# Hi Ho Hi Ho....it's off to the groomers we go!



## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Had a fabby walk in the woods with my Mum and her two dogs. Obviously they got muddy, especially Daisy who collected her normal amount of twigs along the way! At one stage she actually got stuck though! She was trying to jump through a brambly bit and then froze in the middle of it all!  Hubby had to rescue her (he had the gloves on!).

By the time we got back home there was no way she was trotting off through the house so I stuck her in the bath (again!). Whilst bathing her I extracted another three twigs which I was not aware she had carried home  several leaves and blimey, it took ages for the water to run clean! 

I then brushed her and she had a couple of horrendous matts even though she had been thoroughly 'done' last weekend! I admit with everything going on last week I hadn't brushed her at all but even so I was quite surprised to find these whoppers on her legs of all places! (I think she chews the fur and causes them!)

I can't do this after every walk and I don't want to turn into an owner that avoids the mud so......do I need to bite the bullet and go to the groomer? If so do I get a wickle trim (wickle is for scared owners who don't want to get their Cockapoos trimmed) or do I be brave (hahahahaha!) and go for a Weller look (who I thought was very dashing!) or just keep on with the fluffy monster look?

She also needs her claws trimmed which I am happy to do but alas Daisy is not. I managed to cut one claw (yes one!) yesterday but it seemed to give her the hiccups! She then lay down with her paws hidden underneath her so that I couldn't see them!  

Oh what to do.........?


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## deb (Jun 23, 2011)

I too love the longer coat but it isn't the greatest idea if you take your dog off roading, so i do keep roscoe's short for this reason. They are just as happy and they do dry off so much quicker.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Daisy's coat is glorious...can you bear to part with it?? Beauty versus practically - I wonder which will win


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

colpa110 said:


> Daisy's coat is glorious...can you bear to part with it?? Beauty versus practically - I wonder which will win


Thanks Colin  I am not sure?? This is the inner battle I am having at the moment!


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

Personally i prefer Betty with a fuller coat, practically i know it's been next to impossible, especially in the damper weather and as she is with a dog walker some days who i can't expect to brush her after every walk! So she is shorter at the moment and now i have to decide if i get her groomed more often but less taken off to keep her at a reasonable inbetween length.

I feel your battle!!! 

x


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

I also love the longer coat .. but my dogs are short as winter walks are more enjoyable for my poos than having a longer coat that I pick at constantly to remove matts ... Honey is approx an inch all over and it is so much easier .. I will grow her coat longer during the spring  thank goodness Picnic's puppy coat is matt free  ... 

Whatever you decide Sarah .. Daisy will look stunning short or long .. she a beautiful Cockapoo after all


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Having let Rufus get a little longer in the coat recently I took the decision to take him back again to a more manageable length this weekend. He was getting matts on a daily basis and just like Daisy he was gathering the contents of a school nature table during every walk! So......Rufus had a number 6 clip on Friday. This morning (Sunday) I had him back on the table as I'd forgotten to do one of his legs during the first clip!! Lol. He looked so funny on Saturday but I didn't have the time slot to finish him. The joys of home grooming! 

Daisy is stunning so I can see it is a tough decision for you. On the plus side, whatever she has done, it will grow back! If you tried it shorter you could see how much easier it is practically and then next year make a decision as you have had experience of both.

Good luck with your decision making!

Karen xx


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Oh Karen .. poor Rufus with half a cut .. you are so funny .. that sounds like a me cut lol xxx


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Cockapoodledoo said:


> Having let Rufus get a little longer in the coat recently I took the decision to take him back again to a more manageable length this weekend. He was getting matts on a daily basis and just like Daisy he was gathering the contents of a school nature table during every walk! So......Rufus had a number 6 clip on Friday. This morning (Sunday) I had him back on the table as I'd forgotten to do one of his legs during the first clip!! Lol. He looked so funny on Saturday but I didn't have the time slot to finish him. The joys of home grooming!
> 
> Daisy is stunning so I can see it is a tough decision for you. On the plus side, whatever she has done, it will grow back! If you tried it shorter you could see how much easier it is practically and then next year make a decision as you have had experience of both.
> 
> ...



Remind me never to come to you for a haircut


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Daisy's coat is gorgeous and looks like one of the easier types to maintain, but as she is 8 months old, that is the age when a lot of them get much more difficult to manage and start matting much more, so you may find that it becomes progressively harder to keep her matt free  But she is so beautiful, it will be hard to get that coat cut short. I suspect that sooner or later you will have to though.


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## Freddies Mum (Nov 20, 2010)

Awww that first cut is the hardest. Freddie was 10 months when we gave in, though Darcey was about 18 months. The long look is beautiful, but in my experience (admittedly only with two cockerpoos), once the coat starts matting you have to accept that it will need cutting sooner or later. The thing is, once they have been clipped the hair tends to grow out rather than long (or at least it does on mine), so they look better kept short. Freddie always looks like he's doubled in weight when his hair gets a bit long.

So my advice - perhaps a little a scissor trim if your groomer will do it? You could go for a clip in the Spring if you can cope with her coat over the Winter?


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Oh Karen that is so funny! Poor Rufus! 

I am so torn I must admit. She is so beautiful with her fluffy coat but my friend has just been round to collect some dog food (we share an order but I store it) and she suggested a walk in the woods tomorrow with her Cockapoo Max! Arrrgghhhh! That will mean another bath unless I get Daisy some doggy wellies or something!  I don't want to say no because I like doggy walks in the wood but she is going to come home a Daisy dirtbag again!


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Freddies Mum said:


> Awww that first cut is the hardest. Freddie was 10 months when we gave in, though Darcey was about 18 months. The long look is beautiful, but in my experience (admittedly only with two cockerpoos), once the coat starts matting you have to accept that it will need cutting sooner or later. The thing is, once they have been clipped the hair tends to grow out rather than long (or at least it does on mine), so they look better kept short. Freddie always looks like he's doubled in weight when his hair gets a bit long.
> 
> So my advice - perhaps a little a scissor trim if your groomer will do it? You could go for a clip in the Spring if you can cope with her coat over the Winter?


Thanks Jo. That is something that concerns me. Although I like Cockapoos short I have noticed on a couple locally that once they have been cut their coat seems to grow back differently. I love Daisy's loose coat and I don't want it to change. I have wondered if it is a coincidence that the cut is often about 10 months like Daisy and this is also when the adult coat comes in. Is it a result of the coat or is it a natural change?


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## Freddies Mum (Nov 20, 2010)

I think it's just the natural coat change - which is usually the reason they end of getting cut so it all seems to happen at the same time.

I thought we would be able to keep Darcey's hair long as it seemed more wavy than curly - here's some pics of her as a youngster:


















When she got to about eighteen months she looked like this:









But all of a sudden she seemed to turn into one big matt. I had her to the groomers and they got them all out:









But within about three weeks she was back to being really badly matted so enough was enough and this was the drastic result:









And just to complete the coat change pics, this is her now - a lot more curly:









Sorry for all the pictures!!


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Lovely pics and useful post xxx


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Great pictures! Thank you Jo.  It is very interesting to see the changes. Darcey is gorgeous and her coat when she was younger looks quite like Daisy's now. It is amazing how curly she is now!  x


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

I usually get my girls done somewhere in the middle,not shaved or too short but not really long,just half way and i do it that length when i trim them myself too,this is miley after a haircut from me x


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Oh lovely Miley! 

When are you free Mandy? Please could you just pop down from Aberdeen and give Daisy a trim?  Or maybe I should fly up and see you! x


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

I love the curly Darcey Jo!!!! 

Mandy- Miley is such a pretty girl

Sarah- I think a trim is in order and work with your groomer.Take a bit off and see how you get on- then if need be you might be able to maintain at that length or go a bit shorter.


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

But I is scared Shirley... My fluff monster might never be the same again!


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

We trimmed Beau last week and took off about one and a half inches as like you we love our Fluff Monster and I don't trust groomers as I took our Cavvie to two different groomers who shaved her even though I gave strict instructions on how we wanted her to look like a Cavvie with feathers etc! Beau's coat has become slighty more silky and I groom her every day but mostly where she gets matts but I do have more free time to do this than you do as only Madeleine and I. Good luck with whatever you decide and maybe look at Julia's (Jukee Doodles) advice as I am sure she said we should ask for a Teddy Bear trim which is less harsh!  x


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

A cut is inevitable at some point Sarah . Go for a light trim and see if you can manage her coat any easier. If you have to cut then do it gradually unless the matts are really, really bad. 

Obi's coat was at it's longest in Sep just before he got ill and he's been getting gradually shorter since. It's definitely curlier now and he looks fatter although some of it really is weight gain! Spent 2 hours grooming/bathing him today and boy was it hard work!


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Rosie had her first cut a few weeks back she had become to hard to keep mat free, and wearing a vest after she was spayed did not help. Poppy was clipped on Tuesday. they are both clipped quite short, and we find it best for them because they spend so much time crashing through the undergrowth when we are out walking, and Rosie running with half a forest attached to her did slow her down. They do look cute with long coats, but with them being so active it's so easier with short coats.


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Daisy is super lazy when inside but loves the woods and dives off into the bushes and brambles! It is really amazing how they can collect so much forest in their coats! I really felt for her when she got stuck today and she hates it when bits of twig get stuck to her legs. I end up running along behind her trying to untangle her!


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

We have bushes down one side of our garden and you want to see how much rubbish they bring into the house.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Sarah, have you got an Equafleece? I'm not really a fan of how they look but
they really do save on having to bath them every time ( I've got the suits).
Betty jumped in to a very deep,dirty icy puddle at the weekend and was amazed at how dry and clean she still was once I took the Equafleece off. Just watch out for mats ( Betty sometimes mats on her legs - but others have said their dont!!).


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## Mrs Hippiechick (Jul 26, 2011)

Sarah - I've bitten the bullet and booked Archie in for his first trim 

The lady is in Horley (just outside Banbury) and comes highly recommended - there is a Sprocker puppy in the puppy club we go to, and they use this lady and say she's really good.

I will be more than happy to give you her details if you like? When I booked Archie in she was asking what his coat is like, how short or long we'd like it left. Got a really nice feeling from her


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Thank you, that sounds good.  I spoke to another one today and it just bugs me that they all expect you to want to chop it all off! I told her I wanted an MOT not a big cut. This one has a good reputation but I have seen a fewe dogs who come back from her that have been scalped!  If you could pm me her details that would be great, it would be nice to speak to a groomer who actually listened and asked questions instead of presuming!  x


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

My dog trainer at company of animals ( who invented the Halti collar etc..) said that in all of years working of with dogs she has never yet met a groomer she liked/trusted or did what she asked. She ended up taking a course and learning to do it herself!!


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

I love my groomer!!!!

She cuts my two just how I like them to be cut- is friendly and helpful and a lovely lady.

My two get excited to go there 


She doesn't advertise either - her reputation is built on loyal customers and word of mouth.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

I love my groomer too...oh... that's me

It seems to be very hit and miss... if you find a good one hang on to them!!


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## gwynshees (Feb 8, 2011)

I took Harry to the groomers yesterday. He has been getting very muddy lately and although we have been trying to keep him well groomed and bathed at least once a week his fur especially around his legs became very matted. The groomer had to trim him down to the wood and he does look very scrawny now poor thing = luckily we had bought him a new coat for Christmas which he has had to have early! I,m racking my brains to see why he had got in such a bad state so quickly - could it have something to do with shampooing ( we had run out and my husband used some of our own). Any advice to stop this happening again would be appreciated. We had left it 9 weeks from his last trim and the groomer suggest every 6 weeks from now on.


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## jackster (Sep 18, 2011)

Here is Archie just back from the groomers today. Had is belly taken short but left everything else fluffy and cuddly. I did ask my groomer about taking Archie's coat short and she advised me just to keep his tummy short and keep the rest long as he has a good coat. I am always pleased with what she does as she listens to what i want.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

He looks GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!


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