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Does anyone have there Cav's hair cut?

Mindy has never been trimmed on purpose (a few times the groomer got scissor happy) other than her feet. I felt so sorry for her when I let the hair grow between her pads so I do get it trimmed. Sometimes I end up trimming her backside because it tends to collect burrs. I try to brush her out right away after walks but if I miss some and she gets matted it's easier to cut them out because she really doesn't like much grooming in that area. The heat and humidity has really bothered her in the summer the last couple of years (she's 11). but she doesn't have the heavy coat that many Cav's seem to have (probably why her breeder decided against showing her) so I don't think trimming would make much of a difference.
 
I have never cut Alice's hair yet, I didn't think you were really supposed to, except the hair that grows between their paw pads, I've heard that gets long. Alice's "paw hair" is getting long, but I haven't cut it yet, I was doing good to get her nails trimmed while she was sleepy the other night! After we got her I did do a ummmm "private area" trim with my clippers though... why oh why do dogs have to have so much hair there? It gets pee on it, or poo stuck... :eek: We already have a goldendoodle, schnoodle, and a westie who go to the groomers about every 10 to 12 weeks, and it had gotten sooo expensive. I actually just groomed my Westie myself, he doesn't look perfect, but looks OK. (We shave him down, except for his head, he stays much cleaner with out the westie "skirt".) Between their regular grooming we bathe all 5 dogs about every 3 weeks with a WONDERFUL shampoo from Nature's Specialties called Plum Silky. They smell yummy afterwards for many days! We also do the "privacy area" shaves on all 5 dogs whenever needed. If we wait too long to shave our Westie he will have massive poo stuck to him! :eek:
I heard a lady call it a "Brazilian" the other day...:D

Tawna
 
I always swore I wouldn't trim Daisy at all because she is so beautiful with her long, silky hair. However, I did trim a tiny bit off her tummy feathers which were dragging the ground (maybe an inch or even a little less), and I trimmed off some hair from the back of her slippers. You know, the part that sticks straight out from the back of their paws? It just gets soooo dirty when we go for walks that I thought I'd give it a try with taking some of that off. It's not noticeable at all and it does make some difference in the greyness of her feet after a walk on our neighborhood streets.

I will never have her over-all trimmed unless she has a health issue that demands it, as other have said above. I have 2 fosters right now who are trimmed and they just don't look right to me. And their hair sticks straight out all over, making them appear even pudgier than they actually are. And an all over shave? No way. I don't even think they look like Cavaliers at that point. I rescued a Cavalier from a shelter that literally looked like a miniature St. Bernard. She was shaved to about 1/2 inch long all over. Yikes.

Occasionally, if Daisy has a "cling-on" (you know what I mean), I will just trim off that hair with the offending cling-on, figuring that was obviously the hair in harm's way. She is so hairy all over that no one would ever notice a little bit missing back there. Honestly, I have never had a dog whose tummy is even covered thickly with hair like Daisy's! Her markings aren't perfect, and she's too big, but she definitely has the coat of a show dog!

BTW, I looked at the picture of the Crufts ( or Westminster, I can't remember) winning Cavalier and I was kind of appalled that it was so obvious that his ears had been blunt cut! If you are going to have a breed standard that says no trimming allowed, then that's the way it should be judged. If I were a judge, I would have eliminated him based on that! He looked weird, sort of like a poodle or bichon shape in terms of his ears, IMO. I do not like the poofy ear thing some showers are doing with Cavaliers. I think they look much prettier with long, silky ears, not teased poofs on both sides of their head.

(Just thought I'd throw that observation in since we are talking about trimming vs. nontrimming.)
 
Does anyone trim up the boys priv. part......I dont know if I am crazy but I have to wipe him everytime he comes inside cuz he is wet there...I would be scared to do it..but if he was sleeping...I cant wait for his ears to get longer hair...now it looks like he has to fluffy pony tails LOL!!

With all that has been said I think for sure I will NOT get his hair cut at all if I trim the butt and the paws I will do it myself..I would be afraid that they would take to much off...:thnx:
 
I wouldn't cut Holly's hair apart from the paw pads for comfort and to keep the feathering neat. The cavalier coat is so beautiful I think its a real shame to touch unless the dog needs it done for medical reasons.
I saw a poor little cav puppy at the weekend with almost all of the hair cropped. The poor little fella looked so wrong and sad.:(
 
Does anyone trim up the boys priv. part......I dont know if I am crazy but I have to wipe him everytime he comes inside cuz he is wet there...I would be scared to do it..but if he was sleeping...

Opinions will vary on this but I have this done every time I groom. It's called a sanitary trim. It's about the only thing I have done, but I find it essential.
 
Harley had terrible mats in his ears, they were so hot to, and when he scratched his claws got caught and i was so worried of him getting stuck like that while i was out, so heres one with his ears short, they are regrowing though and i love them more and more, i think i will have to cut them again at some point but for now there are about half grown and do look nicers. You can see him in my avatar pic. di
 
I now want to see what a totally shaved cav looks like ! - maybe like a puppy foxhound?? We're still growing our ears and chest back after the RSPCA barbers!
 
All three of the recent fosters/ rescues I've had have been clipped and I must say it is sooo much easier! They brush right off when they go in the woods and shed less. But they don't look as good for sure!

I don't clip mine, and I'm desperate for Winn's hair to grow back. He has obviously been cut short his entire life and he has these very strange hard "whiskers" all over his body! Like the clipping changed the feel of some of his hairs.
 
Does anyone trim up the boys priv. part......I dont know if I am crazy but I have to wipe him everytime he comes inside cuz he is wet there...I would be scared to do it..but if he was sleeping...

Yes, I forgot to mention that, I have done that on both of mine. I think I've only trimmed it twice though, because their hair doesn't grow very fast in that area, and you're right, make sure they are sleeping or can stand very still while you're doing it! ;)
 
We just started shaving our two for summer. Plus it is nice for our girl who has very fine, coarse hair that knots and mats easily, so this way she doesn't get any problems from it.

Before shaving:
3135733887_c528245d7a.jpg


After shaving:
3372046853_fdb3e33121.jpg
3372861156_3dbe4df4a3.jpg


I love how it brings out Charlie's freckles, and Indy seems to have more energy with less hair on her. I don't trim the ears much, so that they still have that Cavalier look to them, but I trim everything else as best I can.
 
I shave my lady for the Summer, she just can't deal with the heat (not that Irelands gets very hot!) and collapsed from it before we shaved her. When she is all done she has a new lease of life! I also heard that shaving changes their coat texture, I haven't experienced this at all - she has quite a soft, thick coat and always has had. Once the colder months roll around her coat is back in and looking great! (we leave her ears, don't shave them at all, just a trim).

As far as manly bits go - I trim all my boys, and also around their belly just infront of their bits. I find it really helps with *ahem* aim (;)) and prevents them peeing on themselves.

katc10 - love the freckles :)
 
Actually that doesnt look bad at all...do you do it yourself...or do you have a grommer do it??? I might have to keep that pics LOL! so when he gets older I might have to....They still are the cutest little ones :)

Also I think they look younger like puppy's again...so cute.
 
lorebringer - thanks! :D

luvhavinbgtwins - I do the trimming myself. We're not made of money, and it's easy enough to do myself that I don't see the point in paying someone to do it for me. I just wait til the dogs are napping and do it then, as they're more relaxed and tolerant to my bothersome tasks (we do the same for trimming their nails). You hit it on the nose too - I love how it makes them look like puppies again! :wggle:

Just be ready with the vacuum for clean up, and I still can't quite get all the little doggy hairs out of my clothes afterward! :v*cuum:
3256269052_13e377bfb3.jpg

(this photo was after only trimming the top of his body)
 
I keep Archie trimmed,becos we have 2 acres here and he loves the back field,and rolling.
I started getting Clancy groomed a year or so ago, and will never let his long hair grow back! He totally believes he is a sporting breed, and spends tons of time bombing through the underbrush chasing little woodland critters. Then he'd bring home all the sticks and leaves in his belly feathers and leave them in our bed! He also truly loathes being brushed.

He does indeed resemble a St. Bernard puppy when he's shaved, but I like it! And everyone he meets thinks he's adorable (and tells him so).

It gets quite hot here in the summer, so being clipped makes him more comfortable. In the winter, he has a selection of Fido Fleece jackets to wear. :-D
 
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