# Havanese complete shave down



## tokipoke

I shaved down Louis today. He still looks cute! His nose is pointy but not as pointy as I thought it would be! He'll be growing out this look for a while (I guess till I get the itch to try something new). The other pics are what he started with over the few weeks before the shave down.


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## HavaneseSoon

You are crazy! At least you left the tail! Looking forward to what you are going to do next!


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## tokipoke

If anyone did this to my dog I'd be pissed! lol but since I did it and it's what I wanted, he looks cute  I was going to shave the tail also, but my husband urged me to please keep it. I probably won't be messing with his hair too much. Can't wait till he gets that puppy look. His hair grows surprisingly fast. He always looks ragged in a week! I'll take pics every month to track the growth of his hair.


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## miller123

tokipoke said:


> If anyone did this to my dog I'd be pissed! lol but since I did it and it's what I wanted, he looks cute  I was going to shave the tail also, but my husband urged me to please keep it. I probably won't be messing with his hair too much. Can't wait till he gets that puppy look. His hair grows surprisingly fast. He always looks ragged in a week! I'll take pics every month to track the growth of his hair.


You will need an army of havanese's for stuff like this, at least thirty, so then you can keep doing diffrent cuts on all of them, then by the time you get to the last one, the one you started with will be in full coat again! ound:


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## tokipoke

miller123 said:


> You will need an army of havanese's for stuff like this, at least thirty, so then you can keep doing diffrent cuts on all of them, then by the time you get to the last one, the one you started with will be in full coat again! ound:


That's not a bad idea! A Hav-A-Day! lol A Hav each day of the month!

I've always joked I need at least six dogs of different breeds to practice on! Sadly my husband has put the cap at two dogs.


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## HavaneseSoon

New project! Hair growth! How about hair growth from week to week?


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## tokipoke

HavaneseSoon said:


> New project! Hair growth! How about hair growth from week to week?


I don't know if there would be that much of a difference with hair growth from week to week? I'll try it for the first month to see.


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## HavaneseSoon

Post the pictures with same size (close-ups) so we can see the difference from week to week. Would love to see how hair grows. Scout the neighbor and offer free haircuts!


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## Luciledodd

I have always said that Rosie looked like a beagle puppy when she gets her bath. She has all this sspeckled skin and hair; but after seeing your dog, I think probably more like a fiest or rat terrrier. I had no idea that their ears were so short.


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## Suzi

I love the lavender legs stage Havanese do look like they have Dachshund in them all shaved down.


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## Becky Chittenden

I cut Oliver down this week too, but left the head, leg and tail hair. Oliver isn't quite as long as your dog, but I like seeing the actual body and he looks cute, I think


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## BennyBoy

Oh, I think he looks cute! Was he upset? We had a Bichone years ago who would get pissed and hide after she got a short haircut


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## Tuss

I love your creative cuts, you are quite talented. I was just wondering how long after being shaved down does he start looking like a havanese again with a long-ish coat? I'm realizing I'll have to get a short cut when my girl has her "blowing coat phase" and I'm wondering how long before it grows out.

Also, what age does the blowing start? I've been combing the coat daily and found my first mat; it came out easily. she is 5.5 months old now.


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## TilliesMom

Hair grows REALLY fast... at least Tillie's does! LOL I swear she's like a Chia Pet, turn around and she needs another trim!


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## HavaneseSoon

We need that update on hair growth. :ranger:


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## tokipoke

Louis's attitude did not change with his haircut  He still acts like himself.

His hair is growing really fast! But I do wonder if it is due to his hair texture. His hair is wavy so the hair doesn't lay straight and flat. His legs, chest, and neck are looking "sprouty" with the hair growing. To me, his face still looks short.

I've been taking weekly pictures of him and can't decide whether I want to post them as each week passes, or compile it by month and then post it... OR, wait a whole year later and then post all the pics at once!

I don't have personal experience with Havs blowing coat (got Louis as an adult), but one Hav puppy I groomed was around 6 months old and starting to mat big clumps of hair. The mats were not hard to brush out but there were a lot on her rump and back legs. My standard poodle starting coat change at around 6 months. He is STILL going through it (even at 18 months) and it drives me crazy!!


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## HavaneseSoon

Don't make me wait for a whole year! That would be cruel and unusual punishment for people on the forum who love pictures. :frusty: I am really glad you are taking the pictures though. 

How about week by week ending with month picture with captions of course. Then when you get enough month pictures, then post them together.


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## tokipoke

I started a new thread on the hair growth progress report!!

Enjoy! http://www.havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=17428

I have 3 weeks of hair growth pics so far


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## wavlngth

Thanks for posting the pics of the complete shave down. This inspired me to shave down Poppy and Ted. I think they look cute. I love the cut. They will be much easier to clean and find those nasty ticks. We'll let if grow out from here so they have a coat for winter but next Spring we'll cut them down again.


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## marlowe'sgirl

tokipoke said:


> I don't have personal experience with Havs blowing coat (got Louis as an adult), but one Hav puppy I groomed was around 6 months old and starting to mat big clumps of hair. The mats were not hard to brush out but there were a lot on her rump and back legs.


My Have has blown coat twice. Both times, his hair matted in waves. One day it was the ears, then the spot behind the ears, the next day on his front paws, then his neck, etc. The first time it kinda took me by surprise and I hadn't gotten the grooming routine down (hadn't found the right shampoo/conditioner, not bathing often enough, Marlowe was not happy about extended grooming - the pre-BC combing took like 5-10 mins max). BC nearly killed us, but he didn't get shaved down. The second time I was on top of the pattern, I had a routine and cooperative dog, and most importantly, I had started using Coat Handler conditioner. I almost didn't need a comb to get the mats out - I could pull them out with my fingers!


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## Charleysmom

thanks for the pictures. I've been thinking about cutting Charley way back just for the summer. A few of my neighbors have done it to their dogs and I think they look adorable. What blade did you use? Just wondering will the growth come back by the winter. Charley's body volume is 90% hair. He'll look so small with his hair short. I really do hate to cut it - I love his coat but I know he'll be more comfortable without it.


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## tokipoke

Charleysmom said:


> thanks for the pictures. I've been thinking about cutting Charley way back just for the summer. A few of my neighbors have done it to their dogs and I think they look adorable. What blade did you use? Just wondering will the growth come back by the winter. Charley's body volume is 90% hair. He'll look so small with his hair short. I really do hate to cut it - I love his coat but I know he'll be more comfortable without it.


The body was done with a #7. The face was done with a #10 against the grain, ears #10 with the grain. You don't have to go as short as I did. A #4 or #5 blade will be short but give more of a "scruffy" look after a week.

The hair will definitely grow back for the winter. You can even leave the hair a little longer, around under an inch if shaving the hair will be too drastic. I started a hair growth progress thread to track Louis's hair growth on a weekly basis. I will be growing his hair out for a year, so 52 weekly updates! http://www.havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=17428


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## Charleysmom

Maybe I can use a comb with my #10. I have a 1/2 inch comb and a 1 inch. Would that work just as well?


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## tokipoke

Charleysmom said:


> Maybe I can use a comb with my #10. I have a 1/2 inch comb and a 1 inch. Would that work just as well?


Most snap on combs are supposed to be compatible with a #30 blade. Some people use a #40 (with some snap on combs you can, just read the packaging), when the combs really require a #30. You run the risk of breaking the teeth off of the blade when you do this. I know many groomers who use a #10 or #15 (their preference, I would still use whatever the packaging says to use, which is normally a 30) with the combs and they are fine. However, you will hear the difference when using the incorrect blade with the comb. It will be loud, and a grating sound. It also wears out the blade quicker.


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## amrabbitry

tokipoke said:


> The body was done with a #7. The face was done with a #10 against the grain, ears #10 with the grain. You don't have to go as short as I did. A #4 or #5 blade will be short but give more of a "scruffy" look after a week.
> 
> The hair will definitely grow back for the winter. You can even leave the hair a little longer, around under an inch if shaving the hair will be too drastic. I started a hair growth progress thread to track Louis's hair growth on a weekly basis. I will be growing his hair out for a year, so 52 weekly updates! http://www.havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=17428


You are inspiring me.... I just trimmed my Maggie last night with a #10 blade and a 1/4" comb on it. I can get her back nice and short but her sides don't seem to cut as short as her back. I can't get her even all over. If I use a #4 or #5 like you suggested (that is without a comb right) It won't shave her down to the skin? I've only been doing this grooming thing myself for about 3 months. I use to take her to the groomer and she loved it but would always get a hotspot. Since I've been doing her no hotspots, I also changed her shampoo.

Any advice would be wonderful.

Thanks!


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