# Why a puppy cut?



## Ennui (Apr 10, 2011)

We are getting ready for the first "Full" groom on our Brenin (14 week old puppy.) It is summer, hot and he will be around water. 

I have been shaving face, feet and bum, and his silver is really starting to come through - at the moment he looks like a woman who hasn't touched up her gray for way to long!

I assumed I would do the puppy cut, in prep for a Miami when he was older, but now I wonder if shorter to start would be much better. 

Why is the puppy cut the standard? Is there a coat reason?

I am going to be sad to see the end of the black and gray look. He is so bear like, or kind of a silver back gorilla, but time marches on!


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## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

If your puppy is becoming used to face, feet and tail shaving because you are doing it yourself, there is no reason why you can't have the rest of the hair cut down when he goes to a groomer, just let them know you've been working with him on that already. The main reason we encourage that as groomers is because most people DON'T do those things themselves. Going to a groomer the first time is a different experience and sometimes stressful, so the point of a simple light "puppy" trim and bath is to let them start to get used to those things before we go about clippering and scissoring on the whole body. It's mainly to reduce the stress the first time and help them get used to it. Grooming salons are full of barky dogs and new people and loud dryers, so it can be scary the first time. If you want the body coat cut down for summer, then go for it, if you think he handle it.

Also, it's not entirely uncommon with silver puppies to clip the body coat down short while the puppy is quite young, even with some show dogs. It's done early to take off those fuzzy black tips and help the silver color come through faster, so by the time a dog that is meant to be shown at six or seven months, it has a more even silver color and has grown back enough fluff for the fancy Show Puppy clip. Same goes for a pet. Just keep in mind when you go to pick him up, he'll be a totally different color!


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