haircut suggestions for my shih tzu/poodle mix puppies?

[Nicole Wiseberg]

I have 2 shih tzu/poodle mix puppies that are 6 months old. Their hair is getting unbearable - I find they get smelly so fast and the day after I give them a bath they look ratty again. Does anyone have any suggestions for next time I go to the groomer? I am thinking about having them shaved but am very unsure. Any advice would be great!

[Amber]

Which breed do they look more like? Sally is a Peekapoo/Shih-Tzu mix...she looks nothing like a poodle, but I have a several people that tell me they can see Shih-Tzu in her and several people that tell me they can see Pekingese in her. I see a mixture. Right now I'm just letting her grow out as she had demodectic mange really bad when I adopted her and had hardly any hair at all. After she grows out a little more, I'm just going to get her trimmed up a little.

I do suggest that you get what some groomers call a "belly and bum" or a "hygiene cut" for them. They will shave around the necessary areas so that when your dogs go to the bathroom, they don't get themselves horribly messy. They won't get poop stuck on them, etc. Also, there are several different sizes of blades. I do believe the rule is the higher the number on the blade, the shorter the cut on the dog.

Is this their first grooming?

[Rowena Fry]

Hi Nicole!
Yeah, as Amber suggested, it makes a difference if your pups look more like Shih Tzus or Poodles, and what type of hair they have. Poodles usually have curly or 'corded' hair and Shih Tzus being long and fine but straight. Depending on that, you can ask the groomer what would be appropriate and neat for your pups.

I have a mini poodle and we let her hair grow out very long during the winter. Like this....

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/rowenafry/DevilDog.jpg

But now that it's getting closer to summer, it's starting to get very hot in Hong Kong, so we had her hair trimmed very short, but left some of the hair on her head longer and her beard, cos we like it!

So, what she has recently was a half inch all over trim with electric shaver things (so all her hair on her body and chest is half an inch long). Her tail, legs and head area were trimmed with scissors and so the hair is slightly longer there. She also has her bum and belly shaved like Amber said, so she doesn't get dirty when she goes potty.

And now she looks like this...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/rowenafry/GottaGetItOut.jpg

Hope that helps a bit! I'm sure the groomer will help you out if you want more suggestions, they usually have some pictures they can show you. Good luck! And don't forget to post the before and after pics, I'd love to see your pups! :D

[Amber]

From one poodle owner to another, Gum Gum is SO incredibly cute (!!), Rowena! Precious is a Toy and I cannot help but to think she is always going to look like a puppy compared to Minis and Standards...lol.

[Rowena Fry]

Awww, there's nothing wrong with Precious having a baby face for her whole life! That's cute! Some people have baby faces too! One of my friends was just complaining to me the other day that although he's 25, he looks 16...which he kinda does, but that's cute. He'll be glad of it when he's 50! LOL

[Amber]

lol...that's true!