Pondering Juneau's coat.

[COCatMama]

Steve's mother *$%$$* ahem
anyway she said when we got Juneau he was 'funny looking' GOD THAT MADE ME SOOOOOOOOOO FREAKING MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's not "funny looking"!! He's beautiful! ARGH! anyway I was forever battling sh... i mean Steve to not cut the long fur off behind Juneau's ears. I've let it grow long and comb it with my fingers to keep it from getting all tangly. He also grows long fur on his paws. When he went to the groomer they trimmed that off..it's growing back. What do you think about a dog wearing his/her natural coat without excessive trimming? I rather like his 'mane' and his fluffy paws :D

[Aspen and Misty]

I've found that Chewy and Juneau have some of the same features. Chewy has long hair behind his ears, A feathered tail, and butt (lol), and a very nice main. He flips his tail up apon his back, I think Junaue does that, in his last signature picture wasn't it?

I rather like Chewy's coat free, no trimming or anything. His hair on his back grows the other way like a Rhodisan ridge back (sp). But only its all over his back and look real funny LOL. I don't think I will trim his fur as long as it doesn't get matted, and with a brushing once or twice a day I don't think it will. Teddy only gets trimmed once a year, but I wash him alot, of course. I think it depends on what you like.

Ash

[Cataholic]

I think the Jun'ster should wear his fur in whatever style you think looks best on him!!!! If that is long and natural, then, let it be that!

[jenluckenbach]

OK I am a groomer and here is the groomer's viewpoint:

"Did you ask the groomer NOT to clip these areas?" Because if you didn't then we tend to make the animals look neat (That is, not shaggy or scruffy) The fur on the ears or the mane area is optional (although more times than not is matted, and most ownres don't even feel it), but most people want the dog to LOOK like it got a haircut. But the fur on the feet can lead to problems if left long. If it mats it would be just like walking with stones in your shoes. And even if it does not mat it does accumulate dirt and debris, so this is an area we automatically clip. And too much hair there will hold moisture and can lead to foot problems (equivilent of athelete's foot). So the bottom line is KNOW what you want and make sure your groomer knows, we can't read minds.

[Karen]

Good point, Jen - good to hear it from a groomer's point of view. I guess it's like going to the hairdresser - you have to tell them what you want, or be willing to put up with the results!

[wolf_Q]

We always clip the hair between the toes and some of the feathers on the legs...and the hair behind the ears, that is one of the worse places for mats to form. I, personally, like the look of "clean feet" but if you don't like it like that...then you should tell the groomer that, otherwise they will clip it.

[anna_66]

I'm with Amy, I like the look of clean feet, they always trim the bottom of the dogs feet, but they ears they leave. I think Roxey & Huney would look funny if they clipped the hair from their ears:eek:
But I'm sure if you told the how you wanted it, they would do it to your liking.

I share Lalania's opinion . I like animals in their "natural" state . No clipping , no trimming , just natural . Like for example a poodle : is so soft and cuddly with all those curls ...! Also about humans and make-up , I think the same way : just natural ! I never wear any make-up ; I am lucky that my hubby thinks the same way ;) ;)
No offense to you Jen , I love ALL people who take care of animals , no matter how !!:D

[Crikit]

It actually depends on the dog with me. With Smudge I'll pretty much leave him alone because he's a short coated dog, so his fur doesn't grow that long. I prefer to have the feet trimmed just because of the chance of ice and stuff getting caught up on it but the little bit of fur thats growing on his ears, making them a little shaggy i'm leaving alone, it adds personaity to him.

For Winter it's pretty much trim around the ears because they look so cute when they do get trimmed, and around the feet for the same reasons as Smudge, but she has cow licks on her back an no matter how much you brush it they won't go away. If I took her to a groomer they would most likely trim her getting rid of the personality giving cow licks , so I pretty much leave her alone.

Tama, well at the moment he's fine, and most of the excess fur that he has he's supposed to have. Like the extra furry ears and tail...love his ears, really love his ears.

[COCatMama]

i believe I told the groomer to remove any possible mats but I may have asked her not to cut off his ear feathers. They didn't cut the feathers off, just trimmed them and brushed them etc etc. I do like his feet clean, but I like them all messy too.

Hmm Juneau's health is always my primary concern so his feet will get trimmed but the feathers behind his ears STAY :D

[Uabassoon]

I think shaggy dogs are cute. But I'm also kind of a shaggy girl with shaggy hair. Lut I'm like you I like things natural, I love the way poodle look when they are all natural, their curls are just adorable.

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by lut
I share Lalania's opinion . I like animals in their "natural" state . No clipping , no trimming , just natural . Like for example a poodle : is so soft and cuddly with all those curls ...! Also about humans and make-up , I think the same way : just natural ! I never wear any make-up ; I am lucky that my hubby thinks the same way ;) ;)
No offense to you Jen , I love ALL people who take care of animals , no matter how !!:D

Well, if you can convince owners to actually BRUSH their poodles with long curly coats, then it would work.....when people leave the dog's coat long like that, they always come in horribly matted.

[jenluckenbach]

Originally posted by wolf_Q


Well, if you can convince owners to actually BRUSH their poodles with long curly coats, then it would work.....when people leave the dog's coat long like that, they always come in horribly matted.

AND....Brush them THOUGHOULY!!!!!!! the "average" pet owner doesn't have a CLUE what it takes to keep a really long (and especially a really long AND curly) coat in proper condition.

Please do not automatically think I am speaking to any of you, but I have see WAY too many exampples of this and then to have people stand right there in front of you and SWEAR that their dog is NOT matted!!!

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach


AND....Brush them THOUGHOULY!!!!!!! the "average" pet owner doesn't have a CLUE what it takes to keep a really long (and especially a really long AND curly) coat in proper condition.

Please do not automatically think I am speaking to any of you, but I have see WAY too many exampples of this and then to have people stand right there in front of you and SWEAR that their dog is NOT matted!!!

That is COMPLETELY true, I've had SO many people look right at me and say "My dog is not matted at all!" And the dog is just *covered* in mats. I'd like to know what some people's idea of "matted" is lol. We shaved one maltese and the entire coat came off in once piece because he was so matted.....it looked like we'd skinned him, lol.

Even the dogs that are pretty well taken-care of, if they have longer/thick hair...normally have mats behind the ears, on the belly, and really thick/clumped fur around the hind end.

(I'm sure what I'm saying does not apply to Pet Talk doggies :D)

[aly]

Sometimes people can't help mats :o I take care of Reece and he did get a mat in his ear (when he had long hair on his ears) once. He got it while rough housing at the park. Going to the park makes him happy even though he does get dirty. I always give him a bath right after and make a grooming appointment if he got a mat.

[wolf_Q]

Aly, Reggie and Smokey have gotten mats too......it's not a big deal. What really bothers me is when they look right at you and say "My dog is not matted." Most dogs come in with a couple of little mats, no problem, it's hard to brush the dog as much as you'd like (I don't do it every day like I should, Smokey has several mats because he'll bite me if I try to brush him...grumpy old dog. I keep Reggie's fur short just for the matting problem).

It seems that for the majority, the people who say their dog "Is not matted at all" have dogs with horrible mats, and the one's who say "Yeah, there's a couple of mats" have just that...a couple of mats, no big deal.

And then there's the lady who said "But I wash my dog twice a week!" (yeah, but she didn't brush the dog before of after...washing it only makes it worse lol)

[Dixieland Dancer]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
But the fur on the feet can lead to problems if left long. If it mats it would be just like walking with stones in your shoes. And even if it does not mat it does accumulate dirt and debris, so this is an area we automatically clip. And too much hair there will hold moisture and can lead to foot problems (equivilent of athelete's foot).

If you like the shaggy look of the paw, just trim the bottoms and leave the tops fuzzy. The main reason for keeping the fur on the bottom of the feet trimmed is two fold. Jen mentioned one. The other is a dog perspires from the pads of their feet and tongue. It just makes it easier for them to cool off if they don't have all that extra hair on the bottom of their feet to deal with. So you prevent athlete's feet and you provide an easier way for the dog to cool off to prevent heat stroke. Ever notice a dog going for all the mud puddles when you go for a walk?? This is how they cool off!

[ParNone]

jenn writes:

AND....Brush them THOUGHOULY!!!!!!! the "average" pet owner doesn't have a CLUE what it takes to keep a really long (and especially a really long AND curly) coat in proper condition.
I'd say that's probably a true statement. I really loved the look
of the Rough Coated Collie and they didn't look that hard to
groom. I mean they didn't look to the level of like an Old English
Sheepdog or Lhasa Apso, so I thought how hard could they be.
I was thinking a simple brush through maybe once a week.
I was all set to get one, until a groomer friend described
to me how to properly brush a Rough Coat weekly, to prevent
mats. I promptly changed my mind to a Smooth Coated
Collie.

And mighty glad I did, especially after reading some of the posts
on a yahoo Collie message board of people having matting
problems with their Collies.

Par...