Hair around eyes
So, what is the protocol for trimming the hair around the eyes? Thanks. We have taken her to a groomer once, but he cut the hair around her eyes into two big circles, and with her blue eyes, she not only looked wierd, but seemed to be bothered by sunlight.  Thanks again! |
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| It's up to you, you can grow it and tie it up or trim around the eyes, once you start trimming then it is constant.
If you want to grow it, you can start with small elastics and do a double upbove the eyes (Like little devil horns) then as the hair grows into one then. Nonsence about blue eyes, my boy has two and makes absolutely no difference outside in the sun to my brown eyed sheepies and he needs to see too  .
Yes she has to see so decide wether you want to start top knotting it, with a tie or clip or continually trimming it, which ends up constant because as it grows in length it starts to fan out over the eyes so your always trimming it out of the way.
Top knot on my blue eyed one so he can see 
Double top knot style, good one to start with till the hair is longer  |
| What beautiful sheepies! Wow.
Thanks for the information. That's helpful. We'd really wondered about the blue eyes. One more question - if we want to let the hair grow so we can knot it, what should we do in the meantime to help her see? Right now it's not long enough to pull into a knot, but it is long enough to interfere with her sight. Thanks again! |
| For me, after trimming and not trimming, I'll never trim again. If you're going to keep the dog in a longer coat, I think it looks better and is easier to maintain in the long term to let it grow out and then pull it back. Once it grows long enough, it also moves better and when they run, it sweeps out of their eyes anyway. When you trim, you're forever growing that tiny fringe of hair at the corner of the eyes that has to be cut all the time. I also hate poking scissors around eyes on any species!
kayc1218 wrote: What beautiful sheepies! Wow.
Thanks for the information. That's helpful. We'd really wondered about the blue eyes. One more question - if we want to let the hair grow so we can knot it, what should we do in the meantime to help her see? Right now it's not long enough to pull into a knot, but it is long enough to interfere with her sight. Thanks again! You can make a tiny ponytail between the eyes for the time being. It'll look a little goofy for a month or so but it'll grow fast! My puppy is almost 6 months old and you can pull just the middle back, too, and that clears most of the sight line as well.  |
| Aha. Got it. I think.
And another great picture! Looks like you have a big 6 month old, but might be the angle. Our pup dislikes having her head touched, but the middle knot looks like that will work. The hair below her eyes is growing fast up over her eyes, but it looks like if the top hair is pulled into a small know she can see better????? |
kayc1218 wrote: Aha. Got it. I think.
And another great picture! Looks like you have a big 6 month old, but might be the angle. Our pup dislikes having her head touched, but the middle knot looks like that will work. The hair below her eyes is growing fast up over her eyes, but it looks like if the top hair is pulled into a small know she can see better????? No, he's a beast. He's dangerously close to 70 pounds and really big boned! He has a ton of coat, too so that helps in pulling his hair back. They're always a little weird about having it pulled up at first but after awhile, they get used to it as a part of grooming. Sometimes those tiny barrettes work well, too, as long as you don't have another dog that will yank them out and eat them or if you can keep an eye on her at first to make sure she doesn't pull it out and eat it either! If you pull it back, run to a beauty supply and pick up the tiny braiding bands. They're super small, springy and easy to work with and will stay in well no matter how long her hair is. Plus, a bag of like 500 is around $1. Cheap is always a bonus.  |
Or you can try this version:
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Nigel is 19 months old and is growing out from a puppy clip in March. After that time I had my groomer leave his head alone so we could grow it out. I leave the top knot in all of the time and only take it out to rebrush and redo.
He can see better this way, and we can see his beautiful eyes better too. Bella I keep clipped as I can only handle one puppy/transitional coat right now. |
Quote: They're always a little weird about having it pulled up at first but after awhile, they get used to it as a part of grooming.
Tiggy's not a fan off having her topnot done either. She is too clever and is inclined to fall over head first while I'm trying to put it in and then just lies there with her head nearly upside down so I cant reach. Consequently most all the time her topnot is lopsided depending on what side I can reach best. Determination on my part not to let a puppy beat me has helped too. |
| I've trained Violet's hair to part down the middle, which allows her to see with both eyes. |
ButtersStotch wrote: My puppy is almost 6 months old and you can pull just the middle back, too, and that clears most of the sight line as well.
Jill I can't get over how much Owen looks like Morgan!! I think you may have a frat boy in the making  |
| My puppy started acting scared of everything at 6 mths. and continued even when I got the hair out of her eyes she still did it...when having lunch I talked to a lady who trains puppies for the first year for seeing eye dogs and she said all puppies go through a stage of acting submissive and scared at 6 mths...she advised me to totally ignore her and never rub her belly when she acted submissive...they would get over it faster. It worked...at 7 1/2 mths she's not acting that way anymore. She said all her puppies have gone thru that stage and she trains all different breeds. She is so good...she brings them to work and takes them everywhere she goes...they are so laid back and so social which is what her job is before they train them to work for disabled people. I just don't know how she can part with them. So many wonderful people everywhere doing great deeds to help others! |
It's true that most seem to go through a "fear" stage to varying degrees as they approach adolescence and also true that it's better not to baby them through it (though that's probably not a good time to decide to take them with you to a 4th of July Parade EITHER  ). But it doesn't always hit at 6 mos old, rather can occur (and this is just my experience, so it may have an even broader span) anywhere from 5-10 mos old. They get through it pretty quickly.
And getting their hair out of their eyes still can't hurt. The world is scarier if you can't see it no matter what stage you're at
Kristine |
| Obe was not fond of his top knot at first but now he doesn't care. I use clips, hair ties, you name it. They are all over the house. I do take it down every night after our walk and he's inside till the a.m. I do this just because, I know when my was long and in a pony tail for long periods of time it would start to hurt so I'm sure they are the same. If he is outside his hair is in a top knot. |
| With my pup, I just trim around the brows to stop it flopping into the eyes, I use scissors that feather the cut so that there is no hard fringe |
when i first got billy and he was shaved off it was lovely to see his sad eyes changing to happy eyes so i kept the hair from his eyes, i thinned around them, gave him a parting too as it grew, now his hair is getting longer were starting to tie it up, which he enjoys having done, we call it doing to do!! its not quite long enough around the eyes to go in a bobble fully but were working on it, i hate it when i cant see his eyes.
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| I have, up until now, been trimming Luna and Tonks' eye hair. I don't do a blunt cut, but have a pair of scissors with teeth that do a sort of thinning-out thing.
But just this past week we decided ( I decided; Adam still isn't onboard) to try the top knot approach. Thier hair isn't all that long, but I thought we got a good result:  |
| Gorgeous blue eyes! So true about the clipping the bangs. I wish I wouldn't and would have worked more with Abbey to manage the tie. I just wanted her to see and not sick of cutting, so we are working through that wierd stage of growth. |
| http://ankaz.serveftp.com/hamlet/Album3 ... CT0029.JPG |
| So cute, Hamlet! |
| That's the little devil horns I was talking about on Puppy Hamlet |
| Which elastics are you using for the top knot? I am looking for one that won't break the coat.
Thanks! PS I loved all the pictures! |
QuailTrail wrote: Which elastics are you using for the top knot? I am looking for one that won't break the coat.
Thanks! PS I loved all the pictures! You can just use the tiny dental bands or braiding bands-nothing with metal. I think most of the breakage occurs when they get yanked out more than the band itself. I still don't know where Clyde's go from the time we leave work and the time we go to bed at night. You'd think I'd see Owen bite them out! |
Ah yes the mystery of the vanishing hair bands. I NEVER see Rastus take Tiggy's out but they disappear on a regular basis.  |
| The dental bands are great for starters, there the ones that they use with braces, there cheap too and come in packets of 100's. When using them never try to take them out just cut them out that way you are not ripping the head coat. There cheap and plenty of them to do that and they stay in. Always started mine off with them when not quite enough hair then advanced onto a toweling band after when long enough. |
here is my fav!
I am doing a calendar for myself and all Laika and I have a section the many styles of Laika |
QuailTrail wrote: Which elastics are you using for the top knot? I am looking for one that won't break the coat.
Thanks! PS I loved all the pictures! I go to Sally's (beauty supply store). They have packages of them really reasonable.....clear, black or assorted colors. they are about the size of your little finger. Pull the hair up & twist the band around 3 times to keep it in good. When you need to brush or replace, use a little pair of scissors to cut it out. My dogs keep theirs in for a few days before playing required redoing. |
Here's a pix of Isaac with his head rubber banded up using those little rubber bands I mentioned earlier. So when you think they can't be twisted around 3 times, they can! I tied up his cheeks too to keep them clean & also out of his mouth. The hair used to irritate his gums if it got inside. This picture was before his first big shave down after finishing his CH. He's probably silently happy he doesn't have endure all the primping anymore & especially people thinking he was the girl because he had so much hair & it was tied up in ponytails! 
 |
| Ahhhhhh, Hah!
Many thanks for the source and directions, but most especially the photos! Great tip about the cheek fur. I have only seen this done during pre-show grooming - never occured to me to do it at home to keep things tidy. Thanks! |
| I have tried just using the thinning shears to cut around the middle part next to the eye area above the bridge of the nose. That makes the fall thinner and easier for them to have hair over there eyes and still see better. But I have resorted to growing this out (which is taking a long time!) and tying up with a coated elastic with no metal piece. These work well and cause little breakage. Also I remove the tie at night and redo in the morning. I find that when they are allowed to see fully, they get used to it and when there hair is back over their eyes they tend to forget how to function blindly again and they start to bump into things. This is why its so important for this breed to have the hair tied back I think.
Blue Star's Mom |
| Guess I'm the only one who likes to keep the hair cut around the eyes. I REALLY like to see their eyes, and I just cut right above the eyes, leaving the hair on top of her head longer. For whatever reason, it doesn't fall in her eyes this way. Some examples:
Chillin' with Daddy 
And chillin' with Mommy 
And chillin by myself 
Just couldn't live without seeing those eyes! |
What great pics, Chris!! Since Sammie doesn't run from the camera, you're going to have to post TONS of pics. Sammie's got the sweetest face!  |
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