How to Groom a Havanese
- islathehavanese
- Sep 28, 2022
- 2 min read
What is a "puppy cut" anyways?
One of the questions that we get most often is about Isla's grooming. How do we get her face so perfect? How do her legs look like little stumps? How do we keep her white fur so white?
The short answers? Find a good groomer and stay on top of touch-up baths at home.
Let's back up a bit. The best thing you can do for your fur pup is get them used to the grooming experience as early as possible. Start by cleaning their paws in a sink or bathtub with just an inch or two of water, followed by a brush. As they get more comfortable at home, increase the amount of water that is in the tub. Make sure they are used to the sound and feeling of a blowdryer, as most groomers use one as a part of their process.
Going to a groomer
When you take your fur baby for their first grooming, around 12 weeks old, it is common to ask for a puppy cut. A puppy cut is when the fur/hair is cut the same length across the whole body. This allows your pup to get used to the groomer touching and trimming every part.
Once your pup is used to the groomer (who knows, they might actually like the experience!) you can start to ask for custom cuts for different parts of the body. For Isla, we like to ask for a puppy cut with longer ears and "post legs", which keeps them a little longer than the rest of the fur.
How often should should your pup get groomed/bathed?
The answer will depend on your dog and how fast their fur/hair grows. We have found that taking Isla to see her groomer every 6 weeks is perfect! As for bathing at home, we don’t have a set schedule, but we try not to do it too often so that her skin doesn't get dry. We will wash her feet, face or body as needed (some days are just muddier than others).
How often should your brush your pup?
We brush Isla every single day before bed. We introduced her to the feeling of the brush on day one and it has now been built into her routine. Every night at 8pm she waits her no-hide dog bone while she gets a full-body brush. This includes face, ears, legs and the tail. Invest in a good brush and you won't regret it!
The most important thing (in our opinion, from experience) is introducing your pup to the grooming experience (brushing and bathing) as early as possible. Find a groomer that has experience with puppies, and is possible, one that has experience with Havanese puppies. Most groomers are pretty good at duplicating a look if you have a photo of what you want your pup to look like. If you are after Isla's look, save the photo below for your groomer!
Before and after Isla's first puppy cut!
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