(sigh...) I've been holding out but... Options

[mr.coffee]

I'm losing this battle with the mats. Ugh. That super-soft curly hair, as cuddly as it is, just won't stay free and clear of mats. I'm really afraid I'm going to have to have it all trimmed down.

Does anyone have good pics of Tzu with shorter clipped bodies & legs, and full furnishings left long? We've got a great topknot most days, and I don't want to go through that part again...also, trying to figure it out, the worst mats are the two under his ears, I can get them out with a lot of work, but the next day they're right back again. Is there a good way to cut that area down leaving the topknot, beard & mustache, and the tops of his ears without it looking funny?

Pam, I think we need a series of "Luna-recommended Shih Tzu Trim" photos...

It's so frustrating, I love his hair long but it's not fair to him if I can't stop the matting.

-m

[mileysmom]

I have miley in the lamb cut that a lot od our pups are in right now. But her back legs are matting pretty bad so I gotta keep those short right now. But id say you could cut under the ears and his ears would cover it up.

[Ozzy'sMommy]

oz has this white & cream parti tzu friend named cage that is cut close to the body and legs but his head and face are long and he has a top knot. i think his leg/body hair is probably 1/2 inch to 3/4 of an inch long? it looks very smooth. and he looks great with the longer beard and top knot

if i see him at the park later today or tomorow i'll try to get a pic

[tzuhouse]

Well Mike, i LOVE my two in the lamb cut and I doubt I can explain, but up the back of the neck and behind the ears, it is kinda tapered up and the hair under the ear is not real long, but the ears are long and of course I am working on the topknot, which does great with the tapering behind the head. (Boy, was that a run on sentence or what?)....

And, even tho Rudy hasn't started the coat blowing, he is getting pretty tired of this daily brushing that takes so long....He is pretty tolerant of it, but does not like it. His hair is SO beautiful after a bath, but each day it gets a little tackier and tackier....it just picks up all the dirt outside and does not stay at all clean...so, I too am right on the brink, but I will not cut anything on the face or topknot or ears....

Here is the last groom of Maddy and Josie, but remember we were just beginning the topknots....and their legs were not grown out very long yet....I want the legs just a little longer than these pics.

You can kind of see the tapering I was talking about behind the head...hope this helps....IF you chose to go the lamb cut route....otherwise, just cutting off an inch or two may help some.

[Ozzy'sMommy]

oz's friend looks a lot like maddy's cut. once it gets warmer oz will have his hair cut like that too. very cute!

[Seastar]

Behind the ears and under the arms are common places for mats. I keep those areas trimmed close--cutting out any mats that appear. But if you are combing at least every 3 days you should be able to keep on top of mats.

[LondonGirl]

I feel your pain, Mike as Kizzie has very thick, wavy to curly hair as well. I trimmed her like this last year at the time we were growing out her topknot. Needed to ask someone how to blend the head hair into the much shorter neck hair, though



She was very closely trimmed behind the ears and around the under chin area which always seemed to be a matt magnet as well. She has grown out considerably now but no real problems with matts although I have spent a fortune on conditioner, but she still tends to attract matts under her 'knees' GRRRRRRR.

[mr.coffee]

Thanks for the pictures and advice. I talked to Shannon last night, and showed her some of the pictures, and she feels the same way I do, that it's unfair to Harley to continue to let him get matted and although we're both in love with that long wavy hair, it's time to do the right thing. So, when payday rolls around again, it'll be off to the groomer. Not sure where we'll take him...

Paula, I just ~wish~ I could get away with three days between full brush out and combings. He'd be mistaken for a Hungarian Puli by then:



-m

[loewenthal.anna]

Mike, I had an entire post written about how we did just the cut you are talking about with both Lolly and Money at first and I was going to post pictures. . . Chatter is messing up so I can't upload them, but PM me your email addy and I can send them to you!

[MisterMom]

Get a dematter comb. It will allow you to 'cut' the mats without pulling, then comb them out leaving the unmatted area alone. The ones under the ears are usually caused by scratching.

If you go to a groomer be sure and specify whether or not you want the top of the nose trimmed.

[Luna]

Mike, how long is Harley's hair now? How long would you like it to be on his body? His legs? Let me know and I will give you specific instructions for the groomer that will preserve the longer hair on his head while giving you a shorter, fluffy body trim that will be much easier to care for. Deal?

[mr.coffee]

Deal.

Well, I just took a measuring tape to him...I don't think he understood, 'cuz he got really squirmy and ran off. Most of his coat is 5-6" long right now, on top of his head is more like 4-5" and his face is a little shorter. Legs are around 4", tummy is a little shorter.

I've been going back & forth today between housework, Chatter and combing; I think all that's left is the clumps under his ears and a few little tangles on his belly - no coincidence that those are the spots where he fights me the most. I think we could get away with leaving a little length in most places - while it's only hair and it will grow back, I'd prefer not to cut it down to peach fuzz. Maybe an even 1.5" or 2" all around and leave the topknot & tail long? I think I'd like the legs & body about the same length, the longer legs just seem a little disproportionate to my eye. The key spot's under the ears. Ugh. I just feel horrible right now about that. The mats are going to have to be cut out.

I've tried rubbing corn starch into the mat, that helps if I can get him to hold still. I've tried lightly spraying with Ice On Ice, I've tried saturating it with Ice On Ice. Either way helps....if I can get him to hold still. I've snipped bits out ever so carefully. I've broken bits away with my fingers and picked away with one or two teeth of a comb, teasing hairs free a few at a time. But it seems futile... I keep hoping I can fix this before we get groomed.

-m

[tzuhouse]

Mike, I had an entire post written about how we did just the cut you are talking about with both Lolly and Money at first and I was going to post pictures. . . Chatter is messing up so I can't upload them, but PM me your email addy and I can send them to you!

Anna, please keep trying, I would love to see them too...

Mike, how long is Harley's hair now? How long would you like it to be on his body? His legs? Let me know and I will give you specific instructions for the groomer that will preserve the longer hair on his head while giving you a shorter, fluffy body trim that will be much easier to care for. Deal?

Pam, will you please post those instructions here....I would like them too....I am considering the same with Rudy. (Don't mean to threadjack, sorry Mike)

[mr.coffee]

Anna, please keep trying, I would love to see them too...

I'm not sure, but I think she was referring to this thread.

Pam, will you please post those instructions here....I would like them too....I am considering the same with Rudy. (Don't mean to threadjack, sorry Mike)

Oh, no, by all means, if others can benefit here that can only be a good thing!

-m

[Luna]

Here goes:

Have the groomer use a zero double duck (or other equivalent snap-on comb) on the body and legs, clipping all head hair on top of the head prior to beginning and starting at the occiput. Feet should be rounded and obviously any "sticky-outies" should be scissored off so everything is nicely blended and fluffy. The groomer should clip the hair under the ears with a #7F blade and then blend the clipped area into the body-work as he/she wishes; I would scissor, but then I'm a scissor-er!

There are a bunch of cute ways to do the tail, although I just leave my dogs' long. If you'd like Har's a bit shorter to go with the trim, have her tip the tail about an inch and lightly flag it. The tail should NOT be banded at the base: rather, the groomer should leave a "V" of hair on the body above the tailset and scissor to blend.

All that's left at this point is to put up the topknot. If you want beard and ears trimmed at all, be VERY specific about how much or you're likely to end up with a short round "puppy face". Actually, it doesn't hurt to be just a wee bit threatening about the face...

If this isn't what you're looking for once it's done, let me know what you want to change and I can give instructions for that, too.

[mr.coffee]

Awesome!

-m

[tzuhouse]

Here goes:

Have the groomer use a zero double duck (or other equivalent snap-on comb) on the body and legs, clipping all head hair on top of the head prior to beginning and starting at the occiput. Feet should be rounded and obviously any "sticky-outies" should be scissored off so everything is nicely blended and fluffy. The groomer should clip the hair under the ears with a #7F blade and then blend the clipped area into the body-work as he/she wishes; I would scissor, but then I'm a scissor-er!

There are a bunch of cute ways to do the tail, although I just leave my dogs' long. If you'd like Har's a bit shorter to go with the trim, have her tip the tail about an inch and lightly flag it. The tail should NOT be banded at the base: rather, the groomer should leave a "V" of hair on the body above the tailset and scissor to blend.

All that's left at this point is to put up the topknot. If you want beard and ears trimmed at all, be VERY specific about how much or you're likely to end up with a short round "puppy face". Actually, it doesn't hurt to be just a wee bit threatening about the face...

If this isn't what you're looking for once it's done, let me know what you want to change and I can give instructions for that, too.

Thanks Pam, and then if you want the legs in the lamb cut, just have them leave it longer??? But everything else as you said?

[Luna]

MIKE!!! Tell the groomer to put all the hair on top of his head up in a clip or band before grooming! (I just read my instructions over and that part could have been misconstrued). After the head hair is out of the way, she can begin clipping at the occiput.

For a lamb clip, you would normally use a #4 or #3 blade on the body blending into longer, scissored legs. Everyone THINKS they want the body hair to be "...about 2" long", but in reality most people are happier with the body coat 1/2 - 3/4" and longer legs. I would guess that 3 out of 4 times they come back and want it cut shorter within a week, lol! (2" of hair is still a bitch to comb out daily if your dog spends a lot of time playing with other dogs, especially outside.)

[mr.coffee]

LOL! Yeah, I read it twice, the second time it made more sense but only because Shannon puts HER hair up in clips a lot of the time. You really think I should go shorter? I guess if nothing else, it will grow out in short order. I was thinking, with his hair shorter it will be easier to work more with him on TOLERATING brushing & combing, and that's going to be key in the long run.

-m

[Luna]

Entirely up to you, but from your description of Har's coat I think it would be easier to manage and certainly easier for the "training to tolerate brushing" phase if you started out with the shorter body length. Just be sure the groomer understands that the short body coat needs to be blended into the longer leg coat so there is no abrupt transition from one length to the next. That probably sounds pretty obvious, but you should see some of the stuff I am called on to fix on a very regular basis!