# Brave or Stupid?



## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

I'm not personally a fan of the fully shaved ear. I don't like the leathery look and some dogs don't have the ear set to pull it off. I do like a short trimmed ear on a boy though. Very masculine! 

Before you go all the way and shave, why not try an intermediate step. Have the ear feathering scissored up to the leather and then shorter on the leather itself. See if you like a shorter look before you commit the ear grooming version of the "Brazilian"!


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

I did a very short summer cut on Flash last year, including the ears. The trick to making shaved ears work with a summer clip is to take the ears down with a #5 or #7 blade rather than going fully clean. (I use either the same bblade as the body, or one size shorter).

I've done this look once or twice on minis as well, and it usually looks great, as long as the topknot is trimmed short. Leaving a long top above a naked neck and ears tends to make the dog look like he's wearing a helmet.


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

cbrand said:


> I'm not personally a fan of the fully shaved ear. I don't like the leathery look and some dogs don't have the ear set to pull it off. I do like a short trimmed ear on a boy though. Very masculine!
> 
> Before you go all the way and shave, why not try an intermediate step. Have the ear feathering scissored up to the leather and then shorter on the leather itself. See if you like a shorter look before you commit the ear grooming version of the "Brazilian"!


Good point! I used a 3/4 inch guide on Flash's ears for quite awhile before I could fully commit to shaving. It's a good compromise, and it won't take nearly as long to grow out if you don't like it.


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## Lincoln Love (Mar 9, 2010)

Savannah said:


> I did a very short summer cut on Flash last year, including the ears. The trick to making shaved ears work with a summer clip is to take the ears down with a #5 or #7 blade rather than going fully clean. (I use either the same bblade as the body, or one size shorter).
> 
> I've done this look once or twice on minis as well, and it usually looks great, as long as the topknot is trimmed short. Leaving a long top above a naked neck and ears tends to make the dog look like he's wearing a helmet.


Hi Savannah. Do you have a picture of flash like that?


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## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

This is my parti with shaved ears..she isn't in a very short clip but i take her ears down with a 5 blade.


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## Lincoln Love (Mar 9, 2010)

*thanks*



Aidan said:


> This is my parti with shaved ears..she isn't in a very short clip but i take her ears down with a 5 blade.


Thanks Aidan. I like it!


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## Lincoln Love (Mar 9, 2010)

*like this?*

I am thinking the cut would look similar to this, but with the poms..... Am I making a mistake? I think it might be interesting  Feeling like it's all or nothin'.....


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

If/when you shave the ears, start from the bottom and go up, don't start at the base of the ear and go down. When I did Vegas's I shaved the inside first then started at the tip and went up. Not all of his ear is shaved, there's about an inch at the top that still has the same amount of hair because I wanted to keep that OMG HUGE TOPKNOT look.

I looooove the look of shaved ears growing out, so now I'm going to do that. 

I'm personally not a fan of long ears on any dog minus spaniels. I think super long ears (esp with a small topknot) look awful. xP That's just my opinion though!

Like, right now I think Aidan's Vega looks so handsome with his growing out shaved ears. ^^


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## Paris-London (Mar 2, 2010)

Well it's just hair, it will grow back ----eventually that is!

Ears take FOREVER to grow back I learned that the hard way and regret shaving them everyday - so good luck!


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## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

Yeah...i'm never shaving Vega's ears again but i do keep them neatened up because i dont want them long either.

His ear leather is really long so when they're shaved he just looks weird to me... lol


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## Mister (Sep 10, 2008)

Its totally up to you on what clip you want on your Spoo. But personally i would not shave the ears. I dont like the look of short ears or shaved ears. If you decided to go that way just remember that it will be mroe upkeep to have the ears looking clean and tidy all the time just like the feet and face.
Also please be very careful when shaving the ears with anything but a #10....a #7 or #5 or a #4 have wider teeth therefore easier to get the clippers caught on the ears. Also when scissoring around the ears be sure to have your thumb and index finger holding the end of the leather so you wont cut into his ear...this way if anyone gets cut its you.


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## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

I am only a fan of shaved ears when it suits the dog - and I think yours would look great in it!


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## rjen (Apr 7, 2010)

Sorry can't I like poodle Poof


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

Riley has had his ears shaved for a few years now. I really like it on him, and it just suits him. I however didnt like it when his ears were shaved down with a 30 blade. For my dog i didnt like it (but Vinnies ears i think it is adorable). I use a 5F on Rileys ears and tail and like that much better. I woudlnt automaticlly shave all my poodles ears though. Just depends. 
In my recent thread of Riley groomed i just shaved his ears with a 5 blade.


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

Fluffyspoos said:


> If/when you shave the ears, start from the bottom and go up, don't start at the base of the ear and go down. When I did Vegas's I shaved the inside first then started at the tip and went up. Not all of his ear is shaved, there's about an inch at the top that still has the same amount of hair because I wanted to keep that OMG HUGE TOPKNOT look.
> 
> I looooove the look of shaved ears growing out, so now I'm going to do that.
> 
> ...



You should only go reverse if you are using a short blade (10 or shorter) and if you want them to be CLEAN. Using a 7, 5, or 4 against the grain makes it much easier to cut the dog, and the same look can easily be achieved with a short blade going with the grain. I only like clean ears when the dog has a lot of head and neck fur to contrast. Otherwise, a 5 or 7 blade looks best IMO.

I actually don't know how to post pictures here (can someone please help me with that?) but the pic you posted of the gray spoo is pretty darn close. I think that topknot length is perfect, although you should match it to the pompons somewhat. If the poms are way fluffier than the top it can look unbalanced.


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

Mister said:


> Its totally up to you on what clip you want on your Spoo. But personally i would not shave the ears. I dont like the look of short ears or shaved ears. If you decided to go that way just remember that it will be mroe upkeep to have the ears looking clean and tidy all the time just like the feet and face.
> Also please be very careful when shaving the ears with anything but a #10....a #7 or #5 or a #4 have wider teeth therefore easier to get the clippers caught on the ears. Also when scissoring around the ears be sure to have your thumb and index finger holding the end of the leather so you wont cut into his ear...this way if anyone gets cut its you.


Haha, long ears are WAY more upkeep than short! all the brushing and washing is completely eliminated when they're shaved, and they no longer drag in the water bowl, food dish, and in the dog's mouth! It takes me all of 4 minutes to shave and edge Flash's ears, and I only have to do it every three weeks (when I do his FFTT).

You make a good point though--be careful clipping ears! Always angle your clippers toward the outside edges of the ear. If you run them along the edge of the ear, the leather can easily get pulled into the blade teeth and cut.


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## Dante's Mom (Apr 14, 2010)

Lincoln Love said:


> Hi friends! I am feeling very brave (or stupid) and want to have Lincoln's ears shaved at his next groom.


Well, I guess I'm right there with you on brave or stupid, lol! I am having my mini's ears shaved today at the groomers. Good thing it will grow out if I hate it!


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

Bernie- when i hand scissored his ears (to about 3/4"-1" length) i loved this look. 










Bernie with them shaved (10 blade going with the grain)


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## Lincoln Love (Mar 9, 2010)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the pictures friends!!


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## flufflvr (Mar 20, 2010)

Every year I put Liberty in the Miami with short ears. Here's two pics of a few yrs ago:









We'd just gotten back from hiking all day, so she's looking ragged, but hopefully it'll give you an idea.


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## Lincoln Love (Mar 9, 2010)

*Thanks*



flufflvr said:


> Every year I put Liberty in the Miami with short ears. Here's two pics of a few yrs ago:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


THANKS for the great pics..... How long did it take for the ears to get long again?


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## flufflvr (Mar 20, 2010)

I actually really like Liberty's ears layered. If they're all one length and long they get WAY too poofy and stick out about 5 inches from her head. The top pic shows the shortest they've ever been. 

In about 9 or 10 months I'm back to trimming them because they're in her mouth again.
I love it when the ear hair is about an inch, and it's all soft and clean and curly, like the bottom picture, so now I just trim them to that length and let them grow. By September/October, when it's time for her to grow out a winter clip again, her ear hair is long enough not to look funny.


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## Lincoln Love (Mar 9, 2010)

*i like it*

I found a picture! I think He will look like this...... It may happen next week.


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