# Aidan's first haircut



## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Picture of Aidan after his first real haircut -- not counting the time another groomer shaved his face without asking me first. His beard and front feet are wet after a trip through his water bowl (as usual).


----------



## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

how cute! i love wheatens  friends of ours has a wheaten and she is just the sweetest dog. i LOVE their fuzzy legs.


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

He looks very nice! Was he a good boy? ;-)


----------



## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

The groomer said he behaved perfectly. I've read a few things online about Wheatens who do not appreciate being groomed, so I was glad to hear that. He's great about being cared for at home, but I was worried he would bite her because of the clippers, or that he would take umbrage at not being able to play in the bath.


----------



## runner (Jul 13, 2011)

He looks great. I guess we didn't comb our dog often enough because when she came back from the groomers she looked like a rat\

http://www.dogforums.com/members/runner-albums-sweet-pea-picture27373-img-2418.html

theytook almost all of her hair off, we were not happy.


----------



## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

runner said:


> theytook almost all of her hair off, we were not happy.


Sweet Pea is so cute! 

I comb Aidan every other day, and after we go for walks in the woods. I told the groomer that I wanted his hair to be 2" long all over, and it is. The night before I took him, I combed his hair to make sure there were no mats or tangles. I brought grooming instructions and photographs of Wheatens I got from the internet, and showed the groomer exactly what I wanted, so there would be no mistakes. 

I think this groomer did a good job, considering her scant experience with grooming Wheatens. Next time, I'll ask her to do the same thing, and concentrate on getting his face exactly the way I want it. After that, the legs (which can't be 2" long all over if I expect them to look like columns), and then we'll move on to other parts. I figure after four more grooming sessions, Aidan will look the way I want him to. At that point, with my luck, the groomer will retire.

Here are a couple of links that I like:

http://scwt.sasktelwebsite.net/ (_"The Prairie Wheaten" is the official publication of the Saskatchewan Assiniboine Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Association. Recent and past issues can be downloaded here. Each issue is identified by date and feature article._ )

http://scwt.sasktelwebsite.net/summer2009.pdf (This is the issue about grooming a Wheaten. Aidan had the hair pulled out of his ears by the vet. Afterward, the undersides of his ears were red. I told the groomer not to do that, but I did ask her to shave the inside of his ears. They weren't red afterward.)


----------



## runner (Jul 13, 2011)

Good for you, I can't seem post a normal picture without a link, any tips? I did some a few weeks ago but forgot how.


----------



## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Click on the icon that looks like a paper clip (attachments), not the one that says "insert image".

I move the pictures I want to post to my desktop, and select them from there because it's easier for me. I'm posting a photo of Aidan's teeth so I can tell you the steps accurately.

1. Click on attachments
2. Click add files
3. Click select files at the bottom of the pop up box
4. Next pop up box, select location on your computer (mine is desktop)
5. Click on the photo you want
6. Click "open" - bottom of the box
7. Click "upload files"
8. Photo will appear in a blue box. Make sure the little box on bottom right of the blue box is checked.
9. Click "insert inline", and click "done".









Note: If your picture is in a reply to another post, you have to click "go advanced" first.


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

runner said:


> He looks great. I guess we didn't comb our dog often enough because when she came back from the groomers she looked like a rat\
> 
> http://www.dogforums.com/members/runner-albums-sweet-pea-picture27373-img-2418.html
> 
> theytook almost all of her hair off, we were not happy.


No offense intended, but if your dog was matted and had to be taken down short, there's no one to blame but yourself. I flat out refuse to de-mat a horribly matted dog (especially one that hates grooming or is so well behaved they're rewarded with 3 hours of painful pulling). Not sure how old your dog is, but a lot of dogs around a year old or so tend to mat (tight) literally overnight as their puppy coat changes to their adult coat. It can be trying. Unless you make a habit of line combing your dog right down to the skin, there will be mats. Not trying to offend, just pointing out something we groomers hear every day


----------



## runner (Jul 13, 2011)

No offense taken and thank you for the help. She was about 5 months old when we took her to get groomed. We knew we're suppose to groom her daily but we just didn't expect that close of a cut. We are much more careful now and if we don't comb her every day, it's every other for sure.


----------



## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

he looks very cute.



runner said:


> He looks great. I guess we didn't comb our dog often enough because when she came back from the groomers she looked like a rat\
> 
> http://www.dogforums.com/members/runner-albums-sweet-pea-picture27373-img-2418.html
> 
> theytook almost all of her hair off, we were not happy.


well what else did you expect them do to with a matted dog? espeacially a matted puppy?


----------



## runner (Jul 13, 2011)

Ok, I forgot some of the details, she got fixed and was shaved in that area, the matting happened there before we got her back from the vet. We didn't want to get the area irritated, so when we took her to the groomers in a couple of weeks that's what they had to do to "even" her out. I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that sooner.


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

runner said:


> Ok, I forgot some of the details, she got fixed and was shaved in that area, the matting happened there before we got her back from the vet. We didn't want to get the area irritated, so when we took her to the groomers in a couple of weeks that's what they had to do to "even" her out. I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that sooner.


The good news is, hair DOES grow back  I've had to shave down countless (older) puppies/young dogs because of coat changes, surgeries, etc. It happens, and I guarantee you're not the only one it's happened to. I groomed a whole litter (4) of golden/poodle mixes, large black dogs with TONS of coat for a time. All 4 families did an excellent job keeping up with the dogs's coats (better than I could, that's for sure). All 4 dogs got horribly matted around a year old and had to be stripped (taken down completely). Two got PO'ed and left the salon, and 2 stayed. I explained to every single one of them that I didn't de-mat dogs in that bad of shape, and I wasn't *blaming* them for their dogs's condition. It happens. I enjoy grooming the dogs I've started as puppies, because they know me well, they know nothing bad is going to happen to them, and grooming is NOT a painful procedure with dematting, brush burning, etc. It's a simple case of learning to stand on a table and accept handling, and I gotta say a lot of my dogs I've started seem to enjoy being groomed. Puppy grooming IME is best done as a "do it to make a good experience, and worry about looks later".  It there are a few mats, I will thin them out and blend the whole mess together to look presentable, but if the whole dog is solid matting there is no way to do it kindly except a shave and start over. I've dematted dogs before that I shouldn't have, and it's no wonder the next time the dog arrives at the salon they slam on the brakes as they go to walk through the door. If my last visit to somewhere was 3 hours of having my hair pulled, I would certainly not walk in willingly. We also offer a bath, nails, feet/ears/face all around tidy up for a lower price than a full groom (between regular groomings, that is), so it's easier to keep dogs in a fuller cut than not. We can catch matting early that way


----------

