# Opinion - Shaved face or no?



## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

So I recently shaved my entire spoo 'Tux'. Reason was, he was very matted in his top knot area (I know, I'm bad, but I've learned from this lol) I really really love the Lamb or German clip and usually keep Tux's legs really wide looking and his top knot long (of course I'll be combing waaay more often when it gets longer).

Anyways, do you all think it's too early to shave his face without a full grown top knot? Attached are two pics from yesterday.

I'm scared to do it! lol

Feedback please! 
Thanks everyone,
James


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Sure, I love a shaved face!


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Oh a shaved face really lets you see the noble poodle nose! It's a wonderful profile. Never a bad choice!


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

I vote for a shaved face on Tux! No need to wait


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

I like short ears and a fuzzy face. 

But not that fuzzy.  

Go for it!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I too am in the shaved face camp!!! Not only lets you see their wonderful faces, but it is so nice to feel and a 'clean' face doesn't get stinky!!! Take a look at Michelle's clip on her pup.....she took the TK down too and it looks fab with a clean face! It's in the pictures thread.....


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

shaved face. doesn't your dog sometimes come up to you for a pet or to beg after drinking water? i told my lowchen to "scoot" so often because of that dripping face! one more reason i'm going for a poodle the next time around.


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

Hmmmm alright! 

Thanks everyone! I *think* I'm gonna do it! Lol very nervous hehe

I'll post a pic when it's done :S


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

If you shave his face the tk will look longer. Or you could also leave a stache


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

What a beautiful pup!!!!!! Gorgeous!!

I LOVE that haircut on him!! It's very very huggable,  but he would look gorgeous either way! 

I've always kept my poodles in the same haircut.

But it happened to me also... That I recently let them get matted up  I felt like a horrible poodle-mom but I did learn from it also, I was so busy that my priorities went all wrong for a bit so now they're back in place. POODLES ALWAYS COME FIRST 

But because they were matted I decided to shave them down all the way nekkid!!! And lots of poodle forum members had asked me repeatedly that they wanted to see a smooth face of mah babies! 

So I thought ... Oh what he heck! 
And shaved Lou's face for the first time ever! Hehehehe 

I LOVE ALL POODLE HAIRCUTS! especially the CC, MIAMI and LAMB clips!

But my poodles have "their own signature look" LOL 

And I can't wait till they look like themselves again!! 

But it's fun to try new looks, poodles are soooooo versatile!


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## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

dial59 said:


> So I recently shaved my entire spoo 'Tux'.
> Anyways, do you all think it's too early to shave his face without a full grown top knot? Attached are two pics from yesterday.
> 
> HI James
> ...


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Oh to me a poodle is not a poodle without a shaved face. That is where they get their expression, their look. So, count me in the "Shaved face" vote.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I don't even think poodles look like poodles without a shaved face, or at least quite short. Shave it, you will love it! You really don't want your awesome poodle to look like a doodle do you?


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## Bellesdad0417 (May 18, 2014)

Clean face all the way except with a twist, check out my former black male rocking a goatee. 

We had Finn's looking good too but some loopy groomer where we boarded him shaved it off, so were working on bringing it back.

The other is Belle BTW they are both over the rainbow bridge, they were a nice pair.


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

Hey everyone!

Thanks alot for all the suggestions and votes!  I didn't expect to get so much feedback! I'm starting to love this forum hehe

Soooo, my wife doesn't want to shave his face..., I'm VERY close to convincing her, and I might just do it anyways but maybe not tooo short lol. She likes the doodle look haha, and I like the in-between.. I like the stache and goatie ideas tho.

I will keep you posted 
James


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

Bellesdad0417 said:


> Clean face all the way except with a twist, check out my former black male rocking a goatee.
> 
> We had Finn's looking good too but some loopy groomer where we boarded him shaved it off, so were working on bringing it back.
> 
> The other is Belle BTW they are both over the rainbow bridge, they were a nice pair.


The black male's goatie is AWESOME!! plus on Tux, he has some white on his chin too, so it'll probably be pretty cool haha


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

I might start with a 4F and then see how that looks and then a 10 max.. lol


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

Beautiful either way, but I would not want anyone to think I passed on a Poodle and got a Doodle... for that reason alone, I would shave that face.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I always make it clear they are both 100% poodle! And people have actually told me they will consider a poodle because of how "cute" my 2 look and because I told them "Pom poms are NOT required" even though I love nice round Pom poms 

I think it's ok to educate people on how PERFECT poodles are.. In ANY haircut  (even a horrible shave-down done by their momma! When they look chewed-up LOL) 

Good morning y'all! Poodle cuddles rock! 

we're Spoo-ning


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## vickaandjz (Aug 27, 2014)

The most important thing is what YOU think looks best. I don't think it is too early at all. But full disclosure, I am one of those in the shaved face camp. I also like the shaved feet, bracelets/pom poms, miami cut. I occasionally hear people say "I don't want the 'poodle cut'," or "I don't want my poodle to be cut to look like a poodle." I never understood that! I mean, I am not a fan of the continental or certain other traditional cuts for my dog (totally understand they are good for others), but I want my dog to look like a poodle. If I didn't, I would have gotten a different breed. Ultimately, I like to look at my girl's face/eyes. When she gets shaggy, I am not a fan of the look. I don't want her looking like a doodle, airedale, Portuguese water dog, etc (but again, that's just me).

Anyhow, to each their own, right?! Worst case, play around and figure out what works for you and your pooch. If you shave it now and don't like it, it will grow back...and the top knot will be even longer by that point! Best of luck!


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

I'm in the shaved face camp also but I do love Lou's fuzzy faced Spoos.

Rick

Which reminds me, Penny is waaaay passed due for her haircut.


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## vickaandjz (Aug 27, 2014)

PoodleRick said:


> I'm in the shaved face camp also but I do love Lou's fuzzy faced Spoos.
> 
> Rick
> 
> Which reminds me, Penny is waaaay passed due for her haircut.


I agree...Lou is a handsome fella, shaved face or no shaved face! I guess that is really the point. These dogs are freakin awesome either way!


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## vickaandjz (Aug 27, 2014)

Lou said:


> I always make it clear they are both 100% poodle! And people have actually told me they will consider a poodle because of how "cute" my 2 look and because I told them "Pom poms are NOT required" even though I love nice round Pom poms
> 
> I think it's ok to educate people on how PERFECT poodles are.. In ANY haircut  (even a horrible shave-down done by their momma! When they look chewed-up LOL)
> 
> ...


Haha...that made me chuckle.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I always debate this with myself - fluffy face looks adorable, like a live stuffed animal. But then shaved just makes my heart skip a beat - the sculpted contours of the face, the perfect little nose, and those elegant almond eyes are all revealed when you clip the face!
I can barely make it a week without clipping my puppy Timi - it is like unwrapping a gift to see how much prettier she got this week!


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## Bermuda Onyx (Apr 30, 2013)

Im in the shaved face camp too. Onyx always gets all sorts stuck in the hair around hos mouth whenever it gets too long!

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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

All your poodles are beautiful!!!! wow!

Love this breed too


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

Depends on if you like it or not. You can always try it out and go back to the fuzzy face if you prefer. I prefer fuzzy face and feet on my guy with short ears myself.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

dial59 said:


> The black male's goatie is AWESOME!! plus on Tux, he has some white on his chin too, so it'll probably be pretty cool haha


My spoo is creamy white, and everyone thought he was a girl. He has sported a clean face with a 1" long beard for 4 years  I do wipe his face/chin off after eating with a damp wash cloth each time he eats because it does pick up stuff. He gets so many compliments, from both men and women.


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

I kinda like both! Pippin looks cute with some fuzz on her face but looks elegant with a shaved beak... despite her not being an elegant dog!

Pushkin I like better with some fur on and I usually leave him a bit of a moustache too.

Oh for the joy of poodle fur... it's so versatile!!! And the face grows back in soooo quickly!


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

A 4F would be a good compromise. Not totally clean shaven, but not a doodle face either. Just a nice plush muzzle.


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

I did it!!! I sorta gave him a goalie.. Eeeeeeeek

What u think!?


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

*goatie* (autocorrect)


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## DizzyIzzy (Mar 23, 2014)

What a Handsome Face!!! He looks Good


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I LOVE IT ! I even like his short TK, very manly looking.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Looks good. I just did Penny to. Here's a before and after. Still gotta do the body. 

Rick


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

PoodleRick said:


> Looks good. I just did Penny to. Here's a before and after. Still gotta do the body.
> 
> 
> 
> Rick



Penny looks soooooo good! I can't wait for Tux's tk to grow more haha


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

dial59 said:


> Penny looks soooooo good! I can't wait for Tux's tk to grow more haha


Thanks, I like his short TK. He looks sporty.

Rick


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I love the shaved face so much that I shave my PWDs also. They look cute with a little bit of face hair but ,just like the poodle face, I love to see the muzzle clearly and the eyes clearly with no face hair in the way. I'm a nose kisser. So maybe that is the reason why, plus a shaved face is just so practical (less food and water stuck in the face hair).

I admire all of you people with poodles with long ears. If the ears are long enough, the TK doesn't seem as important to get that poodley look, but I can't imagine keeping those long ears clean. So when I get my mpoo, I'll probably shave the face, clip the ears short and have a TK. I do like the sporting clip with the pompoms on the feet. I also admire the bell bottoms on the legs but that is more long hair to keep groomed.

When push comes to shove, I usually keep the body hair short with a 4F so that I don't have to worry about tangles and mats so much.

I think Tux looks very handsome with a shaved face. The little goatie is more manly and is a good compromise.

Your Tux with the clip he has right now reminds me of my PWD Dasher (now at Rainbow bridge). Their coloring is similar. The PWD just has a wider, shorter muzzle like a lab. The poodle face is much longer and leaner. Except for that, they look alike. Hope that does not offend you, Dial59. I love both breeds.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Omigosh! Tux looks amazing! You did a fantastic job! He looks dashing - and I even like the shorter topknot on him, now that he has his cool goatee! Well done! 

Rick, Penny looks gorgeous!!! 

I"m going to have to step up my game. I really admire all of you who do some or all of your poodle grooming yourselves.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

nifty said:


> Omigosh! Tux looks amazing! You did a fantastic job! He looks dashing - and I even like the shorter topknot on him, now that he has his cool goatee! Well done!
> 
> Rick, Penny looks gorgeous!!!
> 
> I"m going to have to step up my game. I really admire all of you who do some or all of your poodle grooming yourselves.


Thanks but I started doing my Spoo's hair because of money. I simply couldn't afford $100 every 4 to 6 weeks. So now I've been doing them for nearly 24 years. But now I certainly can afford the grooming but I enjoy doing it myself and look at it as bonding time and I get to really give the body a good once over.

Rick


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

PoodleRick said:


> Thanks but I started doing my Spoo's hair because of money. I simply couldn't afford $100 every 4 to 6 weeks. So now I've been doing them for nearly 24 years. But now I certainly can afford the grooming but I enjoy doing it myself and look at it as bonding time and I get to really give the body a good once over.
> 
> 
> 
> Rick



Same exact reason as Rick.

Money at first, but now I also love the bonding as well!


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

Penny looks so fabulous!! How much does she weigh?


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Yay! for the clean face and I REALLY like the goatee!!!!!!LOL! Are you going to let it get long like Sugarfoot's? It's soooooo 'manly' Hahahaha!!!!!


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Yay! for the clean face and I REALLY like the goatee!!!!!!LOL! Are you going to let it get long like Sugarfoot's? It's soooooo 'manly' Hahahaha!!!!!



Thanks MollyMuiMa!

Yeah! I like the hair long lol... Will take awhile tho.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Suddenly said:


> Penny looks so fabulous!! How much does she weigh?


Thanks. She right around 35 pounds. 

Rick


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Loving both our gorgeous poodles on here! Tux looks great - very masculine! And Penny is just... well... adorable as always!!


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## vickaandjz (Aug 27, 2014)

dial59 said:


> I did it!!! I sorta gave him a goalie.. Eeeeeeeek
> 
> What u think!?
> View attachment 187737
> ...


I dig it! He looks awesome!


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## frecklesdmk (Mar 27, 2013)

The brothers of one of my previous spoo's sometimes go for the punk look. Their owner loves to play with their look


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

frecklesdmk said:


> The brothers of one of my previous spoo's sometimes go for the punk look. Their owner loves to play with their look
> 
> View attachment 188186
> View attachment 188194
> ...



Cool! Hehe poo-hawks...


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

dial59 said:


> I did it!!! I sorta gave him a goalie.. Eeeeeeeek
> What u think!?
> View attachment 187737
> /QUOTE]
> ...


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

PoodleRick said:


> Looks good. I just did Penny to. Here's a before and after. Still gotta do the body.
> 
> Rick


Ha, quoting myself.

I did Penny's body last night and did some touch up this morning. It's still really rough but it's ok. One of these days I'm going to take her to our local groomer so then I'll be able to follow their lines.

Rick


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Weird, I just posted a pic but I don't see it. Hmmm


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Now I see it. How strange.

Rick


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## Bermuda Onyx (Apr 30, 2013)

Sometimes there is a lag. 

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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

PoodleRick said:


> Ha, quoting myself.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looks good Rick!


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