# First haircut blues



## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

I took Mayzie to the groomer we use for our Pomeranian. She said she had done "dozens" of Havanese. She said she would use the "longest lift comb" she had when I told her I wanted her to still have some length. I didn't know what a lift comb was, but she said, "if you want hair off the body, you must use a lift comb".

Sigh. Mayzie looks just so awful that I don't want to even change my avatar to how she presently looks. I've attached before and after pictures. The only thing I like about the cut is that her new colors are really pretty...delicate and feminine, and keeping some of the interesting tan and black splotches on her face, ears, and back (see photo). But mostly I am just waiting for it to grow out!

I called the groomer back and asked if other Havanese owners wanted this look, and she hedged and said that some do, some don't, and eventually said that some just want the outline cleaned up [with scissors, I suppose] and then give them a "pretty teddy bear face". I think that is what I would have wanted!

Questions: What words should I use next time to get her groomed where she retains her Havanese looks? And how long will it take to grow out?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Chasing Mayzie said:


> I took Mayzie to the groomer we use for our Pomeranian. She said she had done "dozens" of Havanese. She said she would use the "longest lift comb" she had when I told her I wanted her to still have some length. I didn't know what a lift comb was, but she said, "if you want hair off the body, you must use a lift comb".
> 
> Sigh. Mayzie looks just so awful that I don't want to even change my avatar to how she presently looks. I've attached before and after pictures. The only thing I like about the cut is that her new colors are really pretty...delicate and feminine, and keeping some of the interesting tan and black splotches on her face, ears, and back (see photo). But mostly I am just waiting for it to grow out!
> 
> ...


Awww, she doesn't look bad. She DOES look like MANY Havanese I've seen in puppy cuts. Most people want to avoid grooming, so NEED it this short. And the good news is that it DOES grow back.

If you want it longer, she WILL need to be just scissored, which is a lot more expensive, usually, as it takes a lot more time and skill. One of the best ways, I think, is to bring photos along of how you want her to look. That isn't always a guarantee, because many Havs have different coat textures, and they don't all cut alike. But at least you can show the groomer what you are interested in achieving, and ask whether that's possible with your dog's coat type.

Also, I ALWAYS am present when my dog is being trimmed. (Used to take Kodi for just feet and sani trims, and I didn't even trust THAT without me being present) That way you can avoid BIG mistakes. One thing to keep in mind, though is that scissor cuts need to be done more often to keep the cut in shape. I let the groomer cut Pixel's body, with the longest comb available, and then scissor the face and legs. She comes out shorter than my "favorite" look for her, but it grows quickly. She's got an appointment on Tues, and it's been about 8 weeks. Her hair is DEFINITELY too long for my tastes now. (especially her face and ears) Her body looks great, but her hair is VERY fine, and mats easily. At it's current length, she's starting to get the occasional mat.


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

Thanks Krandall (yes, I know your name is Karen, but I'm so used to reading Krandall that that's your name to me!). I didn't even think of being there...they said 3 to 4 hours, and I believed them. I knew it wouldn't be fun for her to wait without me, and boy it wasn't...you can see in the pictures of her face that she was still sad about it all night! I didn't even think of taking along some pictures either. I will next time for certain. 

I don't mind paying for scissoring. I just didn't realize it was something I should ask for. I am hopeful it will grow out soon. I am glad I took a lot of pictures while she still had those black tips!


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

She is still cute and it will grow back. In fact the cut Mayzie now has is about what Willow used to get. You can see it by her picture on the banner across the bottom of my post. Now that Willow is out of her puppy coat I am letting it get longer as it's so much easier to comb. Mayzie is adorable no matter what the cut!


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

Well that makes me feel better because Willow is beautiful! I love that you are able to put her hair in a little top-knot. I half expected Mayzie to have one when we picked her up...I was quite surprised to see it so short! But I guess that's the good thing about bad haircuts...they do grow out. 

To me, Mayzie almost looks like a little Dandie Dinmont Terrier in this cut.


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

At first glance I can see possibly what "takes away" from Mazie's Havanese puppy face look. The groomer scooped too much hair off the top of her muzzle and around her eyes.You can see that in her side view. As Karen said, the only way to get the right balance is with scissors. I do it myself. Look at the puppy at the top left of every page in this forum, and then look at Mazie's cut. You can see too much was taken from under her jaw and chin, and the hair along the side of the face needs to be tapered so that it doesn't fall to one length. It won't be long before you can adjust the differences. I have to trim Tux's face about every two weeks or so.

Keep one thing in mind. Don't let Mazie know you are disappointed in her looks. Tell her how beautiful and special she is. That's all she cares about anyway....not what's in the mirror, but what your face mirrors to her. Best, Nancy


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

goldanimals said:


> At first glance I can see possibly what "takes away" from Mazie's Havanese puppy face look. The groomer scooped too much hair off the top of her muzzle and around her eyes.You can see that in her side view. As Karen said, the only way to get the right balance is with scissors. I do it myself. Look at the puppy at the top left of every page in this forum, and then look at Mazie's cut. You can see too much was taken from under her jaw and chin, and the hair along the side of the face needs to be tapered so that it doesn't fall to one length. It won't be long before you can adjust the differences. I have to trim Tux's face about every two weeks or so.
> 
> Keep one thing in mind. Don't let Mazie know you are disappointed in her looks. Tell her how beautiful and special she is. That's all she cares about anyway....not what's in the mirror, but what your face mirrors to her. Best, Nancy


That is a very helpful post! I think what I will do is take Mayzie back in very soon, i.e., as soon as some of the hair around her muzzle and eyes grows back. as soon as the jaw and chin show enough growth to be slightly tapered out as you describe. If we make small adjustments along the way, maybe it will help.

I promise I spoiled Mayzie...got her a new little giraffe toy and such...but she was super sad all day! I had taken her to the vet that morning for her rabies shot (she's now 9 months old and 13.5 pounds...a bit on the big side!) which she hates. Perhaps some of the problems with the haircut have to do with the hair she lost to mange (the hair around her eyes fell out and we had to shave her ears). This morning she is back to her perky self, wanting to play again. So that's a relief!


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## Olliepup (Jun 2, 2016)

I also hated olives first grooming! They made a 8 month female puppy look like an old man. haha. Its hard to explain but my gf absolutely hated it. We were so traumatized by it that I ended up buying clippers and scissors and started doing it myself. For the price of 2-3 groomings I was able to buy all the tools I needed.


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

I have a feeling it was the vaccination that affected her and not her new do.


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

Olliepup said:


> I also hated olives first grooming! They made a 8 month female puppy look like an old man. haha. Its hard to explain but my gf absolutely hated it. We were so traumatized by it that I ended up buying clippers and scissors and started doing it myself. For the price of 2-3 groomings I was able to buy all the tools I needed.


I already have a lot of stuff...I bought a kit with the clippers and shaver and all the length guides back when my Cavalier reached his elderly years and I got too protective of him to take him to the groomers. I just don't have the skill!


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## jingerb (Aug 9, 2015)

I think Mayzie is beautiful...you can see her sweet personality shining through! (But, I do understand the bad haircut dismay when you had something else in mind.  My yorkie got a horrible cut last time. She was embarassed and we were all embarassed for her, but tried to act like she was beautiful!  )

P.S. I used to have Cavaliers as well...four in fact. Special little dogs!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Mayzie is still just the cutest little thing! Our breeder did tell us that if we ever do have Shama's hair cut, we should have it scissored. We have figured out, however, that now that she's in her adult coat, it doesn't mat as bad as it used to, and it's actually less expensive for us to just leave her coat long. We're kind of curious as to what she'd look like in a scissored cut, but we don't dare have it cut at this point!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

aw..it will grow back and she is still cute! Taking a picture with to show what you want might be helpful next time.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

It will grow back. All I have to say is that i love the look she's giving with those soulful eyes.

Lola didn't really have a blowing coat stage at the time others seem to, but either she's having her first now or a second or, and what I'm fearing, is that her undercoat so light and profuse, she's matting like crazy, and it may just be this way. She's twenty-two months, and the last two have been the worst. Her coat seems to be changing again with dark hair growing in where white hairs had started around nine months. I'm going to wait it out for a little bit, because I really love a full coat, but I'm not going to torture her if this is the way it is. I've been collecting pictures of puppy cuts I like in case I break down and go that route.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

goldanimals said:


> I have a feeling it was the vaccination that affected her and not her new do.


I agree.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Olliepup said:


> I also hated olives first grooming! They made a 8 month female puppy look like an old man. haha. Its hard to explain but my gf absolutely hated it. We were so traumatized by it that I ended up buying clippers and scissors and started doing it myself. For the price of 2-3 groomings I was able to buy all the tools I needed.


I did Pixel myself for a year too. But I found a great groomer who will come to my house when I am away, and groom (bathe and comb out) all three of them. So I want them all to get used to her being around, which is why I'm having her come to clip Pixel intermittently now. But I'm standing there while she does her, so I know she's doing what I want. :grin2:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Chasing Mayzie said:


> I already have a lot of stuff...I bought a kit with the clippers and shaver and all the length guides back when my Cavalier reached his elderly years and I got too protective of him to take him to the groomers. I just don't have the skill!


The good thing is... HAIR GROWS!!! How much worse could it be? You weren't happy with the cut she has now, right?  Just remember that it's easier to take more off than to put it back on, so go slowly, leaving it longer than you think you want, and working in. I dived in the deep end with Pixel, and took her from the first photo below to the third... It wasn't perfect, but even my groomer friends thought she looked cute. And the first time I did the whole thing with shears!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Mayzie looks just adorable! She really is a pretty girl! Like Karen mentioned a puppy cut grows out very fast. I remember my first Havanese Sparky would always end up shaved, but six weeks later he looked like fuzzy puppy again. 😊 It's always best to there during grooming so there are no surprises! 😮


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

boomana said:


> It will grow back. All I have to say is that i love the look she's giving with those soulful eyes.
> 
> Lola didn't really have a blowing coat stage at the time others seem to, but either she's having her first now or a second or, and what I'm fearing, is that her undercoat so light and profuse, she's matting like crazy, and it may just be this way. She's twenty-two months, and the last two have been the worst. Her coat seems to be changing again with dark hair growing in where white hairs had started around nine months. I'm going to wait it out for a little bit, because I really love a full coat, but I'm not going to torture her if this is the way it is. I've been collecting pictures of puppy cuts I like in case I break down and go that route.


I will be contacting you for your photo collection if we end up needing to cut Shama's hair! (Good thing you're in our life, Boomana! I still intend to get Lola's hand-me-down bows back into Shama's hair!)


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

krandall said:


> The good thing is... HAIR GROWS!!! How much worse could it be? You weren't happy with the cut she has now, right?  Just remember that it's easier to take more off than to put it back on, so go slowly, leaving it longer than you think you want, and working in. I dived in the deep end with Pixel, and took her from the first photo below to the third... It wasn't perfect, but even my groomer friends thought she looked cute. And the first time I did the whole thing with shears!


You are right...what's the worst that can happen, and Pixel definitely looked very cute! It is already growing out a bit. I can imagine that it would be a much bigger deal to someone who had a show right around the corner! I was just overwhelmed that day, and Mayzie was overwhelmed from the shots and things too. I already like it a bit, and I have collected a few photos to take with me next time.

Thank you all for always being so supportive and kind!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

That's a cute photo . . .


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Chasing Mayzie said:


> You are right...what's the worst that can happen, and Pixel definitely looked very cute! It is already growing out a bit. I can imagine that it would be a much bigger deal to someone who had a show right around the corner! I was just overwhelmed that day, and Mayzie was overwhelmed from the shots and things too. I already like it a bit, and I have collected a few photos to take with me next time.
> 
> Thank you all for always being so supportive and kind!


Judging from your sig. photo, she's looking ADORABLE!!!

And as far as showing is concerned, no show person EVER lets a groomer NEAR their dogs with any cutting implement. You don't trim much on a Havanese for the show ring anyway, and other than neatening the edges of the feet, NOTHING else should show.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*Perry's first two (with me) hair cuts*

Perry's had 2 haircuts since I've had him. The first wasn't too bad, though I think they took a little too much off his face and ears, but the 2nd was horrible (to be fair, it was here in Kampala and I KNOW he's never done a Hav cut, so even with pictures it was just a short cut).

The next two will be in the US - same place as the 1st cut so I think we'll be fine (I'm just going to ask them to keep the face a little fuller and the ears a little longer).

After that, I have gotten clippers and have scissors so will be trying to do it myself.

Since we live in Uganda and it's pretty warm, I want to keep him in a puppy cut (plus his undercoat gets really matted when he's long - even with brushing every day before his first cut I spent a lot of time with a comb trying to get out the mats while they were still small.) Yes, I know that they can stay cool with a longer coat (because of their undercoat), but a puppy cut is just easier to deal with (less time brushing, more time playing).


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