to cut or not to cut...that is the question

[barneysmommmy]

I'm thinking about getting Barney cut down to a puppy cut. He has silky hair but he hates being brushed. If I don't brush him at least every other day, his hair mats. The only issue is that he has these ginormous giraffe legs. Oh, and he is super model skinny. Does anyone out there have a giraffe yorkie with short hair? I'm attaching a just out of the bath photo so you can see these long ole legs and his skinny build. By the way, he is not malnourished, just a bad eater.

[Carmeow]

My Luma is super tall and has extremely skinny legs. She had the most beautiful hair, but the upkeep was just such a hassle. What I ended up doing was taking her to the groomer and having them shave her body but leave the hair on her legs long. It looks amazing! It balances her out because if she were fully shaved she'd be a walking stick...on stilts. But with her keg hair left long she can get dirty and its no big deal, plus it prevents matting from clothes and harnesses. You should consider it. I don't have any pics (I'm on my bf's phone) but look up the 'joey cut'.

[barneysmommmy]

I looked at her photo in your album. She's a cutie by the way. She does appear to have his build. Yes, the stilt legs are exactly what I'm concerned about. Barney is very gangly. Thanks for the idea. I will definitely look it up.

[Carmeow]

Pics of Luma in this cut.

[barneysmommmy]

I love it. Do you shave the inside of her legs....armpit area too? That tends to be where Barnacles gets the most matting.

[hollie91999]

I just shaved Pheebee's hair today also.... I kept her legs, tail and face ( Joey cut), it turned out really cute and less maintenance.....plus I love to dress her and she's matts easily with clothes.

[ladyjane]

I had five pups in full coats for years. Finally decided to do away with all of that hair and it was the best thing I ever did for all of our sakes! It's pretty but in the end I had to ask myself who I was doing it for...certainly not them! Not like they were being shown....the only way to really deal with all that hair is to wrap it and why?

I don't care for the hair on the legs look...you are still going to have to brush a lot and torment your pup. I say take it all short except for the head...OR get it cut like the two in my avatar...I use a yellow comb for their bodies.

[KeeganRiley]

My mom's yorkie is built a bit like yours. She also has a short muzzle which, oddly, made her face look out-of-proportion with the rest of her. Her silky coat drove my mom nuts because it always looked unbrushed, but after several tries at different lengths in a puppy cut, she's found a nice, manageable cut that seems to even out Dorry's proportions. The legs being left just a little bit fluffier but not going as short on the body as I do with my Keegan (Dorry's littermate), it blends seamlessly sort of like a poodle's puppy cut does. And, with frequent bathing due to oily-ness (opposite problem than my yorkies have), she dries faster and is ready to romp with those wild, gangly front legs flying much more happily than with the longer coat.
Good luck with your cutie!

[barneysmommmy]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I literally slept on it last night and I still can't make up my mind. My favorite cut is the overall puppy cut. But I'm just not sure how he'll look in it with his legs. We go in half an hour. So I better make up my mind fast. I guess worst case scenario, he will look awkward for 5 or 6 months as it grows back out.

[ladyjane]

Looking forward to seeing pictures!

[barneysmommmy]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Looking forward to seeing pictures!

Well, I chickened out. On a positive note, the groomer said he had very few tangles and I haven't been faithful about brushing every night. So I guess that's a good thing. Here he is in all his hairy glory. She gave him a sanitary trim and did his nails.

[barneysmommmy]

Here's a better photo of the cut and his leggy legs.

[ladyjane]

He is adorable!!!

[barneysmommmy]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

He is adorable!!!

Thank you! He has filled a hole in our (my family's) hearts that we didn't think could be filled.

[KeeganRiley]

Awww! He's adorable! And his coat is so pretty. (BTW, the squeaky rubber chicken is my boy's all-time favorite toy.)
Glad his grooming went well!