# Anyone Cording??



## Pepper & Honey's Mom

Pepper (the one the vet estimated to be 3yrs old) is matting terribly!! She seems so miserable every time I brush her, and it makes me feel aweful  . She had been shaved just before we got her due to matting, and I really didn't like the way that looked on her....So I'm thinking about cording her coat (Honey's seems to be fine right now). A book that I have talks about a really easy way to do it, and it seems like it would be much easier on her. Does anyone have (or know) any corded Hav's?? I'm just not sure if the problems we're having with her coat are due to her age (we really have no idea how old they are.....the age was estimated by the vet by the amount of build-up on their teeth, but they also told us that excessive tartar build-up could be caused by really poor-quality food---which they were eating when we rescued them). I've never seen another Havanese in person before, so I don't know if the texture of our dog's coats is normal or not.....So what about cording??


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## irnfit

I have the same problem with Kodi. His hair is the wavy type and mats easily. He probably would be easy to cord, but I try to brush him a little each day to keep the mats to a min. Shelby has a straight silky coat and doesn't mat as easily - yet. Kodi gets mats when they play.


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

Honey's coat is much easier too....so far. It's a huge difference between the two of them! Her coat is definitely manageable, but Pepper's is a nightmare! I feel like I can never get through all the tangles before a new one is already forming  !


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## Havtahava

It might be easier on Pepper and you if you did give her a shorter cut so you can start over again. Then, with a new cut, just get into a routine of brushing her every evening and every morning. If you do it that often, it will only take a couple of strokes all over her body, maybe two minutes each time. That will help you keep the mats at bay and will get her to expect the brushing from you.

When I have a dog that is matting a lot, I also keep a small, sharp pair of professional hair scissors close and cut into the mats (from the body, out away from them) to just make it easier to remove. Then you can brush it out, or cut again to get it to release itself. (Don't cut across the mat or you will have big chunks of hair missing. Cut through it from the direction of the root of the hair, toward the end.)


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

I had a groomer trim both dogs right after we got them--in order to start over on their coats. They do really well with grooming ordinarily--they love any kind of attention they can get! I can't imagine how hard it was for them to be outside with minimal human contact for 7 months before we rescued them  ! Anyway, things were going really well until we went out of town in the middle of December. We had family staying at our house with the kids and dogs, but nobody groomed them....and I feel like I've been trying to play catch-up from that ever since. I really don't want to cut them again!! That's a great tip about how to cut through the mat--I'll be trying that tonight after the kids go to bed! I was just thinking about cording because I think Pepper's hair would do that very easily, and could be an easier option for her coat. Plus, I think cording looks kind of cute! But I'm going to try using the scissors to get rid of the mats first--and see if we can get back on track! Thanks!


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## BeverlyA

I kind of like the look of cording too, from the pictures of Havs with it that I've seen. I'm sure someone from this site must have at least given it a try at one time or another. I know one of my books had directions in it too, I will try to find them and see if it's the same book that you have.
I've heard that the color of the coat can make a difference too, that darker colors are easier to maintain then the lighter colors. No idea if that's an urban legand or not, for what's it's worth.

beverly


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## Tom King

I've had my hands on several of the dogs that are corded. I really don't like it. It looks much better from a distance than up close. Up close it just looks like a bunch of long matts-I guess because that's pretty much what they are. They just don't feel like a dog I would enjoy holding in my lap. The ones I held were showing and they had so much conditioner on them that they felt greazy.

It's just my opinion, but I wouldn't want one corded. I was also told that after bathing they have to be left in a wire crate with a dryer blowing on them for a LONG time or the cords will mildew, stink, and even rot and fall off!!!!


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

Tom King said:


> I was also told that after bathing they have to be left in a wire crate with a dryer blowing on them for a LONG time or the cords will mildew, stink, and even rot and fall off!!!!


Yeah, what I read was that you should add a tiny bit of bleach to the bath water (the same amount used to purify drinking water) to prevent the cords from mildewing, soak them up to their chin for about 10 minutes, bathe them just like you would hand-wash a sweater, squeeze out all the excess water, wrap in towels to help absorb as much water as possible, put in a wire crate with a big blow dryer for about 2 hrs (being very careful to make sure your dog isn't overheating, has plenty of water, etc)....Yes, that does kind of sound like a pain. However, that's just once a week, and the only part that requires your effort is just the washing, and towel-drying. I think that overall, it would probably save time for most people.

That's interesting though about how you said it looks/feels close-up. As I said before, I've never seen a Havanese in real life other than these that we rescued. I love the way they feel--so soft, warm, and cuddly--so I do wonder if I'd like that corded feel or not  . I just wish that I knew if the issues with Pepper's coat are due to her coat's natural texture, or if this is a temporary stage that's going to pass  .....


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## JodiM

Is it possible that part of her coat problems are due to nutrition?


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## Laurief

I am not quite sure what "cording" is?? CAn anyone post a picture so I can see? thanks. 
Laurie


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## Tom King

couldn't find a link to a Hav pic but here's one of a Puli which looks just like a Hav would:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/puli.htm


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## Missy

Here's the best pictures I have found of the corded Hav's all by Bydand Havanese-- I sent links instead of posting because they are not my picts to post. They are cute corded in pictures --- but seems like it would be more work to keep clean. enjoy.

http://www.bydandhavanese.com/index.html
http://www.bydandhavanese.com/keebler.html
http://www.bydandhavanese.com/panda.html


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## Laurief

Thanks for the website, that is what I thought it was - not for me!!! I like my babies soft & cuddly. Thanks again.


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

JodiM said:


> Is it possible that part of her coat problems are due to nutrition?


Sure, that's a possiblility. They were eating terrible food when we rescued them. We just got them on Evo a few weeks ago. How long should it take to begin to see a difference in their coat texture? We are also about to get them spayed. Would their coat texture change if they were about to go into heat? How frequently do they do that? Thanks  .


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## JodiM

Pepper & Honey's Mom said:


> Sure, that's a possiblility. They were eating terrible food when we rescued them. We just got them on Evo a few weeks ago. How long should it take to begin to see a difference in their coat texture? We are also about to get them spayed. Would their coat texture change if they were about to go into heat? How frequently do they do that? Thanks  .


You should start seeing some minor changes within a few weeks, but for the food to have time to change the coat, etc.. it could be as much as 3 months. (closer to 2mo though)


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## Rita

If you have the book "The Havanese" it has a section on cording. I couldn't find any directions online. The book says you can speed cord by bathing him weekly and misting daily. Basically you are just letting him mat. Then when it is matted all over (8-10 weeks) mist him and then take a pair of sharp scissors and cut into the mats. They do note that the cords are strong; however, they will break off when they are blowing their coat. That is why you see mostly males or spayed females corded.


It is correct that you have to bath them in a teaspoon of household bleach to five gallans of water to keep it from getting mildew. Then dry him in wire crate with a blow dryer or fan.

You can always try it. Then if you don't like it, cut them off.......


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

JodiM said:


> You should start seeing some minor changes within a few weeks, but for the food to have time to change the coat, etc.. it could be as much as 3 months. (closer to 2mo though)


Thanks for that info  !!

*Rita*: That's the same book I have! I thought it was a good book! I did read though that cording is best for females that are spayed, so I may have to wait till after that to try....


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## Rita

Yes. I love that book. It and the dummy books were suggested by some wonderful wise people on this forum. I think they are great books!!!!!!


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## JodiM

How are they taking to the EVO? 

I keep considering ordering that in for Princess, but I'm not keen on having to order her food from online. I am not that fond of the Nutro Ultra though, although it's better than Puppy Chow. lol


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

JodiM said:


> How are they taking to the EVO?
> 
> I keep considering ordering that in for Princess, but I'm not keen on having to order her food from online. I am not that fond of the Nutro Ultra though, although it's better than Puppy Chow. lol


They really like it! People told me that it's really rich, and might upset their stomachs, but we haven't had any problems with it at all. I actually have a small specialty dog supply store about a minute from my house, so it was really convenient to get it. We got a small bag (6.6 Lbs) 2-3 weeks ago, and the two of them are _maybe_ halfway through the bag....It sure is easier to feed little dogs than big dogs  ! Have you called all the stores in you area to check for Evo?? I agree that it'd be a huge hassle to have to order dog food online! I do like it though, and our dogs seem to like it too! It still smells like dog food though....and their poop still smells like poop....too bad they don't have a food to help with THAT  !! Anyway, I think its worth trying Evo--and hopefully you can find some in your area! I did read that you shouldn't give it to dogs younger than 1 yr old though...I'm not sure how old your's is, but just wanted to add that in there  .


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## marjrc

I was going to recommend you read "The Havanese" by Diane Klumb for ideas on cording, but I see you already did that. 

I didn't have the link for her website, so thanks to missy frederick for posting those!

I love the silkiness of the Hav. so wouldn't like to have my Ricky corded, I don't think. It requires way too many steps and special skills for cleaning that I know I have no patience for! lol We'll likely keep Ricky in a puppy cut eventually, but for now he is so very easy to groom. I think it takes less than 10 mins. to comb right through his whole body. I do it every day, or almost and have never had a mat yet. He's 6 mths., but ...... once he blows his coat, I hear things can be quite different!! So, I've been warned. 

They say cords are very heavy to carry for a dog, but I suppose it depends on how long you let them grow. To undo them, you have to shave down to the skin of course.

There are many products out there that might help with your pup's difficult coat... I copied this from a group I'm in, for your info.....

*"Hands down, the Ouidad botanical boost spray in Conditioner works better than anything else by far. I start with Chris Christensen's Shampoo and 
conditioner as it tends to whiten the whites and not dull the blacks 
and I like that the day to day conditioner is not heavy but softens 
the hair... " and ... "Today 1 comb - no brush and 2nd comb no 
matts and her hair as it was allowed to dry and the brush didn't pull 
and frizz it looks like she has one of those permanents in it that 
looks like a crimping iron was done all over and its not frizzy in 
the least and oh that feel. So far, it's the best her hair has looked 
since being a single coated pup. It only took me over 2 years to 
figure it out - I hope."
*

Maybe this helps..... ?

marj


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

Marj--Thanks for that product info! I'll definitely try it....I'll try just about anything at this point! And they actually need a bath now (they LOVE to run in the mud), so I'll try to find it fast! Thanks again  !


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## Guest

We co-owned a beautiful, corded Havanese...she now lives with my brother and is sporting a short n' sassy hairstyle. Her cords drew a lot of attention, but they were high-maintenance. Bath day was an all-day affair, with LOTS of towels, LOTS of blow-drying and playtime in between . She didn't seem to mind her cords, but she was really happy the day I gave her a haircut. You do have to separate the cords on a regular basis and we kept the ends trimmed.


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## Pepper & Honey's Mom

saltangohavs said:


> We co-owned a beautiful, corded Havanese...she now lives with my brother and is sporting a short n' sassy hairstyle. Her cords drew a lot of attention, but they were high-maintenance. Bath day was an all-day affair, with LOTS of towels, LOTS of blow-drying and playtime in between . She didn't seem to mind her cords, but she was really happy the day I gave her a haircut. You do have to separate the cords on a regular basis and we kept the ends trimmed.


Do you have any pictures of her with her cords?? Other than bath day, was it difficult? What color is she? Are white cords a nightmare to keep clean? Thanks for sharing your personal experience with it  !


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## Guest

She has a black coat. My guess is that a white corded coat would be higher-maintenance, but that may not be true. We had to separate her cords on a regular basis instead of combing her. We decided to keep her face and head cord-free. We also trimmed out the cords on the inside of her back legs for hygienic reasons. She was not being shown in Conformation so the trimming was not a problem.

While I loved the way she looked in cords, I have to admit we were glad to see them go...and I think she was too. It is a little more work, not on a daily basis...but overall.


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## Julie

I don't have any experience with the matting you are having with your adopted havs,but I have read alot and researched quite abit about the breed.I think you are having trouble with the coat due to her "monthly"cycle.Once you have her spayed,you will be okay,or so I have read.I have a male pup,but I thought I was leaning towards a female....that is why this sticks in my head.I would hold off on the cording,see how she changes after the spay,and then if worse comes to worse,you'll have a start on the cords with the matting(quick-cord method).......if you don't like it,she'll end up in a puppy coat.You can't lose!


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