Something Special Award November 2009 Winner

Melissa

I asked my groomer for a puppy cut, but what I got wasn’t what I expected.  Can you tell me what a puppy cut is supposed to look like?

A puppy cut is how show poodles under one year of age are groomed.  The face and feet are shaved close and the rest is hand-scissored.  The top knot and neck are left very long, and only scissored enough to produce the correct outline.

If your dog isn’t a poodle, there is no standard “puppy cut,” so everyone has a different idea about how it’s supposed to look.  For some, it’s fairly short all over, like a newborn puppy.  For others, it’s long and fluffy, like a four- or five-month-old puppy, or it might be anywhere in between.

My advice is to just tell your groomer what you want your “puppy” to look like.  Be specific about the length you want, how you’d like the ears and tail trimmed, and what shape you’d like the face – round or broad like a terrier.  A picture may help, but remember that your dog’s coat texture will affect the final outcome.  Your groomer can’t make a Maltese look like an Airedale, after all!

The Top 10 Reasons to Spay Your Pets...

1. 1. Eliminates unwanted "heat" cycles and the inconvenience of the associated messy discharge and odor.
2. Eliminates attracting every stray male dog/cat in the neighborhood.
3. Eliminates the need for your pet to escape, which can result in serious injuries, i.e. hit by car, dog fight, etc.
4. Eliminates unwanted behaviors such as housebreaking accidents, nesting behaviors that can cause damage to carpets and furniture, and some aggressive behaviors.
5. Eliminates future life-threatening health problems, such as pyometra (uterine infection) and ovarian cancer.  Furthermore, if the female dog/cat is spayed prior to the first heat cycle, it will dramatically reduce the risk of mammary (breast) cancer which is common in older females.
6. Helps control the pet overpopulation crisis by avoiding unwanted pregnancies.
7. Will not change the pet's basic disposition or personality in a negative way.
8. Spayed pets have a tendency to live longer.
9. There is no scientific evidence that your pet will, in any way, benefit from having a "heat" cycle or a litter before spaying, and having a "heat" cycle first can cause serious medical problems and unwanted pregnancies.
10. Due to decreased risk of illness, injury and accidents, you will spend less money at the animal hospital over your pet's lifetime!

1. Helps eliminate annoying sexual behavior such as mounting, spraying or lifting his leg to mark his territory both indoors and outdoors.
2. Eliminates the need to roam the neighborhood in search of a female - roaming that puts them at high risk for potentially life-threatening injuries such as fight wounds and being hit by cars.
3. Dramatically reduces unwanted aggressive behavior.
4. Less roaming, which means less external and internal parasites.
5. Dramatically reduces the chance of developing painful prostate infections, which are very common in un-neutered males.
6. Reduces the chance of developing prostate or testicular cancer.
7. Helps control the pet overpopulation crisis by avoiding unwanted matings.
8. Neutered pets have a tendency to live longer.
9. Will not change the pet's basic disposition or personality in a negative way.
10. Due to decreased risk of illness, injury and accidents, you will spend less money at the animal hospital over your pet's lifetime!