Hair around eyes
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| The eyes are normal eyes - as sensitive to light as any other dog. It's an old wives tale.  They however can't see if it's hanging in their eyes, so it needs to be pulled up in a topknot or clips; or trimmed so they can see properly. We couldn't see if we had all that hair over our eyes, same for the dogs. They can and will crash into things....it's happened a few times here and we know it's time to redo the hair!  |
Mady's hair is getting a bit long around the eyes, this picture was taken just over a week ago. The plan is to tie it up in a pony tail, is her hair long enough for that now? |
| sometimes 2 (or 3) pigtails are needed before it all fits in one. After Chewie was finished and I cut his hair, I decided I really liked a bit more headcoat. The joy of hair - it grows back! Here is a picture from this spring with 2 pigtails. I cut it again afterwards (WHY??? I have no idea!) and now we are back growing out...again. It really reminds me of growing out bangs....and just as slow!  and at not quite a year with puppy pigtails   |
What about the hair between her eyes, on the top of the bridge of her nose? This seems to be the area where we debate most with her groomer. Her groomer has Mady's best interests at heart (as do we, of course) and is concerned about that hair and the hair under Mady's eyes getting IN Mady's eyes. I am looking at your ponytails, but can't tell if he has hair on the bridge of his nose or not. So hard to explain, and yet, I babble away in the attempt!  |
Leave all the hair on the bridge of the nose or the poor dog will look like a schnauzer.  If trimmed, when the hair starts to grow back in you'll have to deal with the short wispy hair and it's still in the eyes. If you're not going with the topknot, you'd probably want to trim it all short, not just between the eyes. I keep Nelson's long and all one length and he always wears a topknot. |
Maggie McGee IV wrote: Leave all the hair on the bridge of the nose or the poor dog will look like a schnauzer. If trimmed, when the hair starts to grow back in you'll have to deal with the short wispy hair and it's still in the eyes. If you're not going with the topknot, you'd probably want to trim it all short, not just between the eyes. I keep Nelson's long and all one length and he always wears a topknot. So we just need to let the hair between her eyes grow long enough and it can be gathered up in the topknot (which is a look we find adorable). And I am guessing the hair on the bridge of her nose grows long enough so that it falls down and thus away from her eyes? The groomer used a term 'scooping' around the eyes, not sure what she meant by that. Thanks for all of the help, by the way! |
Mady wrote: Maggie McGee IV wrote: Leave all the hair on the bridge of the nose or the poor dog will look like a schnauzer. If trimmed, when the hair starts to grow back in you'll have to deal with the short wispy hair and it's still in the eyes. If you're not going with the topknot, you'd probably want to trim it all short, not just between the eyes. I keep Nelson's long and all one length and he always wears a topknot. So we just need to let the hair between her eyes grow long enough and it can be gathered up in the topknot (which is a look we find adorable). And I am guessing the hair on the bridge of her nose grows long enough so that it falls down and thus away from her eyes? The groomer used a term 'scooping' around the eyes, not sure what she meant by that. Thanks for all of the help, by the way! Right. No cutting around the eyes. You have to grow that area out to pull it back cleanly. It's annoying for a month or so but then that's it. It's grown out and it pulls back nicely and you never have to do anything to it again. |
Can you guys come with me when I explain this to the groomer?  |
Mady wrote: Can you guys come with me when I explain this to the groomer? Depends on where you live  I checked Notes from the Grooming Table, which is what most groomers consider their bible. It does say "clear stop (muzzle) area with thinners or clippers" BUT this is assuming you'll let the dog's hair fall in it's eyes and not tied back. That's supposed to clear it enough that the dog can see but believe me, they don't see well. If your groomer happens to use this book the drawing of the OES is otherwise good to follow for the head shaping. Here's couple of old pictures of Nelson that show his hair all one length: As a puppy it's very tempting to cut the hair out of their eyes. It will be messy until it grows enough to comb up into the topknot(s) and smooth down onto the muzzle. Start with little elastic bands and make small topknots or pigtails.  What is teased up here would be combed out and pulled into a topknot. The hair that your groomer wants to trim off naturally parts down the middle of the muzzle and hangs down either side. It does show give a good idea of rounding the head coat.  Front view:  Side view:  There are lots of different headcoat shapes that groomers do, just check through some of the photo albums. They love to be creative which is why we must watch them like hawks. |
got sheep wrote: I cut it again afterwards (WHY??? I have no idea!) and now we are back growing out...again. Ok... so I actually laughed out loud. I've done it too. Then you stand there and look at it and say, "Now why'd I do that?!" Panda's still got a few sprigs I'm trying to coax up into a top knot. This is after the time I shaved her head, face, ears down because a dog Nancy had done for an adopter looked SO darn cute! Panda... eee... not so much! She looks best with longer head hair.  |
| When I took Tiggy in for her puppy vaccination, my vet felt compelled to trim her nose hair too. He asked but kind of in a way that made me feel like 'no' was the wrong answer. Boy did I regret saying yes. It just stuck up worse in front of her eyes and I had to start all over growing it out. If you're going to cut it then you have to keep on top of trimming it. |
| I have questions about the hair by the eyes. I have it growing out on both my dogs. I'm trying to train it to fall down at either side of the muzzle, but it seems to want to act as a fan by their eyes. Until it's completely grown out (it's probably a few inches now), is there a product I could use to have it fall down a little straighter and not be so floofy? |
| You can use just about any hair gel you'd use on your own hair. If you want to use something specifically for dogs, Chris Christensen's Thick-N-Thicker Volumizing Gel works great although a bit pricey. http://www.chrissystems.com/thickn.htm Just be sure to keep whatever you use out of the eyes |
| Erin, what hair are you trying to train to go to either side? I only ask because I wonder if you're breaking for the topknot a little high? The hair in the topknot should just start from the bottom of the eyes and the other hair should naturally fall anyway. There shouldn't be really any training of the hair there, like in Nita's pic of Nelson. If anything, you'd want to keep pushing the hair near the eyes to the middle and up to "train" it. I'd just grab that hair in put it in a tiny ponytail between the eyes, as lame as that looks for awhile. As it grows, you can take that little ponytail up and tie it to another ponytail, like a ponytail French braid, until it's all long enough to stay on its own. Maggie McGee IV wrote: You can use just about any hair gel you'd use on your own hair. If you want to use something specifically for dogs, Chris Christensen's Thick-N-Thicker Volumizing Gel works great although a bit pricey. http://www.chrissystems.com/thickn.htm Just be sure to keep whatever you use out of the eyes I have that All Systems Topknot Gel, too. It's supposed to safe around the eyes, which was my whole reason for buying it. There's no doubt in my mind that real hair gel would actually work better, though, lol. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Erin, what hair are you trying to train to go to either side? I only ask because I wonder if you're breaking for the topknot a little high? The hair in the topknot should just start from the bottom of the eyes and the other hair should naturally fall anyway. There shouldn't be really any training of the hair there, like in Nita's pic of Nelson. If anything, you'd want to keep pushing the hair near the eyes to the middle and up to "train" it. I'd just grab that hair in put it in a tiny ponytail between the eyes, as lame as that looks for awhile. As it grows, you can take that little ponytail up and tie it to another ponytail, like a ponytail French braid, until it's all long enough to stay on its own. Here's an example of what I have going on, Jill.  I'll have to upload some more recent photos. But see those floofy bits right by her eyes? On both Wendel and Asterisk the hair bits want to act as blinders. I'm thinking it's the right part to train to go 'down', but maybe I'm wrong. It seems to be the bits that end up growing from the corner of the eyes. It also doesn't help that once I get a GOOD top knot in that they both have to rub, rub, rub, rub, rub their heads against the ground to loosen it up. (grumble... I wish the hair grew faster). |
| I think that those hairs can go up and maybe even a little under that, too, but but it looks like they still need a little time to get there. I can't tell from the pics very well, but is the hair in the middle trimmed, like right between the eyes? Or is it just pulled tight and since it's white it's hard to tell the difference? |
| Jill, it's hard to see in that photo, but I actually have three top knots in her hair. One between her eyes with the hair drawn up into it from between the eyes and one on either side of her head. It seems so difficult to get those other pieces into it. It feels like the hair has been growing FOREVER  |
 this is Bella after coming back from the "beauty parlor" I had been letting her hair grow out after she was shaved down. The groomer who did her does a lot of show dogs and specifically sheepies. |
| Erin, Tiggy has those exact same bits and I can never figure out whether they should be up in the top knot or trained down. Its bath time this Sat, I havent told Tiggy yet. She wont be happy  Her Aunty Lisa is bringing her stand dryer to visit us and give me some expert help with trimming AND brushing the dreaded front legs.  (I put Mr Green in 'cause I know you'll be wishful for the same help, with your front leg issues) I am going to ask Lisa where she thinks those bits of face hair should go and I'll take a before and after photo and let you know what the verdict is. Stay tuned to this space. |
Here's a less-messy photo of Nelson with hair one length around his eyes. No gel or other hair product used to keep it down, just gravity   |
| Wow. I never knew OES hair could look so good!! How long is Nelson's fur now? Asterisk and Wendel's hair is so slow growing between their eyes. I think it's probably only 3 inches? If that. It also doesn't help that the minute the top knot goes in Asterisk rubs her face against the cushions of the couch and Wendel rubs his head against the floor to loosen them up. |
| It's actually waaaay too long, about 8" on his headcoat and on his back I just measured 12". It only stays that long because the folks at the nursing home really get into running their fingers through his coat. So far I've managed to keep him mat free but it's a full time job. He really needs trimming but I always get carried away and regret it  |
Maggie McGee IV wrote: It's actually waaaay too long, about 8" on his headcoat and on his back I just measured 12". It only stays that long because the folks at the nursing home really get into running their fingers through his coat. So far I've managed to keep him mat free but it's a full time job. He really needs trimming but I always get carried away and regret it You know you'll have one of the best trimmers around at the National... The quality of the coat makes a HUGE difference, too. I can put Owen's hair in pigtails and they stay fine until I take them out. He has a nice, correct coat with a lot of texture and the hair has a lot of hold because of that. Clyde has a fine, soft coat and his ponytails start sliding out almost immediately. He always has pieces falling out. Sometimes I spray hairspray on him first, let it dry and then pull his hair back. It helps it get some texture and it hold the elastics more. |
| I uploaded some more recent pictures of Chewie's pigtails. I've done a face/beard/neck trim since then, but the pigtails show - trimmed NOTHING up there!  the "eyebrows" are still growing out!   His belly is still shaved, but the rest is growing a bit. |
| as a groomer i advise everyone to grow the hair around the eyes. as i was told by a lovely late shih tzu breeder/friend as it causes ulcers in the eyes when the hair grows and irritates the eyes. having said this about 3 of my clients actually opt for this option whatever the breed notes from the grooming table is a good book but.... as for shaving around the eyes i leave that to the poodles. i do admit everything above billies eyes is long and is tied up but i do trim just a little under his eyes. i just cant do that few months where its all there. i use thinning scissors so it doesnt look chopped. i also find if his hair isnt tied up he bumps into everything. i can always tell when his pulled out his bobble. i hear the bangs and yelps. billy had such sad vacant eyes when we got him as a rescue. and i have always made a point of seeing his happy eyes now |
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