# Has my spaniel been ruined?



## Kristen_177 (Feb 22, 2009)

Hi! I have a King charles cavalier spaniel, and I'm afraid he has been ruined. He was taken to the groomers today, and came home with a puppy buzz cut, including his ears. Will his coat grow back the silky curly way a spaniel's coat should?

Thank you!


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Kristen_177 said:


> Hi! I have a King charles cavalier spaniel, and I'm afraid he has been ruined. He was taken to the groomers today, and came home with a puppy buzz cut, including his ears. Will his coat grow back the silky curly way a spaniel's coat should?
> 
> Thank you!


He wasn't matted was he? Did the groomer say why he was cut down so much? 

At any rate, his coat will come in alright, you just gotta let it grow; make sure to brush and comb it thoroughly atleast 3-4 times a week, to prevent any matting when his coat gets long and luxurious! 

As a 'foot note', Cav's should not have any trimming done on them (if you want him left as a Cav should be; the only trimming "allowed" is the pads, and you can do the groin\sanitary areas; trimming the 'slippers' (feet), is up to you, but not necessary.


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## Kristen_177 (Feb 22, 2009)

Thanks! He did have some tangles on his belly, but nothing too severe. We called the groomer, and apparently there was some confusion on their part about his cut. We had asked for a bath, and just his tangles trimmed. 
I am just concerned because I have heard that long haired dogs have something called a "saddle" that is ruined once they are shaved. Plus my mom is heart-broken. Thank you again! If anyone else has had this experience, I'd really appreciate some more insight.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

His coat will come back just fine. You can learn some carding techniques in the meantime, and keep him carded well to encourage the regrowth, and keep it lying flatter in that "saddle" area you are talking about. Cav's tend to get lots of dead coat in them, and that needs to be pulled. Personally I think they look much cuter in long fluffy puppy/teddy cuts rather than just natural. Its too messy and unkempt looking for my eyes. LOL I think the breeders establishing their breed standard were just lazy and didn't want to groom them, so they made "correct" grooming as minimal as possible..LOL No worries, it will come back. Brush, comb, and brush and comb some more..Matts will have to be cut/shaved off, so you want to keep him completely matt free.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Wow that is some big confusion..... from a bath all the way to a shave down... I wonder what the real story is. Was he actually "shaved" or possibly just trimmed down some?

Tell mom it will be okay, it is hair, and it will grow back. No need for a broken heart.


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## Kristen_177 (Feb 22, 2009)

GroovyGroomer777 said:


> Wow that is some big confusion..... from a bath all the way to a shave down... I wonder what the real story is. Was he actually "shaved" or possibly just trimmed down some?
> 
> Tell mom it will be okay, it is hair, and it will grow back. No need for a broken heart.


Yup. Actually shaved. They said he got a "seven all around" We called to make and appointment the night previous, and asked for a bath and his clumps trimmed. My father dropped him off and they told him we had asked for a "seven all around." He, like the rest of us, had no idea what that meant and assumed we had spoken to them about it on the phone. Alas, he comes home looking like Triumph the Insult Wonder Dog instead of the Elizabethan prince he usually resembles. 
But thank you all for your tips and assurance. 
I've also read that not bathing him as frequently will encourage his curl to come back, is there any validity to this? He had the most lovely neck ruffle and curly ears.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

You can still bathe him as often as you like, but there are ways to encourage the curl to come in sooner. 

You could once he is dried, and combed out, spritz him lightly with brush-out spray, and and leave it to dry naturally; the moisture will enable the curl to form again. 

As groomers, we are able to cage dry those dogs that the owners might want left curly. So you could ask if they have a cage dryer, or any way to air dry him, so that the coat curls on it's own, before the finish job. 

At home, you could towel dry him as much as possible, then let him dry naturally, then brush him out thoroughly again. 

Make sure before you bathe him, you brush him out really well, as the bath could make some matts worse.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

I'm sorry - I know the feeling. A groomer we really like trimmed our dog's face once. I was so upset! All I wanted was a bath and a nail trim and she came home looking all neat and trimmed-- not my rough and ready shepherd mix at all. It has been months and she still doesn't have that full fluffy ruff I loved. I hope your pup's coat grows back quickly.


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