# Ummm... What to do?



## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

Well, I'm trying to be a good dad, but wonder if I'm doing the right thing with Snickers' grooming. Basically I've not touched her with any kind of clipper, or scissor -- Just regular bathing, and daily combing / brushing (yes, I'm enjoying the joys of a blowing coat at the moment). You've seen her pictures and know that she has long shaggy bangs and a full coat.

Should I be taking her in for regular trims? And if so, what should I be telling the Groomer to do? I love her full coat and am trying to avoid getting a puppy cut, but I want her to look her best too. Again, as you know this is our first Dog, not to mention our first "needs daily grooming" dog. I look at all of the gorgeous pics you all post, and note that even with grooming (which seems to last all of about 10 minutes after I'm done!) she doesn't look trimmed... Nothing specific, just what I perceive. Hints? 

I am terrified of attempting to groom her myself.... I'm still not very good at getting her top knot in a bow - :frusty:
Thanks!


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Jim, With these dogs less is better if you can handle it. Brushing is a must and you should keep the feet tidy...and the pads, this keeps them from slipping (it also make Yogi hate mat work..I was on my knees Wed. night with him and know why). Also a tiny bit around the poop area and your done. That being said brush often...treat...treat...brush. I find after the Tzu's and the Lhasa these are dream dogs. It is a personal thing in the look. If you can not keep up brushing then a puppy cut is the way to go and some people are busy, or not good with hair. As for the blowing coat we entertain quite a bit....for business and pleasure. I have an apron that says " The Chef is not respondsable for dog hair" and a sign that says "The Dogs Live here...You don't". LOL.


----------



## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> I have an apron that says " The Chef is not respondsable for dog hair" and a sign that says "The Dogs Live here...You don't". LOL.


LOL -- Lynda found this on line today --she said we need to get one...









Thanks!!


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Oh yes she needs it!!!!! Very cute. Once the blowing ends its eaiser. Yogi's coat had these little puff balls like cotton that would free float in the air, they would get caught in the eyes of my other dogs who used cyclosporin for dry eye and my Dh would sometimes get one caught on a contact. It sure was a time and then it slowly ended.


----------



## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I think you are doing everything right and you don't need to get any kind of trim if you like her in full coat. Bugsy only had one haircut (which I regret) when he was 6.5 or 7 months old. I keep him in full coat and a pony tail and he never ever gets any kind of trims. Or should I say the only trim he gets is the ones my poodles give him when they brake his hair as they rough house. You can take him in to have a bath, brush out and blow dry at your local groomer that you trust. I take Bugsy to my groomer maybe once a year and all she does is bath, brush, blowdry and trim the pawpads. Nothing on his body or face is allowed to be cut, trimmed or sissored.


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

LOL! That is super cute 

I have never taken Gucci to the groomer and have kept her in full coat, it really depends on your commitment and if you want to put the time in to brushing it, I love the full coat look, so I can't get it cut, although...believe me, there are moments I have wanted to!

Kara


----------



## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I, too, keep Abby in full coat even though her hair right on top over her eyes is shorter - must be breakage. To help with hair in the eyes, try a topknot - can Lynda do it? I love the look of a full coat and only trim the pads of her feet when she starts slipping on the tile floors! When she's wet it is easier to find the "bottom" to trim around but it is necessary to keep from having to do butt baths! Just trim a little around and below - I do it with the scissors. I also trim the paw hair so that it is rounded which makes a huge difference on how they look (Dale (LuvCicero) showed me how)!

Snickers looks so cute with her full coat but if it gets too much during "blowing coat" a lot of forum members just get a puppy cut to get them through this trying time. Whatever you do, she will be cute!


----------



## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

To make things easier,we cheat. Dizzie looks like he is pretty much in full coat, although some what shorter,we have his under carriage shaved and also his arm pits and behind his ears,you would be none the wiser,but it makes all the difference to the daily grooming,at the moment he is blowing his coat again, he is 18 months old.


----------



## jenisny (Aug 26, 2010)

I didn't know these dogs blow coats. I thought they didn't shed much?


----------



## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

jenisny said:


> I didn't know these dogs blow coats. I thought they didn't shed much?


Yes thats the thing they don't shed, so the hair /fur gets matted in the coat if you don't brush/comb them regularly,especially when they are changing from puppy to adult coat which happens about twice at around about 8 months of age for about a month and then again around about 18 months of age again for about a month,although this is just a rough guide and they do vary from dog to dog.


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

The pads are very important!!!! Hav's don't have really deep ones (like Lhasa's they go on for miles) still they can slip or get things caught and matted in the pads this can cause very serious problems and it is such an easy fix. I do not shave the underside because we have so many bugs. The fur helps them not get bitten so much. The allergist at NC State told me this and it worked.


----------



## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

I have to trim Jack's pads again. It seems that I have to do them every 2 weeks or his little legs go 'oops'! We have all hard wood floors.


----------



## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

So, Robbie, I guess maybe I've been doing the right thing by just trimming the pad hair with scissors and not clipping close? We are even buggier down here in south Georgia! Abby does slip on our tile floors but only when playing and she knows how to start her "stop" ahead of time now and just sort of slides "easy" into the wall.....lol It is pretty funny to watch her!

I feel like the hair helps to protect the pads from the gravel on our street which is paved with fairly large gravel that you can feel through your shoes unless wearing walking shoes. She does stay mainly off the side of the road for that reason.


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Kathie, Yes you just trim flat on the pads. Just check in side the pads to make for sure there are no small rocks stuck in the spaces this happens often with dogs with snow shoe feet or if they stepped in something sticky. You mean there's a place buggy er then here..Ugh!!!!!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> Kathie, Yes you just trim flat on the pads. Just check in side the pads to make for sure there are no small rocks stuck in the spaces this happens often with dogs with snow shoe feet or if they stepped in something sticky. You mean there's a place buggy er then here..Ugh!!!!!


Unless you are doing agility. Then you want them to have as much traction surface as possible. Otherwise they can slip and go skidding off a contact... NOT a good idea!

We keep Kodi's feet trimmed very close, but they grow really fast too. They need to be re-done every 3 weeks or so, otherwise, he's sliding down the front face of the A-frame again!


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> Unless you are doing agility. Then you want them to have as much traction surface as possible. Otherwise they can slip and go skidding off a contact... NOT a good idea!
> 
> We keep Kodi's feet trimmed very close, but they grow really fast too. They need to be re-done every 3 weeks or so, otherwise, he's sliding down the front face of the A-frame again!


Can't believe how fast that foot hair grows!! Seems like I am always cutting it, though it might help if I used a clippers instead - maybe I could get it shorter. I just use a human infant fingernail scissors on it with the rounded tips. I am so afraid that I may cut a pad. We have carpeted floors. When we were visiting my son a couple weeks ago, he has wood floors, it was the funniest thing to see Augie try to run on that and slide around corners.


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I do the pads every week at bath time. I do agree if your dog is doing any kind of sport or training where they may slip...you need to keep the pads clear. Most pet dogs are fine with the hair level with the pads and you do need to check often, some dogs pad hair grows fast and others not much. My Lhasa's grow soooo fast in the winter and slow in the hot months, very important to keep the blind boy's pads clear.


----------



## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Jim, you're crazy! Snicks is SO CUTE, I love her look. Havs are *supposed* to be shaggy and a little messy/crazy looking, that's their charm! Sure, they look great at shows and right after brushing, but their shaggy mess look is what makes them so endearing to me  I keep their tummies clipped short, and of course trim in between their paws and private areas. Otherwise, I don't cut anything! And I won't until their hair drags on the ground in a major way.

Just keep up with the grooming and you'll get through the blowing coat phase. Roscoe JUST finished blowing about a month ago...and Stella started a couple weeks ago. I got a tiny break, lol - will probably be the same for you with Snickers and Snoopy. Try to be patient and admire the way the hair blows in the wind when they run - for me, that's the best part and any time I ever thought "OMG a puppy cut would be soooo much easier" I just pictured the hair blowing in the wind and kept on brushing!  Good luck!

I must edit to add that the other part I love about their full coats is that I can just bury my face in all the fluff and snuggle the heck out of them. It's the best therapy after a long, crappy day (well, Stella's kisses work pretty well, too)


----------

