim the bottom of the cords? He almost doesn't look real!


They can join together at the base as that's where the fluffy, new stuff that's just beginning to feed the cord is, but when that happens it is very easy to split them by just taking a cord in each hand and gently pulling! No trimming, unless one of them gets something really gross in it (which has only happened once or twice) LOL

I think he looks like a little stuffy made out of chunky yarn sometimes 🤣❤


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> Did you have someone who had done it helping you or showing you how? How did you learn to do it? I just can’t wrap my head around trying to figure out how to trpurn MATS into CORDS!


The trick is staying ahead of the mats! Before Brisket, I'd only even had hands on one other corded dog, a Spanish Water Dog that was shown in my area for awhile. Most do it with a "cording mentor" of sorts... I didn't and just kind of figured my way through it, occasionally referring to a cording group on Facebook!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> THAT makes sense to me! (Finally! LOL!)
> 
> Does it mean you can’t let him run in the woods or a field… or (heart be still… SAND!?!?)


He picks up less debris than Nino! The cords are mature and set, so they aren't super fuzzy... Think of it as something that's been needle felted and dragging the final product along the ground vs dragging the wool you begin with along the ground!

He wouldn't be very pleased if I made him a stranger to Messy Dog Life!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> They can join together at the base as that's where the fluffy, new stuff that's just beginning to feed the cord is, but when that happens it is very easy to split them by just taking a cord in each hand and gently pulling! No trimming, unless one of them gets something really gross in it (which has only happened once or twice) LOL
> 
> I think he looks like a little stuffy made out of chunky yarn sometimes 🤣❤


The only other Havanese I know that is corded is one of Alice Lawrence's Fuzzy Farm dogs. Hers has much narrower cords. (and 18 zillion of them) Is that just a matter of taste? Or is it something to do with the way the coat cords? (and maybe because she's old enough to be your grandmother and has been cording Pulis all her life!!! LOL!)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> The trick is staying ahead of the mats! Before Brisket, I'd only even had hands on one other corded dog, a Spanish Water Dog that was shown in my area for awhile. Most do it with a "cording mentor" of sorts... I didn't and just kind of figured my way through it, occasionally referring to a cording group on Facebook!


You are VERY brave! But then you were a natural learning agility, why does it not surprise me that you got this right the first time too! 💗


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> He picks up less debris than Nino! The cords are mature and set, so they aren't super fuzzy... Think of it as something that's been needle felted and dragging the final product along the ground vs dragging the wool you begin with along the ground!
> 
> He wouldn't be very pleased if I made him a stranger to Messy Dog Life!
> 
> View attachment 176854


That's what I wondered about! You do so much with your dogs!!!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> The only other Havanese I know that is corded is one of Alice Lawrence's Fuzzy Farm dogs. Hers has much narrower cords. (and 18 zillion of them) Is that just a matter of taste? Or is it something to do with the way the coat cords? (and maybe because she's old enough to be your grandmother and has been cording Pulis all her life!!! LOL!)


Not a clue! In photos I've seen of her recent special, her cords have always looked thicker than Brisket's to me! His thickest are typically the width of a pencil, most are smaller, and for me it was all the way the cookie crumbles... The cords did what they wanted! I wouldn't want them any thinner than they are as that risks the base becoming too thin and sensitive to wear. I'd wager he has anywhere between 500 and 650 cords over his body (I did just do a rough count of one side of the body out of curiosity, excluding legs, head, and rear... 180 for just the one half, and I think I missed a good deal of neck and chest)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> I'd wager he has anywhere between 500 and 650 cords over his body (I did just do a rough count of one side of the body out of curiosity, excluding legs, head, and rear... 180 for just the one half, and I think I missed a good deal of neck and chest)


LOL! Something I’d do! I’m sure they vary… and as I said, I’ve seen two that looked decent..Brisket and Alice’s bitch! Every now and then we have one show up that the person looks like they are trying, but forgot to cord the head… not sure WHAT’S going on there!!! I haven’t ever see that dog place… can’t say whether that’s the hair or what’s going on UNDER the hair. But it looks like a hot mess!


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## Orah (Sep 6, 2021)

KarMar said:


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KarMar said:


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How old was he when you decided to start this cording process? I loved the look when I saw a corded Havi, thinking it depicted their Caribbean roots, allowing for more direct airflow onto their skin while still protecting them from the sun, for keeping them cool in the tropical heat. I know it's a labor of love, as it stands, I keep Esteban impeccably groomed and every night before bed he gets a massage (helps me find trouble spots) and thorough brush out. He's still a pup at 10 months and his coat is in a state of transition so I'm not considering it for him quite yet, but gathering knowledge of how to do it can't happen too soon. 
Thank you for sharing the progression.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Wow, this is amazing. I don't know why I thought it was a matter of days (or weeks) to get them 'set' and then maintenance after that! I hadn't realized it took so long to get them to look like cords and there was so much "I hope this is going right" time in between. The final product looks amazing though!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Orah said:


> How old was he when you decided to start this cording process? I loved the look when I saw a corded Havi, thinking it depicted their Caribbean roots, allowing for more direct airflow onto their skin while still protecting them from the sun, for keeping them cool in the tropical heat. I know it's a labor of love, as it stands, I keep Esteban impeccably groomed and every night before bed he gets a massage (helps me find trouble spots) and thorough brush out. He's still a pup at 10 months and his coat is in a state of transition so I'm not considering it for him quite yet, but gathering knowledge of how to do it can't happen too soon.
> Thank you for sharing the progression.


I don't think many (if any!) Cuban dogs were kept this way, and certainly only show dogs.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> I don't think many (if any!) Cuban dogs were kept this way, and certainly only show dogs.


Just curious, is cording more popular on European Havanese than American/Canadian/Cuban Havanese?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

DogFather said:


> Just curious, is cording more popular on European Havanese than American/Canadian/Cuban Havanese?


Not that I’ve seen. It’s not easy to do, nor is it easy maintenance.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

It's also only allowed per AKC and UKC standards, so no it isn't really on their radar. I know plenty of people who have corded non-show dogs in breeds where it isn't the norm, so I wouldn't go so far as to say only show dogs. All that to say there definitely could be corded Havanese in Europe, I just don't know of any!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Orah said:


> How old was he when you decided to start this cording process? I loved the look when I saw a corded Havi, thinking it depicted their Caribbean roots, allowing for more direct airflow onto their skin while still protecting them from the sun, for keeping them cool in the tropical heat. I know it's a labor of love, as it stands, I keep Esteban impeccably groomed and every night before bed he gets a massage (helps me find trouble spots) and thorough brush out. He's still a pup at 10 months and his coat is in a state of transition so I'm not considering it for him quite yet, but gathering knowledge of how to do it can't happen too soon.
> Thank you for sharing the progression.


I started cording him at 2 years and 2 months old. He was about 5.5 months out from me cutting him down to about 1.5" all over, so wasn't in full coat but wasn't short either. I would DEFINITELY recommend waiting until coat transition is completed to start the process!


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

KarMar said:


> All that to say there definitely could be corded Havanese in Europe, I just don't know of any!


I have seen photos of maybe half a dozen corded Havanese on the Internet, purported from Europe, over the years. This was the reason for my question. I have no idea if they were "show dogs." Regardless, corded Havanese are rare anywhere in the world and we are lucky enough to have one on HF!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Beautiful, KarMar! In one of the photos, I wondered what you use the scissors for? Paw pad hair and sanitary trims? Anything else?

💚💛🧡💜💙


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