# HPCF "Havanese Puppy Cuteness Factor"



## Tux's Mom

This posting is not intended for those who "show" their dogs, and is merely an opinion I have harbored but have yet to express until today. This is for those of us who love the face of a puppy and don't mind the effort to achieve and preserve it. I think that the "Havanese puppy cuteness factor" (HPCF) is best seen in the face of a Havanese puppy whose hair has yet to be butchered by well-meaning groomers who often do not have time, patience or knowledge of preservation of the HPCF. I noticed on the headline photo border of the Havanese Forum, a great example of HPCF and am posting it here, along with my own version as modeled by Tux. For those of you who groom or pay someone to groom, having a photo is a great way to explain the HPCF of a Havanese. This look is unique to Havanese. It breaks my heart to see a Havanese face, sheared down to a typical dog face that is produced in droves by the big box groomers, or those that just don't care to or know how to preserve the HPCF. Let's start a movement and insist that groomers learn to preserve the proper HPCF. Nancy


----------



## Layla's Mom

Thank you sooo much for bringing this up, Nancy. I have been struggling with groomers maintaining Layla's face, ears and tail like I want. It is hard for those of us that want a puppy cut to explain just how we want that to look. I tell them I want her in a long puppy cut, but she comes home looking like a Shih Tzu. I've taken in photos and she's come out looking so "Not" like the photo I just showed them. Do you have any suggestions on how to communicate to a groomer the HPCF or a look like Tux has? I have heard of a "teddy bear" cut, but when I mentioned it, my old groomer looked at me like I was nuts...I would let her grow long, but my husband likes her shorter and I concur.


----------



## Heather's

goldanimals said:


> This posting is not intended for those who "show" their dogs, and is merely an opinion I have harbored but have yet to express until today. This is for those of us who love the face of a puppy and don't mind the effort to achieve and preserve it. I think that the "Havanese puppy cuteness factor" (HPCF) is best seen in the face of a Havanese puppy whose hair has yet to be butchered by well-meaning groomers who often do not have time, patience or knowledge of preservation of the HPCF. I noticed on the headline photo border of the Havanese Forum, a great example of HPCF and am posting it here, along with my own version as modeled by Tux. For those of you who groom or pay someone to groom, having a photo is a great way to explain the HPCF of a Havanese. This look is unique to Havanese. It breaks my heart to see a Havanese face, sheared down to a typical dog face that is produced in droves by the big box groomers, or those that just don't care to or know how to preserve the HPCF. Let's start a movement and insist that groomers learn to preserve the proper HPCF. Nancy


Experienced groomers with actual training background will know how to maintain the Havanese coat. It's important to inquire about the groomers background. There's really no reason for a face to be butchered. If a groomer doesn't have time or patience it's time to find a new one.


----------



## krandall

That's why I decided to do Pixel myself. This is how I like her face. I do it a little bit at a time, so I don't ever take too much off at once. Because I do her at home, I have the time to work slowly. And if I make a mistake, I have no one else to blame! :laugh: The second photo is one of her actually AS a baby, and is what I try to make her look like when I trim her. Of course, we can never get the chubby, short legged puppy look back, but I try to keep a little more length on her body too, so she doesn't look like such a string bean!


----------



## Willie51616!

I love this post!!! Willie is our second Havanese and the stories I could tell you about groomers. Our older Havanese Guce came home once from the groomer with her ears shaved!!!! When my husband picked her up here told the groomer " I can't take her home looking like this". The groomer told him why not? She's a cute terrier! 
So I agree.... keep the HPCF.... I'm soooo of in.


----------



## Lisa T.

Karen,

Do you trim Pixel's ears? I love her cut!😇


----------



## Lisa T.

Rudy's ears are really long. They never been trimmed. The picture of the ideal puppycut looks like it's for a younger dog. Rudy's ears are a lot longer.


----------



## ShamaMama

Yes, this is a great thread. I would be interested in seeing photos of cuts you weren't happy with too. (Although I suppose you didn't run right out to photograph them!) Our breeder recommended that, if we ever do put Shama in a puppy cut, we insist that the groomer hand scissor it at about three inches in length. She also said to be sure to not let the groomer cut the hair on the ears and tail.


----------



## Layla's Mom

ShamaMama said:


> Yes, this is a great thread. I would be interested in seeing photos of cuts you weren't happy with too. (Although I suppose you didn't run right out to photograph them!) Our breeder recommended that, if we ever do put Shama in a puppy cut, we insist that the groomer hand scissor it at about three inches in length. She also said to be sure to not let the groomer cut the hair on the ears and tail.


That's exactly the kind of puppy cut I'm after with Layla, 2-3 inches on body and leave those ears and tail alone! The last groomer took too much width and diameter out of Layla's ear and tail hair (don't know how he coulda possibly not known he was doing it, they were both super long, so he cut a 5-8 in long chunk off of both). Her hair on her left ear is only about 1 inch wide and her right is prob 3 inches, it looks so dorky and just a horrible job, grrr. It will take Months to grow them out again. Luckily the average Joe won't notice, just her neurotic momm:frown2:


----------



## Layla's Mom

krandall said:


> That's why I decided to do Pixel myself. This is how I like her face. I do it a little bit at a time, so I don't ever take too much off at once. Because I do her at home, I have the time to work slowly. And if I make a mistake, I have no one else to blame! :laugh: The second photo is one of her actually AS a baby, and is what I try to make her look like when I trim her. Of course, we can never get the chubby, short legged puppy look back, but I try to keep a little more length on her body too, so she doesn't look like such a string bean!


Karen, if you have side pictures of Pixel could you post a few? It is hard to find longer puppy cut photos that are done with scissors. Mayb I need to get brave and groom Layla myself also. Now, my husband would love not having that monthly bill :wink2:


----------



## ShamaMama

"That's exactly the kind of puppy cut I'm after with Layla, 2-3 inches on body and leave those ears and tail alone! The last groomer took too much width and diameter out of Layla's ear and tail hair (don't know how he coulda possibly not known he was doing it, they were both super long, so he cut a 5-8 in long chunk off of both). Her hair on her left ear is only about 1 inch wide and her right is prob 3 inches, it looks so dorky and just a horrible job, grrr. It will take Months to grow them out again. Luckily the average Joe won't notice, just her neurotic momm"

Good point for us all to remember. The average person is not going to mind any haircut on our dog. And (although it may not come back the same) the hair will grow back.


----------



## Heather's

ShamaMama said:


> "That's exactly the kind of puppy cut I'm after with Layla, 2-3 inches on body and leave those ears and tail alone! The last groomer took too much width and diameter out of Layla's ear and tail hair (don't know how he coulda possibly not known he was doing it, they were both super long, so he cut a 5-8 in long chunk off of both). Her hair on her left ear is only about 1 inch wide and her right is prob 3 inches, it looks so dorky and just a horrible job, grrr. It will take Months to grow them out again. Luckily the average Joe won't notice, just her neurotic momm"
> 
> Good point for us all to remember. The average person is not going to mind any haircut on our dog. And (although it may not come back the same) the hair will grow back.


That's why it's important to know if the groomer has professional grooming training. When I had my first Havanese Sparky I wondered how someone could take a cute furry dog and do such terrible job. One time my husband refused to walk him unless I bought him a jacket.  Now I understand why poor Sparky had so many not good grooming experiences.


----------



## krandall

Lisa T. said:


> Karen,
> 
> Do you trim Pixel's ears? I love her cut!&#128519;


Yes. the ear hair on puppies isn't long either, and that's the look I was going for. I just wanted them to frame her face.


----------



## krandall

Lisa T. said:


> Rudy's ears are really long. They never been trimmed. The picture of the ideal puppycut looks like it's for a younger dog. Rudy's ears are a lot longer.


Of course everyone has their own idea of how they want their dog trimmed (assuming they DO trim them!!!  ) but a puppy does not have long ear hair. so if you're going for THAT look, you would probably want the ears trimmed too.


----------



## krandall

Layla's Mom said:


> Karen, if you have side pictures of Pixel could you post a few? It is hard to find longer puppy cut photos that are done with scissors. Mayb I need to get brave and groom Layla myself also. Now, my husband would love not having that monthly bill :wink2:


OK, I haven't really been tracking it in any organized way, and black dogs are exceedingly difficult to show detail on. But these are the best I could find on short notice that I thought you could see anything about coat length... (she's a little like Sophie... always on the move!!!)

The first one was JUST before I clipped her, the second right after. (I mean, both photos were taken on the same day  ) I scissored her that first time, and it was STILL a little shorter than I wanted. But, hey, I don't think she looked bad for my first try!  The 3rd and 4th photos are where I WISH I could make her coat freeze in time... which, of course, is not possible. I put in two views so you can see the side of her head and her ear as well as straight on. The last photo is when it has grown out a little MORE than I like on her. Not because she doesn't look cute, because I think she still does. But because she LOVES to roll in plant material, and it gets caught all over her fine, fuzzy coat. We call her the "Chia Pet".  It's easier to brush it out of her coat (and therefore keep it out of the house!) when it's a bit shorter.

As you can see, even though I trim her ears, I don't trim her tail. Of course, If I REALLY wanted her to look like a puppy, I'd have to trim that too. But tails take a LONG time to re-grow, and I'm never COMPLETELY sure that I won't let her coat grow back. But I don't think I will. Although I like most Havanese in long coats, she's tiny, and fine featured... I think her hair kind of overwhelmed her... she looked a little mop-like, in spite of having a pretty coat.


----------



## Lisa T.

Karen, she is adorable. Just love her!😍😍😍😍😍


----------



## Lisa T.

Which pup is behind her in two if the pictures? The picture with your husband is so cute.


----------



## krandall

Lisa T. said:


> Which pup is behind her in two if the pictures? The picture with your husband is so cute.


All three of them were in the photo... They had just had baths. and I was able to get them all lined up on the couch in my office. I'll tell you... it's like taking Christmas card photos of a bunch of kids! :laugh:


----------



## Lisa T.

Aww so cute!!!! Love it!


----------



## Heather's

All three are sooo cute together! Pixel's puppy cut is just perfect! Such a sweet face.


----------



## Layla's Mom

krandall said:


> OK, I haven't really been tracking it in any organized way, and black dogs are exceedingly difficult to show detail on. But these are the best I could find on short notice that I thought you could see anything about coat length... (she's a little like Sophie... always on the move!!!)
> 
> The first one was JUST before I clipped her, the second right after. (I mean, both photos were taken on the same day  ) I scissored her that first time, and it was STILL a little shorter than I wanted. But, hey, I don't think she looked bad for my first try!  The 3rd and 4th photos are where I WISH I could make her coat freeze in time... which, of course, is not possible. I put in two views so you can see the side of her head and her ear as well as straight on. The last photo is when it has grown out a little MORE than I like on her. Not because she doesn't look cute, because I think she still does. But because she LOVES to roll in plant material, and it gets caught all over her fine, fuzzy coat. We call her the "Chia Pet".  It's easier to brush it out of her coat (and therefore keep it out of the house!) when it's a bit shorter.
> 
> As you can see, even though I trim her ears, I don't trim her tail. Of course, If I REALLY wanted her to look like a puppy, I'd have to trim that too. But tails take a LONG time to re-grow, and I'm never COMPLETELY sure that I won't let her coat grow back. But I don't think I will. Although I like most Havanese in long coats, she's tiny, and fine featured... I think her hair kind of overwhelmed her... she looked a little mop-like, in spite of having a pretty coat.


Thank you so much, Karen! These are just great and you really have her face just perfect. It looks so much smoother and even, with the scissors, rather than clippers. I love the Chia Pet quote! I can't believe how much Layla looks like Pixel, especially in the face. The pic of your husband and her is just darling-daddy's little girl! Thanks again :smile2:


----------



## Layla's Mom

They are so cute together! That Panda is already stunning, but when that topknot grows longer, with that white stripe down the center and black on each side, she is gonna really turn heads.


----------



## krandall

Thanks, Christine. Pixel is DEFINITELY Daddy's girl. She loves me too, but if she has to make a choice, it's him every time! 

The photo of the three of them is several months old. Here's one of Panda after her bath two nights ago.


----------



## Pucks104

Pretty Panda - like a reverse Oreo!


----------



## Tux's Mom

Layla's Mom said:


> Thank you sooo much for bringing this up, Nancy. I have been struggling with groomers maintaining Layla's face, ears and tail like I want. It is hard for those of us that want a puppy cut to explain just how we want that to look. I tell them I want her in a long puppy cut, but she comes home looking like a Shih Tzu. I've taken in photos and she's come out looking so "Not" like the photo I just showed them. Do you have any suggestions on how to communicate to a groomer the HPCF or a look like Tux has? I have heard of a "teddy bear" cut, but when I mentioned it, my old groomer looked at me like I was nuts...I would let her grow long, but my husband likes her shorter and I concur.


The way to preserve the puppy face HPCF, is to trim the ears AT THE BOTTOM (not drastically though) at the same angle the hair would grow (NOT straight across). Longer ears bely an older dog. so the shorter the ears the younger the look. The longer beard also is not prevalent on a puppy. The hair on the snout is shorter but long enough to give the face a wider look. The hair around the eyes is also trimmed a bit. Do it in tiny stages (usually you have to until the pup learns the scissors are not a toy or something to eat). In the photo I attached today, Tux's ears look longer than they are because his neck hair is black . I just recently cut it and will post another picture (he's in "Nap land" right now.) Tux has unusual cowlicks at the tops of his ears, which give him an unusual look.


----------



## Willie51616!

Oh goodness how cute are they......


----------



## Layla's Mom

Karen and Nancy-Thank you both for the posts, pictures and all the grooming advice! I plan on taking Layla in to our new groomer in about two weeks. Now I have some great pics and ways to describe to her what I want. We'll see how it goes. All of your dogs are beautiful and you both do a super job with the puppy cuts. 

I think Panda looks like a reverse double-stuff Oreo...delicious.


----------



## krandall

Pucks104 said:


> Pretty Panda - like a reverse Oreo!


Actually, Dave says she looks like a reverse Belted Galloway!


----------



## krandall

One other thing to keep in mind, however, when asking for a certain "look" in a Havanese "puppy cut"is that not all Havanese coats look the same or behave the same when cut. Some stay very "poofy", while others, even if the dog does not look curly when its hair is longer, look decidedly kinky when it is shorter. Some have hair that lies closer to the body also. 

Some people have said they want their dog scissored at 3". That may work for some dogs, but it is decidedly TOO long for Pixel's very soft coat. At that length, it is already long enough that it parts and divides down her back. (I know because I just measured it  )

So you DO also have to work with your groomer and listen to them in terms of what will work with your specific dog's coat.


----------



## Layla's Mom

Good points...I'll go with my groomers recommendations on length and we'll have to experiment with it. Thanks.


----------



## Eveningpiper

Our groomer gets a big round of applause for mastering the art of HPCF with Ruby today.


----------



## Heather's

Ruby looks absolutely darling! Yesterday Scout and Truffles got groomed. I asked the groomer how do you get the HPCF. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this right but, she said the face needs to be trimmed so it is round and defined from the neck. I almost did a puppy cut on Scout but chickened out in the end. 😊 Love Ruby's puppy cut!


----------



## Layla's Mom

I can't stand it, she is sooo stinking cute! Groomer did a fantastic job. I have another Ruby puppy cut photo, woohoo. Between Ruby and Pixels pictures my groomer can't go wrong :cheer2:


----------



## KarMar

Mario's groomer does a pretty dang good job of the puppy cut on the face. She has owned a Hav in the past, so she has a little more experience, but Mario has the weirdest hair (like a Coton with a but of a wiry texture) and there are times she doesn't get the bangs quite right. The two winter ones are from this past winter, my favorite cut I've photographed. He got into something gross just after being groomed, hence the messy mustache. The other photo is current, about 2 weeks post-groom. This time around, the bangs were a bit too visor-like for me, but I think he still looks nice.


----------



## Layla's Mom

Mario's just darling! His cut is perfect!! I love his coloring...his face coloring is totally symmetrical. Groomer did a great job. More pics for my groomer...

P.S. I also love that he is lying up on the back of a couch. Layla does that and it makes me crazy, but she's never fallen :smile2:


----------



## krandall

Layla's Mom said:


> Mario's just darling! His cut is perfect!! I love his coloring...his face coloring is totally symmetrical. Groomer did a great job. More pics for my groomer...
> 
> P.S. I also love that he is lying up on the back of a couch. Layla does that and it makes me crazy, but she's never fallen :smile2:


You mean like this? (Panda is sleeping in the cat's bed here... it's there to keep cat hair off the back of the denim couch! )


----------



## KarMar

Layla's Mom said:


> Mario's just darling! His cut is perfect!! I love his coloring...his face coloring is totally symmetrical. Groomer did a great job. More pics for my groomer...
> 
> P.S. I also love that he is lying up on the back of a couch. Layla does that and it makes me crazy, but she's never fallen :smile2:


His coloring as a pup was so stunning. I'll have to post a picture sometime soon. It's a bummer those sables tend to fade. We have definitely lucked out with our groomer though; our old one stopped working when she had a baby.

He loves to be up as high as possible. This sofa back is flat, so he has more area to balance on, but our old one was rounded at the top and he still managed to sleep there for years. He also loves laundry baskets piled so high it's a bit of a precarious, unstable situation :laugh: OTOH Nino loves to burrow and den. Mario's spot is on top of the couch, and Nino's is under it completely.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA

Why do many of you say to only scissor cut? I actually don't know if my groomer scissor cuts or uses a razor. I always think Willow looks cute when she gets groomed. I think that the groomer may cut some of the tail hair that is close to the anus. Willow's tail curves up over her back and I think the groomer is cutting the tail hair on the back of the tail that would possibly fall over the anus and get soiled. Does anyone have a good picture of what a havanese tail and rear end should look like?

I love the picture of Ruby and also Mario. Now I'm seriously considering changing Willow's cut to something like Ruby. I've been letting the hair grow on top of Willow's head and can now do a topknot but Ruby looks so darned cute!


----------



## krandall

If you like the way Willow looks, then there is NO reason to change! The biggest reason to scissor rather than clipper is that there is only so long you can leave it and still use clippers. So when people say they want it 3" (or longer) they are really talking about a scissor cut. Clippers, even with the LONGEST blade guard, still cut shorter than that.

As far as hair at the base of the tail is concerned, even on Pixel, I never cut her tail hair. She has a very soft, fluffy coat, and if it's not trimmed around her bum (especially when she still was in full coat!) we need a lot of butt baths. But it has never caught on or soiled the tail hair on any of them.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA

krandall said:


> If you like the way Willow looks, then there is NO reason to change! The biggest reason to scissor rather than clipper is that there is only so long you can leave it and still use clippers. So when people say they want it 3" (or longer) they are really talking about a scissor cut. Clippers, even with the LONGEST blade guard, still cut shorter than that.
> 
> As far as hair at the base of the tail is concerned, even on Pixel, I never cut her tail hair. She has a very soft, fluffy coat, and if it's not trimmed around her bum (especially when she still was in full coat!) we need a lot of butt baths. But it has never caught on or soiled the tail hair on any of them.


Thanks Karen. If you ever get a picture from the rear end, I would love to see how the bum looks. The groomer does do a sanitary cut but sometimes I think maybe it's too short.

By the way, I sure hope Panda feels better today.


----------



## krandall

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Thanks Karen. If you ever get a picture from the rear end, I would love to see how the bum looks. The groomer does do a sanitary cut but sometimes I think maybe it's too short.
> 
> By the way, I sure hope Panda feels better today.


I don't think I could get a photo where you could see anything on Pixel, because she's so dark. And, of course, the other two have long coats, so look very different. (essentially, the vet had a very hard time even finding where to put the thermometer yesterday on Panda! ound:

Panda is definitely better today. No more diarrhea, at least so far, though she's still a bit quieter than usual.


----------



## Tux's Mom

goldanimals said:


> This posting is not intended for those who "show" their dogs, and is merely an opinion I have harbored but have yet to express until today. This is for those of us who love the face of a puppy and don't mind the effort to achieve and preserve it. I think that the "Havanese puppy cuteness factor" (HPCF) is best seen in the face of a Havanese puppy whose hair has yet to be butchered by well-meaning groomers who often do not have time, patience or knowledge of preservation of the HPCF. I noticed on the headline photo border of the Havanese Forum, a great example of HPCF and am posting it here, along with my own version as modeled by Tux. For those of you who groom or pay someone to groom, having a photo is a great way to explain the HPCF of a Havanese. This look is unique to Havanese. It breaks my heart to see a Havanese face, sheared down to a typical dog face that is produced in droves by the big box groomers, or those that just don't care to or know how to preserve the HPCF. Let's start a movement and insist that groomers learn to preserve the proper HPCF. Nancy


Update of HPCF: Tux is over 11 months old now. Here is my latest photo version of preserving the long coat but keeping the HPCF in tact.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA

Tux looks gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this information and photo.


----------



## Heather's

I noticed that when the face is kept trimmed it keeps the puppy look. Truffles face has never been trimmed so she doesn't look like a puppy. Scout face gets trimmed like Tux. He has the cute look even though he is almost five years old. The face trimming really is an art.


----------



## ShamaMama

Tux is ADORABLE!


----------



## Tux's Mom

He uses it too!!!


----------



## Bowie's Mom

Just found this thread! Does anyone know how Tux's Mom trims his bangs? Looks like she trims the upper outer corners of hair too? Here are some shots of Bowie today


----------



## ShamaMama

I love Bowie's haircut!


----------



## Bowie's Mom

Thanks, but I only gave him a bath today...his bangs are finally looking better after I messed them up trying to cut them the first time. I kinda pushed them away from his eyes to get the shot...still need to figure out how to trim them correctly.


----------



## Tux's Mom

Hi Bowie's Mom. To trim eyebrows, and muzzle, find a true puppy face that appeals to you and notice the length of hair above and to the sides of the eyes. Then notice the length of hair on the muzzle. Shortening the length of the ears will also create a "younger look". Once you have your ideal model photo to go by, brush out the hair and use the two-finger grasp of the hair you want to cut. Do a "line at a time". And cut in a curved line that follows the shape you want. By pulling the hair outward with your fingers, and cutting in a curve following the face, the hair will fall more naturally when you let go. You also use your hand and fingers to simultaneously control head jerking. Whisper right before you cut "hold still". Tux freezes when I do that. Give lots of treats with each successful freeze. Cut smaller amounts until you and the pup know what to expect. I use larger scissors so that the points can never be anywhere near his eyes. See attached two photos of muzzle grasp, and eyebrow grasp. Hope this helps.


----------



## Lisa T.

Love Tux's face trim and instructions. Do you also trim Tux's ears?


----------



## Tux's Mom

Thank you. Yes. I try to keep his ears so that the lowest point is no longer than his mouth. I just recently gave up on the long coat. It began to reach the ground and he was no longer enjoying the constant brushing. His coat developed mats no matter what I did. I figured when he would "go hide" in his chair when he saw the brush, that it was time. I still have some trimming to do. I need to figure out the best length. Right now it is about 4-6". He seems to bounce around a lot more now and mats are a breeze to remove. 

Your Hav. is soooooo cute! Love the head tilt.


----------



## gelbergirl

Bowie's Mom said:


> Just found this thread! Does anyone know how Tux's Mom trims his bangs? Looks like she trims the upper outer corners of hair too? Here are some shots of Bowie today


Bowie is so cute.
If he lived here with me, I'd be chasing him around the house trying to kiss him all day.
Hope his bangs turn out good!


----------



## Bowie's Mom

I trimmed his eyebrows a little bit this morning using Tux's mom's tips and am happy how they turned out, thanks SO much!


----------



## Tux's Mom

Bowie's Mom said:


> I trimmed his eyebrows a little bit this morning using Tux's mom's tips and am happy how they turned out, thanks SO much!


Hi Bowie's Mom. Glad it worked for you.


----------



## Genie1000

I love this thread as we are trying to find a groomer that can cut Penelope's hair the way we want it.
First visit to the groomer, I basically wanted her to have a good experience and so he did very little. However, he did shave the top of her muzzle. And trimmed her face.... she sort of looked like a storm trooper.....but at least she liked the groomer. 
Second time, different groomer, I brought pictures. We are heading to San Diego and wanted Penelope to have a short puppy cut. 
The groomer did a good job on her body, but this time Penelope did not like the experience. They never even touched her face... which it turns out is good because it's growing in nicely from the first cut.
I admire all of you that do your own cuts! I bought a grooming table and am happy to say Penelope will at least let me comb her....briefly, but scissors!!!! I shutter at the thought! She's young so I'm wondering, with age will she be calmer and easier to trim or is there a trick to getting her desensitized to the scissors. She hates even a small comb near her face.
First photo is most recent short body cut, fAce thankfully growing out.
Third is the model I use for the face, not Penelope but looks a lot like her
Second photo is after her face was shaved....so sad...


----------



## Melissa Brill

*treats *



Genie1000 said:


> ...
> I admire all of you that do your own cuts! I bought a grooming table and am happy to say Penelope will at least let me comb her....briefly, but scissors!!!! I shutter at the thought! She's young so I'm wondering, with age will she be calmer and easier to trim or is there a trick to getting her desensitized to the scissors. She hates even a small comb near her face.


All I can suggest is treats!!! Perry hasn't been too bad to comb but he hates the face too and hated!!!!!! me touching his front feet in any way in the beginning. I went at it very slowly with lots of praise and lots of treats (especially combing out mats and with the feet). He'll still try to pull away when I'm combing his face (have to admit that even though I'm doing his puppy cut myself, I haven't been brave enough to cut too much from his face - a little from the bangs and some under the chin but not much else), but he's fine with me touching his feet. I've been scissor cutting him so far but will be trying with clippers for the first time next weekend (his groomer uses clippers and says he's fine).


----------



## FancyNancy

they are so cute lined up like that!


----------



## Lakelauren

This is such a great thread! Thank you everyone. I commiserate with long hair problems. Buster will be 2 in September and aside from eyebrow trims, the top of his head and his feet, he has never had a haircut. His hair is reaching the ground, matts seem to pop up if I look at him, and he looks weighed down by all the hair. As much as I love his mop look, I don't want him miserable. So I have been googling havanese puppy cuts and watching YouTube videos.....YIKES! No HPCF there! This thread is just what I needed. So tomorrow I will probably get my scissors in hand and try to trim him to 3 inches. The picture of Tux would be my model. Do you trim him to 3 inches all over the body and deal with the head separately? You know, Tux's mom, many of us would like a video or some form of tutorial!


----------



## Bowie's Mom

I agree, that would be awesome!!!


----------



## Tux's Mom

I just cut Tux's body yesterday for the first time. I've scissored to about 3" keeping legs fairly long, feet trimmed a bit, and tummy cut short. I would do a video if I were that good, but you would all fall asleep after about the second hour. I'm just getting the hang of this. The face was always easy, but the body is a different ball game. Jodi Murphy makes a CD showing how it's done, but I don't have all her grooming tools, or stand. Here is a before shot (Tux very dirty and matted), and after. (I accidentally cut part of his tail thinking it was his leg hairs. OOOOOPS! Now I know why they wrap the tail up before snipping. LOL


----------



## Genie1000

You do a fabulous job!


----------



## Tux's Mom

Genie1000 said:


> You do a fabulous job!


Why thank you!


----------



## Rascal's mom

I agree finding the right groomer is the problem. rascals first haircut just a few weeks ago & groomer did everything I asked her NOT to do and I took Do & Don't Do pictures. It looked like a poodle Pom on top of his head and a Scotty dog muzzle. I told her he didn't even look like my dog ;( I miss the long hair on his head & face area. I will be trying somebody new for the next time and hope I get the puppy cut that I'm looking for! Any advice what to ask for to get a longer puppy cut would be very appreciated!!


----------



## Tux's Mom

Rascal's mom said:


> I agree finding the right groomer is the problem. rascals first haircut just a few weeks ago & groomer did everything I asked her NOT to do and I took Do & Don't Do pictures. It looked like a poodle Pom on top of his head and a Scotty dog muzzle. I told her he didn't even look like my dog ;( I miss the long hair on his head & face area. I will be trying somebody new for the next time and hope I get the puppy cut that I'm looking for! Any advice what to ask for to get a longer puppy cut would be very appreciated!!


To get a cut between shaved and long, (like Tux, about 3") you almost have to use scissors). Scissors require more time (labor/expense) and patience. This is why I do it myself. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long. I think most groomers are not trained to trim the "long and time-consuming" way for obvious reasons, but if you can find one, its a good find. Keep a look out for well groomed dogs with slightly longer cuts where you live and then ask who did the work. Finding a groomer is like finding a good doctor. Just because they have the title, doesn't mean they can do the work correctly.


----------



## Rascal's mom

Good idea! I have heard to look for a groomer that uses scissors. At this point, Rascal won't sit still for me to cut him myself. I do trim around his eyes but it's always a careful challenge!


----------



## Tux's Mom

Squirming: 
I don't know Rascal's age, but I have employed a few survival grooming methods thru the aging process. Teach sit. Reward with teeny weeny bites 1/8"-1/4" at most. Then teach "Wait" by dropping food after a sit position is under control. Rascal must wait until you give the release word. This is the BEST command because one day it could save his life. Use it often until it is ingrained in him to stop and not move until you say your release word. THEN, when it comes time to snip hairs in dangerous places where he squirms, you CALMLY say, "wait". Try to use the same word for each individual command. Reward often but ONLY when the desired result is achieved. Keep in mind that some pups react to grooming tools as if they are a threat or a play toy. ALWAYS stay calm no matter how frustrated you get. Reward calm behavior with smiles, and praise in a calm voice. When its over (gradually spend more time grooming til he doesn't notice that 5 minutes has turned into an hour or two) celebrate, praise, and compliment him on how beautiful he is. He will learn that grooming him pleases YOU. Let him see you put the tools including hairdryer to use on you. They learn by watching too.

Potty before and after and sometimes in-between grooming sessions. Tux was acting unusually rowdy one day and I couldn't figure out why. So I stopped and took him outside whereupon the poor little guy peed for at least 30 seconds. He must have swallowed water as I rinsed his face with the faucet. Now I know!


----------



## Rascal's mom

Good advice thank you! Rascal is 7 months old. We do reinforce the sit & wait commands, good idea to extend the "wait" command longer. He's actually pretty good when I'm trimming around his eyes but if I was to try to do more .....he still has a way to go before I'd feel comfortable grooming myself.
Appreciate the advice, I may want to do Rascal's head area myself someday (that's where the groomer really didn't do a satisfactory job to my liking). You should post a video of your grooming Tux, he looks adorable love the cut!!


----------



## Tux's Mom

Rascal's mom said:


> Good advice thank you! Rascal is 7 months old. We do reinforce the sit & wait commands, good idea to extend the "wait" command longer. He's actually pretty good when I'm trimming around his eyes but if I was to try to do more .....he still has a way to go before I'd feel comfortable grooming myself.
> Appreciate the advice, I may want to do Rascal's head area myself someday (that's where the groomer really didn't do a satisfactory job to my liking). You should post a video of your grooming Tux, he looks adorable love the cut!!


Next time he needs a trim, I will see if I can record it. I agree that groomers don't "get" the face of a Hav.


----------



## Rascal's mom

Tux is so adorable! That's how I love rascal's length to be & it captures that puppy look :smile2: how old is Tux?


----------



## Tux's Mom

Rascal's mom said:


> Tux is so adorable! That's how I love rascal's length to be & it captures that puppy look :smile2: how old is Tux?


Thanks so much. Tux is a year and 4 months


----------



## Maistjarna

Right now 








Earlier adult pics

















Puppy!









(Yes it is all the same dog)


----------



## Maistjarna

Oh, forgot to mention I do the grooming myself (can't edit post anymore)


----------



## Heather's

Such a cutie pie!


----------



## Lakelauren

Hi everyone! I did get up the courage to cut Buster's long hair. And suddenly it's very curly! It's about 3 inches all over his body, but I left his tail and his beard and moustache. I think he didn't have the hpcf because of the beard, so now I'm trying to cut them. Here are a couple pictures. Would everyone please critique the haircut? It's my first time, so I need consultation from all you experienced folk! I'm not looking for compliments ....I am looking to improve. Do you closely trim the hair in front of and below the ear? Thanks so much!!!


----------



## LoriJack

Maistjarna said:


> Right now
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Earlier adult pics
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Puppy!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (Yes it is all the same dog)


Amazing how her color changes!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jay_39

Tux's Mom said:


> The way to preserve the puppy face HPCF, is to trim the ears AT THE BOTTOM (not drastically though) at the same angle the hair would grow (NOT straight across). Longer ears bely an older dog. so the shorter the ears the younger the look. The longer beard also is not prevalent on a puppy. The hair on the snout is shorter but long enough to give the face a wider look. The hair around the eyes is also trimmed a bit. Do it in tiny stages (usually you have to until the pup learns the scissors are not a toy or something to eat). In the photo I attached today, Tux's ears look longer than they are because his neck hair is black . I just recently cut it and will post another picture (he's in "Nap land" right now.) Tux has unusual cowlicks at the tops of his ears, which give him an unusual look.


Such cute picture! What kind of scissors do you use to groom around the face and ears?


----------



## Henry&Kate

> Would everyone please critique the haircut? It's my first time, so I need consultation from all you experienced folk! I'm not looking for compliments


I have no grooming experience whatsoever so I can't offer any specifics. but I really like how Buster looks after his cut. Comparing the photo in your post to your avatar one, Buster looks much more puppy like now and very, very cute. Definitely a HPCF look. Amazing how curly his hair is now. Like that white swoosh on the crown of his head.


----------



## Tux's Mom

Lakelauren said:


> Hi everyone! I did get up the courage to cut Buster's long hair. And suddenly it's very curly! It's about 3 inches all over his body, but I left his tail and his beard and moustache. I think he didn't have the hpcf because of the beard, so now I'm trying to cut them. Here are a couple pictures. Would everyone please critique the haircut? It's my first time, so I need consultation from all you experienced folk! I'm not looking for compliments ....I am looking to improve. Do you closely trim the hair in front of and below the ear? Thanks so much!!!


I would suggest two things. Look at just the white hairs around Buster's entire face. Cut those parts as if you had a perfect circle the way the hair grows out from the snout. It requires pulling the hair out parallel to the ground and then snipping just a tiny bit off all the ends in a circular perimeter so that you are allowing the hair to stand out more around his muzzle instead of it all falling down to his chin. I pull the hair out between my two fingers while holding his head still with that same hand. Then ONLY if he is being still, snip that circle. Then pull the hair out behind that layer (moving from front of snout to mid-snout, and then to cheeks. Look at the puppy in the top right hand photo of every page on this site. The muzzle, chin, around eyes, and rounded top of head all form nice rounded arcs. There is no squaring off.

The second suggestion is to curve his belly line from behind his front legs to the beginning of his back legs, so that it slopes very very slightly from where the front is now to higher by maybe a half inch difference (nothing major) toward the back. It looks squared off and straight across in the photo. I tried to find a photo of Tux's belly line but this is the only one I could find immediately. KEEP the tail long. You can't see his tail in this photo. I had not quite finished his muzzle (it's a little uneven when I snapped this photo).

Buster is a doll!!!


----------



## Rascal's mom

I Wanted to post pictures of Rascal's new haircut but I can't seem to remember how to attach pictures. Can Anyone help :frown2:


----------



## LoriJack

Rascal's mom said:


> I Wanted to post pictures of Rascal's new haircut but I can't seem to remember how to attach pictures. Can Anyone help :frown2:


It certainly is not intuitive. I hope one of the Admins can help.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Rascal's mom

http://www.havaneseforum.com/picture.php?albumid=2977&pictureid=18177


----------



## Heather's

Rascal's mom said:


> I Wanted to post pictures of Rascal's new haircut but I can't seem to remember how to attach pictures. Can Anyone help :frown2:


This may help. First click "Advanced Go" below message box. The message box that appears will have a paper clip above it. Click on the paper clip. On the next page you can click and upload pictures from your photos. After you choose your photo click on it and it should upload. Then return to the HF page with the paper clip. Click on the paper clip and click again and your photo should appear. Hope I got the steps right and it works for you.


----------



## Rascal's mom

Thank you :smile2: will try that now!


----------



## Heather's

I see you had already figured it out. 😊 Rascal's a cutie!


----------



## Rascal's mom

Rascal's second haircut at 10 months and this time I found a groomer that is very good with the havanese look! She did a great job capturing the puppy look







Thanks for your help Heather, it worked but it rotated my picture :laugh2:


----------



## Rascal's mom

This is Rascal before his haircut :smile2


----------



## Tux's Mom

I'm just playing catch-up since I started this thread. Tux at almost 2 years has gone through a transition from blowing puppy coat and matting, shorter cut to manage matts, to growing out again with adult coat. The texture is more cottony, the black is now deep grey, the matts are much more manageable. The best part is he now lies down and lets me brush instead of mimicking the inside turnstile of a washing machine. It helps when they get bored. It's a trick to trim the face and still match the scale of the body. If you're not careful, they'll look like a big swollen tick with a tiny head.


----------



## Henry&Kate

That Tux is so cute. 

Does this mean there is hope for the rest of us struggling on the grooming front?


----------



## Heather's

Rascal and Tux look just adorable! I also cannot rotate pictures! 😊


----------



## krandall

Tux's Mom said:


> I'm just playing catch-up since I started this thread. Tux at almost 2 years has gone through a transition from blowing puppy coat and matting, shorter cut to manage matts, to growing out again with adult coat. The texture is more cottony, the black is now deep grey, the matts are much more manageable. The best part is he now lies down and lets me brush instead of mimicking the inside turnstile of a washing machine. It helps when they get bored. It's a trick to trim the face and still match the scale of the body. If you're not careful, they'll look like a big swollen tick with a tiny head.


He looks absolutely adorable! You do SUCH a lovely job on him.

In terms of grooming, I;m glad Pixel doesn't have as much undercoat as many havanese. But when I see a "fluffy puppy cut" like Tux... it makes me a WEEEE bit jealous. She still looks adorable, off course, but even with her hair approaching full length, she wouldn't be as fluffy as Tux except RIGHT after a bath and blow dry.


----------



## ShamaMama

Thanks for the updated photos of Tux. Always a pleasure to see!


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA

Tux is really gorgeous! I understand what you mean about the inside turnstile of a washing machine!


----------



## Tux's Mom

krandall said:


> He looks absolutely adorable! You do SUCH a lovely job on him.
> 
> In terms of grooming, I;m glad Pixel doesn't have as much undercoat as many havanese. But when I see a "fluffy puppy cut" like Tux... it makes me a WEEEE bit jealous. She still looks adorable, off course, but even with her hair approaching full length, she wouldn't be as fluffy as Tux except RIGHT after a bath and blow dry.


Thanks so much. There is a down side to a big fluffy coat, and that is maintenance. It IS easier to work on matts now that Tux is more relaxed and understands I'm not going to hurt him. He's learned that it actually feels better to be cleaned and brushed. (It has been a two-year process to create that attitude.) I think the slimmer silky hair is just as beautiful, if not more so. I've watched the agility videos and see beautiful hair waving in the wind and it is stunning. Tux looks like a big cotton cloud flying in the air. LOL


----------



## Heather's

It was sad when we had to cut Scout's fluffy coat. Now I love the shorter cut on him. It's so much easier to manage. Truffles is more on the silky side so mats are easier to comb out. She was at the vet last week and she said Truffles looked like an Ewok! &#129315;


----------



## krandall

Tux's Mom said:


> Thanks so much. There is a down side to a big fluffy coat, and that is maintenance. It IS easier to work on matts now that Tux is more relaxed and understands I'm not going to hurt him. He's learned that it actually feels better to be cleaned and brushed. (It has been a two-year process to create that attitude.) I think the slimmer silky hair is just as beautiful, if not more so. I've watched the agility videos and see beautiful hair waving in the wind and it is stunning. Tux looks like a big cotton cloud flying in the air. LOL


I think both kinds are cute, for sure!


----------



## krandall

Heather's said:


> It was sad when we had to cut Scout's fluffy coat. Now I love the shorter cut on him. It's so much easier to manage. Truffles is more on the silky side so mats are easier to comb out. She was at the vet last week and she said Truffles looked like an Ewok! &#129315;
> View attachment 154130


She sure is adorable!!!


----------



## Bowie's Mom

Hi! My family is wearing me down on giving Bowie a puppy cut. It'll be 105 today and I can tell he's hot. I keep thinking about how hot it must be in Cuba and wonder if a puppy cut will actually help cool him off? If so, Tux's Mom do you have tips on scissoring the body? For example the hair down his back is parted, do I just pull the hair up and cut to the desired 3 inch length and do the same everywhere else? I kept Moxie in a puppy cut, but that was pretty much from day one. I'm a bit intimidated by the long hair on Bowie. Here he is today!


----------

