Silky? color changing? to cut or not to cut? Im not so sure anymore...

[MaxYorkieBear]

Hello everyone!

I thought this would be the best place to post this since my question is all about my babies hair :]. I comb Lilo daily and although I am not too sure, i think she has a silky coat. She's always had thinner hair and it seems to be growing thicker at the roots. Her hair has already started to part on its own and i decided to take a picture to show you the surprise I found under her chocolate brown coat. She seems to be turning very very blond. almost the exact shade as the hair on her face. She will be 6 months in January and I was wondering if she really does have a silky coat or a modified coat. I would also love to know if you think i should have her groomed to a shorter cut. My original plan was to grow her hair to standard length but as you can see in the pictures there is a huge color change in her hair so i was imagining it looking pretty funky if i just let it grow. Would you suggest just cutting it shorter and growing it from the blond point? Her hair is so long already as it is and almost exactly halfway laying down her side (she has really short legs) and i would feel so sad to see it all go but i know i might have to do it eventually anyway.

So a recap...
Is her hair silky? Or Modified?
Should i let the blond grow out and keep it long?
Or should i bite the bullet and cut it short and get it over with?

[kjc]

She looks silky to me. Color changes can occur many times as the pup grows, even as an adult, and sometimes the hair at the root will change color as it matures, so it's hard to tell exactly what is going on. Medications and medical conditions can cause color changes as well.

If you want to have her in full coat, just let it grow out. Maybe just a trim here and there. The weight of the coat helps to train it to lay right, keep the part straight, and keeps the facial hair going in the right direction. Look at pics of show dogs and copy the parts on the nose for the topknot and beard. Then just maintain and see what happens colorwise.


Her Christmas pic is adorable!

[gracielove]

She does look silky from the photos. It also looks like she is going to be quite a bit lighter in color eventually. Just because the roots look like she is going to be totally light does not mean it is necessarily so though. Usually the coat color does change but it will not be as extreme a change all at once as it seems it will be.
My Gracie's roots were very light at that age also but her fur was so thin I did not want to cut it. She gets cold very easily. As her fur got longer she looked like she had black streaked hair along her body. I just trimmed the black ends off a little at a time and it evened her out nicely. Now she is mostly golden with very few darker hairs that you hardly notice unless you are looking very closely.
Personally, I would let it grow and deal with it as you go. She won't look strange. Nature has a way of doing these things pretty well.

[MaxYorkieBear]

Originally Posted by kjc

She looks silky to me. Color changes can occur many times as the pup grows, even as an adult, and sometimes the hair at the root will change color as it matures, so it's hard to tell exactly what is going on. Medications and medical conditions can cause color changes as well.

If you want to have her in full coat, just let it grow out. Maybe just a trim here and there. The weight of the coat helps to train it to lay right, keep the part straight, and keeps the facial hair going in the right direction. Look at pics of show dogs and copy the parts on the nose for the topknot and beard. Then just maintain and see what happens colorwise.


Her Christmas pic is adorable!

does look silky from the photos. It also looks like she is going to be quite a bit lighter in color eventually. Just because the roots look like she is going to be totally light does not mean it is necessarily so though. Usually the coat color does change but it will not be as extreme a change all at once as it seems it will be.
My Gracie's roots were very light at that age also but her fur was so thin I did not want to cut it. She gets cold very easily. As her fur got longer she looked like she had black streaked hair along her body. I just trimmed the black ends off a little at a time and it evened her out nicely. Now she is mostly golden with very few darker hairs that you hardly notice unless you are looking very closely.
Personally, I would let it grow and deal with it as you go. She won't look strange. Nature has a way of doing these things pretty well.

Thank you both for your input. My bf and I were imagining a half dark half light dog in the future. LOL we've had people comment on how she looked like we had dyed her hair brunette and it was finally growing back blond.so funny. I think i will let it grow for now. We were planning on taking her to the groomers for the first time sometime in January, I have been trimming her paws and giving her sanitary cuts but Im a little nervous about her ears.

So i will be bringing her in for at least her ears and maybe a trim all around. how much do you both suggest we start off with? If i ask for a trim im worried they might cut off more than i would like so would it be better if i told them specifically? I've never had a groomer before so i've been asking my Yorkie Friends and most of them do it themselves.

[morkieholly]

I don't know a thing about the coat but I just wanted to pop in and say she is adorable!!

And as far as the trim, I would be very very specific with the groomer. The first time I had Holly groomed they just about shaved her. I told them I liked the face hair long and it was maybe a half inch long. I was so sad! Just be very detailed, I learned that lesson! Good luck!

[Patti]

Looks silky to me too. Lilo is such a cutie.

[enchilila]

My Betty Boop is 2-1/2 years old and she has changed colors a few times. Even now, she has darker hair showing at the roots. I have so enjoyed watching Betty Boop change colors. It is really a beautiful sight to see as they grow. I have never trimmed her coat and it is about an inch off the floor. I've heard silky coats grow slower than cotton coats. Since my goal was to let Betty Boop's hair grow long, I haven't taken her to a groomer in over a 1-1/2 yrs. Well, I did take her to a groomer a month ago just to shape up her ear hair. I could have done it myself and will from now on. There's really not much to trim if you are letting it grow. I take her to the vet to get her nails trimmed and her anal sacs expressed. I've also read that some groomers will cut the eye hair around the eyes and bridge of nose. When Boop was small, a groomer cut hers and now I can't get it to lay flat and blend in with her mustache. I do the hygiene trim myself.

So, with all that being said, as others have suggested, please write down what you want and show them what you expect from them. Be VERY specific. And, even then, sometimes they will mess it up.

I've always been over-protective so I've made arrangements to have her scheduled as the first one and I've waited on her. I also made sure they are aware that Yorkies can get collapsed tracheas and have asked them to be very careful. I've been to groomers who use the loop around the neck and those that don't.

Good luck! Your baby is adorable!

[MaxYorkieBear]

We were thinking of a mobile groomer so they could come to our home but it's so hard to find reviews or people that actually use them and are also yorkie owners. We're a little to nervous about in store groomers after all the horror stories but her ears are staring to look like butterflies. Cute but unruly. do any of you know of any tutorials on how to trim the ears? That's really all she needs but I've heard of people knicking their ears also and it never being the same. She's been fine with me roughing and grooming her face. I wipe her eyes every morning and clean her ears after bath time.

Thank you all again for the help. It is very much appreciated.

[enchilila]

If you go to the Breeding/Showing/Traveling section and look under Yorkie Grooming Talk, you will find a Grooming Video Tutorial. You can also go to You Tube and find all kinds of tips on how to groom a Yorkie. I just now typed in "Yorkie Grooming Ears" and it pulled up one. Just type in Yorkie Grooming and it will pull up a bunch.

[gracielove]

There are some videos posted in a thread here in the grooming section. One of them shows how she does the ears.
When I take Gracie to the groomer I just have them even off the edges of her long coat. It can get pretty uneven and I find it very hard to get it just right myself. They also trim around her face to give her an even tidy look. The first couple of times I took her the lady did a great job. The third time I think she let her daughter do Gracie. He daughter is just starting out with grooming. I was just furious because she came home looking as though they did nothing but cut her top knot short. I had specifically told them I had been letting it grow out and not to touch it. My blood still boils when I think of it! I would never leave Gracie at a chain store. The place I used to go to was a private home. Her next appointment is at a very "exclusive" place that costs quite a bit more. I won't leave her any where that she has to be for more than an hour and a half. I don't want her sitting for hours in a cage waiting to be done or just sitting after she is done. It's very difficult for me to leave her with strangers. I get the same feeling as I did when I left my kids for their first day at daycare!

[Maximo]

Looks silky to me with a little bit of puppy coat at the ends.

I would be a little nervous about going to a groomer because in many cases, no matter how specific you are, the pup comes back essentially shaved. Recently there was a case here of a pup who looked like yours, and the person was unhappy that cutting the hair off completely changed the color of the pup. The pictures looked like 2 different dogs it was so dramatic.

I would trim the ends yourself and learn how to do ears, feet, and sanitary cut.

Six months is young. Her coat is going to change in color and texture over the next year or more. My Teddy has gone through dramatic color changes the first 2.5 years of his life. Max too. You can check out my photo albums on my personal page to see.

Your baby is adorable!