# Corded?



## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

Can someone tell me what a corded havanese looks like? What kind of hair does one have to have to do that. HOW do you do that and how long does it take? Is it hard to keep up, and keep clean? Sorry bout all the questions.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

They look like a little Puli. i.e. a "mop".:biggrin1: They need to have the curly type of hair in order for it to cord. Otherwise, the cords just slip out. I knoow several people who have tried to cord their Havs when they were young, thinking that the mats of coat-blowing were the start of cording, but all the cords started to fall out as the dog got a little older. The resulting mess had to be shaved off.

You really have to know what you are doing to do it right. It takes a LOT of work to get the cords started right. The person I know who shows a lot of corded Havs around here is Alice Lawrence, owner of Fuzzy Farm. But she breeds Pulis too, so knows exactly how to do it. As far as keeping it clean, I'm not sure about bathing, but it has to be VERY difficult to get yard stuff back out of them!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

If you _google corded havanese _, you will come up with lots sites with pictures to look at and articles as to how its done.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

It actually IS a lot of work. Not that I"ve corded, but I've talked to someone at Nationals who did and seemed like they described more work than not cording. Gucci has some hair on her rump that really wants to cord badly and then other areas that probably would not cord as well, so I imagine it would take a long time to achieve that long cord look, but its very cute, imo!

Kara


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## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

Well, I am not about work, lol. I will just stay with the grooming, lol.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Yes, I have wondered how you bathe the corded dogs, just like I have wondered how people with dreadlocks shampoo their hair without turning it into a fuzzy mess??? :biggrin1:


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I corded my first Havanese, and cut it off when she was bred. It did take alot of work. Daily I sprayed her with water and seperated large mats into smaller ones. Once a week I bathed her, let her soak in the tub, bathed like washing a sweater (squeeze, squeeze, etc) and rinsed many times until the water ran clear (also squeezing alot). Then I got as much water out as possible with towels and put her in a crate with my small airforce dryer blowing from the top, box fans on the sides and crate fans in the front and back. It took a long time for her to dry. Last weekend, Steve Lawrence of Fuzzy Farm (mentioned above) judged sweepstakes in AL. I talked to him after and if I ever decide to cord another I'll get a better dryer. If you want to know more specifics, I'd suggest you contact the Lawrences'. He was very approachable and I've heard she is also.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

I went to the Whidbey Island Kennel Club dog show yesterday and watched the Havanese part. One of the havs was corded, and, it was very pretty! But, I myself love running my fingers through my Cey's silky hair, so cording is definitely not for me


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

There's one corded havanese that goes to shows in my area. The dog is a grand champion (I could see why after he trotted around the ring, I just can't describe the movement, almost like a cat) and the owner told me it was less work than keeping a dog in a regular coat. I think he meant after the dog was fully corded, he did say most inexperienced people find it too difficult to get the dog corded and looking nice and they end up shaving it down. Some dogs will cord naturally, I had to shave down a matted havanese the other day and the hair was cording by itself, except if you don't take care of it properly you just have a matted dog and that is not healthy. I think it's easier if the dog has natural curl in the coat and more texture, like cotton. I know you have to rinse like a posessed person, you can't use velocity dryers - just a ton of towels and soft blowers, and you can't let debris get caught because you can only pick it out with your fingers, it won't really come out in the bath. I've heard of a Komondor breeder (huge white corded dog) at Westminster going in front of their dog and sweeping the floor so the coat wouldn't get dirty!


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