It’s that time of the year where the weather warms up and your pooch /s gives you that look that it might be time to take him/ her / them in for their summer time grooming. So, you make the appointment, drop them off and say you would like a summer cut but then when you come to collect them your pooch /s are very, very short, much shorter than you expected! Not to worry, we at Le Pawtique have put together a summary of the cuts you can choose from for the summer period to avoid any disappointments.
A traditional “summer-cut” is a cut that means that all the length comes off the body, legs and skirt, the head gets styled short in proportion with the body length. This length is determined by the blades that are used which can either be a 7F (leaves 3.2mm of hair left on the body) or a 10 (leaves 1.5mm of hair left on the body). So, this is ideal for those dogs that swim a lot, go on walks in the park / bush or aren’t that easy to groom and maintain or client preference.
Now, if that does not sound like the hair cut for your pooch/s, then we have a “Puppy Cut”. This means same length all over but not as short as a summer cut. Our longest comb, which is an attachment on the clipper blade leaves 2.54 cm of hair on the body and the longest blade leaves 1.9cm. It can then go down from there to just under a 1cm of length, of course all depending on client preference and what works for the individual dog/s coat. This cut leaves the pooch with a fluffier looking finish and more of a “Teddy Bear” look.
Then we get the individual dog breed styles – ie Miami and Lamb for French Poodles, Cowboy for Yorkshire Terriers and sometimes Maltese Poodles. Then there are the traditional Scottie / Schnauzer cuts where the back is cut on a 7F or 10, and the legs and skirt are left long. The possibilities almost seem endless in terms of what cut one can give their pooch/s.
The most important thing about choosing a cut is to do breed research depending on the type of breed dog you have, Google recommended cuts / styles. The second thing to consider is the condition of the dog’s coat as certain cuts wont work on certain hair types or breeds. For instance, a Bichon Frise, although looks like a Maltese, has curlier and fluffier hair that allows it to stand so poofy compared to the Maltese, which the coat will fall flat. Also, if the coat is very matted, and tight to the skin then a summer cut will be the only way to groom such a coat. Minor knots and matts can be worked on if allowed the time to do so, which often incurs an extra charge, so it’s always best to try maintaining your pooch/s coat at home between grooms to avoid any disappointment at the next grooming appointment.
On a reminder note, the shorter coated and double coated dogs should not be shaved in summer (see our previous article Le Pet Care Fact # 4) and rather de-shed to remove the loose and undercoat hair. If you are still uncertain of what hair cut to choose from for your pooch/s you can always discuss your options with the staff and grooming team on the day of your appointment and they will be able to recommend and give you advice based on your pooch/s breed and coat condition and show you a few options from their grooming catalogue.