# Harley & Seymour.....an update



## lcy_pt (Aug 17, 2007)

Most of you will remember that I had both boys cut down to near nakidness the end of last fall. Well 4 months have passed and they're starting to grow back in nicely. Seymour...being the prince that he is....will be no problem keeping in long coat (not to mention that he has the silkier version) while Harley has the cottony coat but so much of it. I have been humming and hawing on whether to cut him down again...there will be no in between with him because of the amount of hair...it just matts while he sits there, I'm sure. So it's either the full coat or the old shaveroo. Since they seem to be done blowing coat...maybe I have a chance???? LOL!

What do you think?

Well of course...pictures to show the progression


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

They are adorable no matter what, Pat! I just love your two boys.  I do like the more scruffy look though, as opposed to the "ol shaveroo", but I do understand your dilemma with Harley because Ricky had that type of coat. He has/had enough for 2 or 3 Havs and it was so thick! Ricky's 3 1/2 now and for the past 6-8 months, his hair is silkier and still changing. There may yet be a change in Harley's future, so he might have an easier coat to deal with come summer time. You never know!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Pat, they look adorable. I was a die hard believer in keeping them in full coat. I'm not so sure any more. They both seem so much happier and they don't drag in half the yard each time they come back from a romp. We'll see, but I'm loving the stage they're at now, even though the cut was butchered because of the horrible matting. Do whatever feels right, and it will be.


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## scraps (Dec 8, 2009)

*Best of both worlds*

Why not compromise with a "puppy cut"?


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## LuckyOne (Sep 3, 2009)

Excuse my ignorance but what is "blowing coat?" You have two cuties no matter what the cut!


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Pat,they look adorable no matter what cut they are sporting, but I prefer the long coat.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Pat, I have to vote for the full coat, too. But, of course, what matters is what you enjoy the most. If you need to keep Harley shorter, maybe you don't have to go so extremely short this time?


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Mmmmmm... I LOVE and probably always will love the lush look of a Havanese in full coat! But I can fully understand the ease in care of a shorter grooming! I recently cut my boys down to about 4 inches. I may even go a little shorter next time but I am a fan of the messy sheepdog look. I like the length they are now or maybe even longer! Either way you decide they will look great I'm sure!


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## Eva (Jun 20, 2008)

LuckyOne said:


> *Excuse my ignorance but what is "blowing coat?"* You have two cuties no matter what the cut!


Ohhh Trudy...you will soon find out! The dreaded shedding of the puppy coat as the adult coat is growing in...matts, matts everywhere :frusty:
Todd just shed like crazy then it was done..lucky me :biggrin1:


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Pat, they are both adorable. I do love the long coats and it's "a job" to keep Cicero because he is cotton and has double the hair he needs. I don't know how you manage with two. They are looking cute right now but I think you have to do what is the best for you and they will be happy!!!


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

I love the full coat. Maybe now that they're done blowingcoat you could handle it. I only have one and it is hard to keep up with Izzy's coat all the time. They look good now at the "in between" stage though. They're both so handsome. I love seeing updated pictures. Thanks for posting.


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## Amy R. (Jul 1, 2007)

I have the same dilemma with mine. . . .right now their coats are long & I am battling matts. . . both have very thick coats. It literally hurts my hands to groom them. So next week, we're getting the old shaveroo . . . tho not that short. It's the eternal question, isn't it. I know mine look much better with hair. Yours are precious regardless, but more hair is better. Otherwise, they don't look like Havs to me.


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## lcy_pt (Aug 17, 2007)

Thanks for all your input guys! I really, really love the shaggy dog look and I have to admit it was one of the many reasons I chose this breed.

It was such a relief when I cut them down because the matts had become so out of control and the grooming sessions were a nightmare for all of us. I actually liked the look at first...especially when their hair length matched. A nice break from the 3-4 hour sessions....which of course when we moved had become non-existent.

Seymour looks great with any length of hair. I think his colouring helps a lot...

Harley looks really goofy to me when he's cut down. Of course we had to shave him bare to get rid of all the matts so that was the extreme. Right now he looks pretty good...more like the old Harley and not quite so 'poodely' (is that even a word? LOL) Don't get me wrong....I love poodles but as they say if I wanted a poodle.....he just doesn't look like a Hav.

The worst areas on Harley are just under where his tail rests (because of the amount of hair, his tail doesn't have the 'flag' like Seymour) and around his neck. Almost like he's wearing a thick sweater. And his matts are itty bitty teeny weeny things....almost the size of a pin head. I have to use the face comb to really get them out.

If I chop Harley down, I really have to do Seymour....otherwise it only emphasizes Harley's goofiness...they look like completely different breeds. See what I mean? Ack!










I think I'll keep trying and see how it works out.

As I'm writing this Harley is giving me the look :suspicious: as if he knows the party is over and it's back to business LOL! Who says these guys can't read minds.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

lcy_pt said:


> T
> If I chop Harley down, I really have to do Seymour....otherwise it only emphasizes Harley's goofiness...they look like completely different breeds. See what I mean? Ack!
> 
> 
> ...


Pat, LOL, I know exactly what you mean. I try to keep my boys looking the same and the same size! (CDL-OCD) which means Jasper gets to stay a little longer so he looks bigger and Cash who is both bigger and has a thick thick wooly coat gets sheared closer. But maybe we can struggle together because I am thinking of seeing how long I can go before I break down and give them puppy cuts again. right now both your boys and mine are in the stage (so far) I love the best. Just shaggy enough to look like sheep dog.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

glad they are no longer nakid. 
they look great! glad you had it shaved and them brought back.


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## Mom2Izzo (Jul 1, 2009)

I LOVE the way they look with their coats growing out!!!!! SO CUTE!


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## imamurph (Apr 15, 2008)

Pat..I'm a fan of Hav's in their full coat glory, so Sophie and Gabe have never been cut.
Sophie is an easy groom..Gabriel more intense, but doesn't seem to have matting problems unless I neglect to brush him for several days.

Now, if you asked me about my Australian Shepherds....
They both were subject to the "naked mole rat cut" in the summer time.
Talk about a groooming nightmare..Ugh! :frusty:


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## TheVintageVamp (Oct 14, 2009)

Oh Pat, Murray and I feel the pain you and Harley are going through. Murray's coat is EXACTLY like Harley's. Cottony and soooooo very thick and dense. He had been growing out for a couple of months from a complete shave down when I got him and was in a nice, short puppy cut. Now it is getting longer and thicker, and thicker...and with my bum shoulder it is a chore to take care of. We are debating too as I adore the shaggy sheepdog look.


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## Sam375 (Feb 2, 2009)

I vote for a middle of the road length, like someone said puppy cut, this way you still have a Hav look, then you can always let it get longer from there to see if it can be handled. 

Harry survived the blowing coat phase, I did scissor him, and took him to the groomers for the first time when he was blowing... I figured it would be worth $ to let me have a break, but he was never shaved.

Harry is cotton, and I find that coat handler conditioner works great on him.
I did get some IOD products have yet to give him a bath since we are due for a blizzard, there really is no point in giving him a bath until the snow is all gone, I figured in the middle of next week I will do it.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Oh my! There's those handsome Rockhurst boys! 

Pat--they are so adorable! Look how they've grown up! Time-lane:


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Your boys are adorable! I prefer a Havanese in full coat. Bugsy was cut only once when he was 7 months old. While he looked adorable, it isn't happening again. I much prefer the long coat and enjoy our daily routine of brushing. I would consider growing out my standards if it weren't that labor intensive. Lucky for me I love the poodle in a poodle cut. lol


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

I feel your dilemma! Every day I brush/comb mine, do top knots and eyes and everyday I swear I'm going to get puppy cuts. Then when it's all done I say, "awww, that wasn't so bad, they look so cute"! They seem to love me afterwards despite of grooming, lol.

I LOVE the full coat because they look like the havanese that I love to look at, but, arghhh, the pain of grooming both for them and me.........well, mainly them!

Gabby is blowing coat right now so a puppy cut is really tempting.....

Now, off to the daily grooming and dilemma!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

If I can just.........................get through this in-between stage, I will not cut Dexter a shorter length. Help me! Help me! It just kind of poofs out, the length is not making the coat lay down yet. I will give his coat till late Spring or Early Summer.....if, I can last that long!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

HavaneseSoon said:


> If I can just.........................get through this in-between stage, I will not cut Dexter a shorter length. Help me! Help me! It just kind of poofs out, the length is not making the coat lay down yet. I will give his coat till late Spring or Early Summer.....if, I can last that long!


LOL! You are too funny! How long is his coat now? I only know what I see and what I see is a short clipped pup! hoto:


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