Cavy Cuts

[Yvonne117]

Please please could some of you post some pictures of your cavs back from the groomers on this thread. Want to get Harvey's hair cut but want some idea what he will look like. This will also give me ideas to give the groomer as she will ask me what i want and i dont know!!!
many thanks.

[murphy's mum]

I'm curious too, Murphy's booked in for Thursday night. I've no idea what to get done, just know I don't want his ears or tail touched

[moniechris]

I've never had any of my cavaliers clipped, but make sure that you specify EXACTLY what you want in plain English (preferably written down)!!!! I have nearly killed at least 4 groomers for not listening to what I wanted; only to come back and find that my shih tzu had been given a buzz cut on his forehead. I became so enfuriated that after I paid my last $50 to the moron behind the counter, I went straight to Sally's Beauty and bought clippers. I have never looked back.

Many times there are more than one person working on a dog and the directions don't always make it to everyone. Written instructions, as well as a picture of what you want are very helpful.

Specify whether you want their slippers clipped, body shaven or trimmed or left alone, ears trimmed or not, whiskers clipped, tail etc.

Good luck!

[Karlin]

Yep, write down what you want done. You don't need to get the dog clipped at a groomers if you are thinking this is the norm -- it isn't for cavaliers -- they will also just wash and dry, trim nails etc.

What they are likely to do if not given explicit instructions:

1) shave all the hair (slippers) off their feet
2) trim their tail into a weird brush shape
3) cut all their leg feathering into a sharp edged cut
4) cut their ears all the way back to the leather after you spent years growing them
5) shave them down completely
6) trim them like a cocker

If you do not want these things done (and some people prefer one or another of these elements for various reasons), then tell them to ONLY lightly thin the coat, and leave ears, tail, feathering, feet totally alone, put this in writing, and restate it about five times. And even then -- expect something you don't want because they will decide you really must have meant you wanted the ears trimmed/feet shaved/whatever. Groomers seem to find it very hard not to shave or trim something on a dog -- the concept of a wash and blow dry or a dog that doesn't need to be clipped like a hedge seems alien to them.

[Jen]

It's hard to find a good groomer, not only one who follows instructions, but one who has a good personality in terms of being gentle, patient, etc. Taking a photo and written instructions to be kept in your file is an excellent idea. That's what I've done, along with requesting hand drying only. The other option is cage dring--dangerous as it can cause dehydration if they are accidentally left in there to long. Be prepared to be patient in your search; it took me three different groomers to find a good fit.

Here is a photo of Abbey after a groomers appointment the week before this was taken. It's a good example of how we request her leg feathering to be lightly trimmed and her and her slippers cut. Most don't like the look of the slippers being cut, but she hates her feet being touched...so picking out ice, burrs, sticks, etc. from her feet on a daily basis isn't fun--for her or us, so keeping them trimmed up is better for all involved! Plus, we have mainly hardwood floors and she gets better traction w/ out the feathering. We also request her ears and tail to be left alone.

[enchantingdragon]

Oh Jen Abbey looks like a model there! Such a lovely girl!

[luvzcavs]

I have a picture but I don't know how to post them on here. I'm extremely challenged by technology. I'll do my best.

One tip I would give is obviously find a good groomer, ask if they have done cavaliers before ? sometimes you can just say a breed clip and they do a certain clip that suits that particular breed, others use different lingo and talk in blade lengths like a no 5 all over and 3 on the ears etc so I guess you need to talk to your breeder a fair bit first about how it all works and what information they work off.
I also strongly suggest staying for the first clip to see if you like them and the way they handle your dog. You don't have to be in their face and can sit away better if your baby can't see you but you can see them but I would not just trust any groomer thinking they must be good if their job as sadly its NOT the case.

I'll try and post some pics.

[Caraline]

That is a wonderful photo Jen Never had my dogs trimmed, so have nothing constructive to say.... except about Jen's photo

[casshon]

That picture is just gorgeous

You definitely need to tell them what you want and most important what you don't want. A lot of groomers do trim ears, tail and feathering without asking. I have had this happen even when I have said many times that I didn't want that done .

I groom the dogs myself now. The only one who gets clipped is Honey - and that's just because its easier for her as she is 12 and a half. I only lightly clip her body and leave everything else as is so she still looks like a cavalier

[Cleo's Person]

I echo what everybody else is saying here. Explain clearly what you want. Good tip about putting it in writing though.