# Beard and Mustache Questions



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

I've let Willow's facial hair grow so that now she has the Havanese beard and mustache. However, with her, it seems to always look very unkempt and dirty. I wash her face after she eats, so it's really not dirty but the hairs around her mouth always seem to be kind of stuck together and it just doesn't look good to me. I'm tempted to have the groomer trim down her muzzle to a short look. So many of you have posted pictures and I don't notice the beard and mustache looking all clumped together and and grungy looking. Is there a trick to keeping this looking soft and fluffy?


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## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

Can I see the picture of your dog?


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

Hanna said:


> Can I see the picture of your dog?


I'll try and post one as an example. I'm going to have to figure out how to change the size of my photo as it's too big to add as an attachment. I thought I knew how to do that but I now have Windows 10 and it's all different! :frusty:


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

Ok - I think I've got it although the picture makes her look better than she sometimes does.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Molly's nose hair and moustache hair frequently stick up or out. Between eating, drinking, playing, and nosing around in the grass it is hard to keep it looking neat. It looks best right after a bath when she has had a face combing.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Well, first all, most of us don't take a lot of pictures when our dogs are particularly messy. But they certainly can get that way!!! Below is a photo of Kodi with what we call "bed nose"! :laugh:And another when he's gotten his muzzle wet for some reason.

But it also looks like Willow's hair is in that in-between stage, where it is long enough to get messy looking, but too short to have enough weight to hold it down. It's certainly up to you, but I'd let it grow for a while, and see if some weight will help the situation. In the mean time, you can keep a comb in your pocket. :laugh:  

Oh, and keeping their faces dry also helps keep their mustache and beard stay neater!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

I hear you, Jackie. The best tip I got on this topic was when Karen told me to stop giving her greasy pig's ears. Otherwise, you may have noticed that many of the photos I post are taken immediately following a visit to the groomer's. Upon arrival home, we do our photo shoot, and then she gets to drink water (as drinking water messes up her face AND EARS). I agree with Karen that you may get better control of the hair above the nose once it grows out more and is heavier. Three months ago, Shama started driving me CRAZY by pawing at her face when I'm trying to groom her. I'm almost ready to put in the new top knot, and she paws at her face, making it all messy again. She seems to also paw at her face when she's unhappy in a situation, like being held too long. (Has anyone else noticed this pawing at the face?) Due to the pawing at the face, my biggest challenges are keeping her hair out of her eyes (as she paws it out of the top knot) and keeping the hair above her nose going the right direction! We don't wash her face after she eats, and we've never noticed discoloration in her beard. I love my little face comb. I keep it in my pocket when I think I may have down time to comb her face or take care of a mat. Good luck!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Nino's beard/mustache look ridiculous about 80% of the time. He loves burying his face in our shag style rug, pushing all of the hair back. He also has a penchant for dipping his face all the way in the bowl to drink. We have joked about getting him a snood like Afghans wear, but the longer it gets (the the wetter our floor becomes), the more seriously I consider it. I'll have to get some messy face photos


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## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Ok - I think I've got it although the picture makes her look better than she sometimes does.


I see she's so adorable  Molly was right mine too have the same issue maybe because of their long beard, after they eat or drinking that is the reason why their beard getting hard and sticky so the best thing we can do for that is after they eat clean the dirty area after their meal using wet cotton or a wet towel. But shampoo can help too and specially virgin coconut oil can help you to improve their coating.  and always brush their hair if you have a free time.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Just took this picture of Emmie; her hair is a little messy! I sometimes wipe her dirty face with a damp baby wipe as it seems to minimize crusty face fur better than a damp paper towel.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Momi likes Ricky's facial hair to be short so that's the way we keep it. His beard is short, his mustache is short. We also keep the hair on his head cut back so it stays out of his eyes. Momi always wants to see his eyes because they are so expressive and she doesn't want to fuss with rubber bands and clips in his hair. His face is much easier to maintain that way and generally always looks neat. We try to remember to wash his face after every meal to keep it clean.

Ricky is susceptible to staining on the white parts of his face at the eyes and mouth. The staining around his mouth comes from the natural enzymes in his saliva. The staining is kind of a brownish color. If he has debris in his paws, he will try to groom his paws by licking and that leaves a slight pink/purple color. I see what appears to be saliva staining around Willow's mouth.

We address Ricky's staining by frequent face washing and we apply a product called Crystal White to the areas susceptible for staining, once a week before his bath. We also wash his feet after we come back from our walkies and that stops him from licking his paws. All of the above definitely helps.

Ricky's Popi


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Ricky, you are so cute!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> Nino's beard/mustache look ridiculous about 80% of the time. He loves burying his face in our shag style rug, pushing all of the hair back. He also has a penchant for dipping his face all the way in the bowl to drink. We have joked about getting him a snood like Afghans wear, but the longer it gets (the the wetter our floor becomes), the more seriously I consider it. I'll have to get some messy face photos


I actually talked to some CKC people about snoods. They told me it's to keep the EARS out of food... it does nothing for facial hair, so we're on our own. 

I know some Lhasa, Maltese and Shih Tzu show people keep their dogs' hair banded up all the time to keep it clean. Our dogs are supposed to look natural. I'm not willing to do that, even if it means a mess face!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> We address Ricky's staining by frequent face washing and we apply a product called Crystal White to the areas susceptible for staining, once a week before his bath.


I've been using Crystal White on Panda too, in a vain attempt to get her face whiter. I really haven't seen that it helps any more than either of the other whitening shampoos I use. (CC White on White or Biogroom Super White) And I feel SO bad for her doing the "treatment" with the Crystal White. As careful as I am, you can tell it's getting into her mouth, and then she has to sit there with soap in her mouth for 7-8 minutes while it (supposedly) whitens her.

I've seen other Havanese in the show ring, doing VERY well, with stained faces. I would LOVE her face to be sparkling white, but I don't think it's worth torturing her. _I_ know it's clean, the judge can FEEL that it's clean... I've decided it is what it is.

It's interesting, because she has 8 siblings, a number of whom have white on their faces. She was already showing staining while she was nursing, and she is STILL the only one who stains.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> I actually talked to some CKC people about snoods. They told me it's to keep the EARS out of food... it does nothing for facial hair, so we're on our own.
> 
> I know some Lhasa, Maltese and Shih Tzu show people keep their dogs' hair banded up all the time to keep it clean. Our dogs are supposed to look natural. I'm not willing to do that, even if it means a mess face!


CKCs also have virtually no beard. Some Affies do have a bit of a beard, and since Nino's issue is the facial fur dipping in the water, we were told that a snood might be able to plaster that beard hair back once it's a bit longer and minimize the wetness. We also may just switch to a water bottle, but I don't know how well Mario would take to it.

I've told myself that I could never have a show dog that doesn't also function as a pet, and while wrapping doesn't take away from their ability to be companions, I would feel so silly walking a wrapped (or lion trimmed) dog around the neighborhood, so no Maltese or Lowchens for me, though I love both :wink2:


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> I've been using Crystal White on Panda too, in a vain attempt to get her face whiter. I really haven't seen that it helps any more than either of the other whitening shampoos I use. (CC White on White or Biogroom Super White)


I have never tried the other two, but I am sure they are similar. I can honestly say that the Crystal White definitely works on Ricky. It is not our imagination. Even Ricky's bather has commented on it and didn't even know we were using something on his face before we take him in for his bath. However it is a continuing process and you have to stay on top of it, and it doesn't work 100% by itself. It still requires daily maintenance by washing his face frequently.....which he doesn't seem to mind...........too much...........but I guess the cookie reward afterward helps! :laugh2:



> And I feel SO bad for her doing the "treatment" with the Crystal White. As careful as I am, you can tell it's getting into her mouth, and then she has to sit there with soap in her mouth for 7-8 minutes while it (supposedly) whitens her.


We warm the Crystal White in a microwave for 15 seconds, to get it nice and thin and liquidy, before applying it full strength with a cotton ball. We leave it on for 15 to 30 minutes while we take him to the bathers "spa" where she washes the residue out. We do this once a week. We can keep it out of his mouth, but Ricky insists on sticking his long tongue out and licking his lips to get the residue around his mouth which he must think is delicious! :surprise:

Ricky's Popi


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> CKCs also have virtually no beard. Some Affies do have a bit of a beard, and since Nino's issue is the facial fur dipping in the water, we were told that a snood might be able to plaster that beard hair back once it's a bit longer and minimize the wetness. We also may just switch to a water bottle, but I don't know how well Mario would take to it.
> 
> I've told myself that I could never have a show dog that doesn't also function as a pet, and while wrapping doesn't take away from their ability to be companions, I would feel so silly walking a wrapped (or lion trimmed) dog around the neighborhood, so no Maltese or Lowchens for me, though I love both :wink2:


I know CKC's and the other breeds that use snoods don't have facial hair. That's kind of the point. That's not what they re meant for. I've been told by a number of Havanese show owners that have tried it that you can't put them far enough forward to hold the facial hair in without obstructing their vision. (which, of course, they don't appreciate! )

As far as the water bottle is concerned, all my guys will use them, and it's usually pretty easy to teach an older dog to use them by putting peanut butter on the tip. But another option is a water "server" that just doesn't allow for "dunking". This is what we use most of the time, with VERY little hair wetting and the added advantage of continually filtered water: Amazon.com : Pioneer Pet Stainless Steel Fountain Raindrop Design, 60oz : Pet Self Waterers : Pet Supplies

Even though this is completely open, the dogs preferentially lick off the top of the fountain, and don't get their faces wet at all. (our cat likes this best too... when it's not set up, the only place she'll drink is out of the aquarium filters! )

Because Miss Panda showed an interest in chewing the cord, and I didn't want to take chance, we changed to this while she is growing up. We use these while we're camping also. They're a bit of a pain to clean... you really need a springy bottle brush to get into all the corners: Pet Supplies : Lixit Waterboy Travel Water Bowl : Pet Travel Bowls : Amazon.com

Only a small amount of water feeds into the "bowl" as they drink, keeping their faces dry.

Another version of this is:

Pet Supplies : Slopper Stopper Dripless Water Bowl for Dogs and Cats : Pet Bowls : Amazon.com

I have a friend who swears by these, but her dogs were raised with them. My dogs seem to find the nose space too confining. They will only drink out of them if there is NO other option.

So, for us, WET faces isn't a problem except right after washing them. It's food, which gets washed off, and saliva. I'm sure Panda's problem is protein staining.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> I've let Willow's facial hair grow so that now she has the Havanese beard and mustache. However, with her, it seems to always look very unkempt and dirty. I wash her face after she eats, so it's really not dirty but the hairs around her mouth always seem to be kind of stuck together and it just doesn't look good to me. I'm tempted to have the groomer trim down her muzzle to a short look. So many of you have posted pictures and I don't notice the beard and mustache looking all clumped together and and grungy looking. Is there a trick to keeping this looking soft and fluffy?


I always bring the comb out before pictures! &#128522; Scout is a light color like Willow and has the same problem. I always have the groomer trim his beard on the shorter side. He doesn't like it wet and will scoot around on the carpet to dry it off. I'm always chasing Scout and Truffles around with a face comb and damp paper towel. The baby wipes are a great idea!


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Baby wipes are a great idea. Here's Rudy. He tends to get the bottom of his ears wet all the time.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Baby wipes are a great idea. Rudy also tends to get the tip of his ears wet.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Rudy is growing up! He is so cute! Mine get the wet ears too.







Scout is always trimmed short around his 
mouth. It really helps!







Truffles beard is long, but she's a perfect 
color to hide the stains. :biggrin1:


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Oh too cute!!!😍

Can they jump up on your chairs??


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

Ricky Ricardo said:


> We address Ricky's staining by frequent face washing and we apply a product called Crystal White to the areas susceptible for staining, once a week before his bath. We also wash his feet after we come back from our walkies and that stops him from licking his paws. All of the above definitely helps.
> 
> Ricky's Popi
> 
> View attachment 121162


I'll research Christal White as I have been dealing with the saliva staining forever. She also have one foot that she licks obsessively that is now really stained.


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

Wow, I guess I'm not the only one with a messy hav! I guess it comes with the territory. Thank you everyone who told me their stories, posted pictures (which I loved) and provided tips. I took Willow to the groomer today and asked that she trim her muzzle way down. When I picked her up the groomer said she didn't have the heart to do that trim as she thought she looked so cute (she does!) and that the staining really wasn't that dark. She's right. I think with my daily washing that the facial hair is coming in more white and once all the darker stuff is trimmed away as it grows, she will be quite a bit lighter (I hope).


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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

Kati has tear stains. She doesn't really stain around her mouth though. And she does that face digging thing too. I thought it had to do with her tears which don't drain back into her eyes but I'm glad to hear that it's just a hav thing 

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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

. 
She's really impossible to take pictures of... she's always ducking her head. But these kind of show her staining. I think her face may look less messed up because her hair is curly and it has gotten so long because I've been letting it grow.

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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Who is that next to Kati? Why do you think she doesn't have tear staining? We're happy with Vet Classics Tear Stain Supplement.


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

I have the same staining problem with Raffi. I plan to move him to a bottle but have been so busy I haven't done it yet. He also has pumpkin teething rings he ate all the time while teething. I still have some and try to just give one to him the day before a bath.


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## Kurbs (Jul 14, 2016)

ShamaMama said:


> Who is that next to Kati? Why do you think she doesn't have tear staining? We're happy with Vet Classics Tear Stain Supplement.


OMG, she's _adorable_


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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

The pup next to Kati is Lollipop. She is my Bichon Frise and she does not have tear staining because I pluck her eye crusties every time she gets near me.  And probably because her eye genes are good. Lol

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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

I have tried different things for Kati's staining. The most helpful is hydrogen peroxide but it is fairly dangerous near the eyes. None of them were worth the extra trouble. Even had her on a supplement from my vet. The red in her tear stains is actually from a bacteria that grows in the moisture. Because her tears drain onto her face instead of back into her eyes her face is always damp so the bacteria is always growing. Her baths help to reduce the intensity of the color and the matting it causes. I've gotten used to it and actually think it helps define her face 

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

Katie and Lollipop are the cutest! ShamaMama, I wonder if the Vet Classics Tear Stain supplement would also help with saliva stains. I also clean Willow's eyes frequently. She gets eye boogers more than crusties!


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

I feed Tux his thawed raw food by hand to mouth three times a day as part of training. It only takes about a minute or two. It never occurred to me that this actually prevents "messy mouth". He sits up, lays down, or just sits and waits for each bite as a reward. He also drinks from a water bottle or occasionally a small bowl, but the water is always filtered from our fridge. The "awake" photo is immediately post bath. The asleep photo is days later after lots of play and meals. I also keep his hair on his face shorter, and I make sure every day to smooth away any small stray hairs that may irritate his eyes. He will be 5 months old in two days.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Tux is adorable! His markings are very similar to my Molly. It looks like they are wearing a black saddle.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Lisa T. said:


> Oh too cute!!!&#128525;
> 
> Can they jump up on your chairs??


Thank goodness they haven't figured that one out!


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## Kurbs (Jul 14, 2016)

Heather Glen said:


> Thank goodness they haven't figured that one out!


I can hear a "yet" coming~


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

goldanimals said:


> . The asleep photo is days later after lots of play and meals. I also keep his hair on his face shorter, and I make sure every day to smooth away any small stray hairs that may irritate his eyes. He will be 5 months old in two days.


He looks so sweet and innocent!


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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

Just thought I'd share a photo of Kati and Lollipop a week after their bath this is their normal look 

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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

Oops! I forgot the attachment.









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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I just want to say I'm loving all the photos!

I keep a comb in the car and one in my purse, and I'm always touching things up. I love my messy dogs.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Has anyone ever tried contact cleaning solution for cleaning the tear stains?


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