# Rear legs grooming?



## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

I like the first one, I think it looks perfect!


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## Jelena (Aug 20, 2010)

Olie thanks for answering!

This summer I decided to shorten Eko's body coat but to leave his mane (mane - is that the right term?), he was in puppy clip before.










I would like some comments on his hind legs and buttocks 

PS Now I'm growing his coat back to puppy clip


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

In America, dogs like the 1st one are very rare...that is a European groom. Those legs have a lot of curvy flare....on your pup, you need to grow hair on the hocks....but you are 3/4 of the way there already. I love an admire your courage to do such a daunting groom. Its is labor intensive and would be very costly to have done by a groomer-IF your could find one that knows what they are doing!!!


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## Jelena (Aug 20, 2010)

partial2 thanks for commenting and thank you for your inspiring words, that photo was taken about two months ago, now we are pretty much close to a full Scandinavian clip. My boy is three years old now and I'm keeping him in long coat just to practice grooming, I'm not showing him actively any more.

This is my best (think so) achievement so far (February this year)









I'm not that much confident and each grooming session for me is a lot of thinking before scissoring (which is slowing the process a lot :doh, but I'm determined to improve and trying to learn more. I also, besides rear legs, have problems with forming jacket to be smooth and right shaped.

So back to the thread, I'd like to see some pics of American grooming too, to compare with European style. I hope some people here are willing to share their knowledge with us who are just starting and help a bit  .

We have a few groomers that are brilliant and respected through out Europe. But I'm trying to learn to do it myself, it's not that much of a pleasure to pay someone to groom my dog compared to my do-it-yourself attempts  . Of course while showing Eko his breeder did most of the grooming, and still is willing to help anytime.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

What I can't take my eyes off is the huge, round chest....actually the whole BALL of the body. American Continentals are much more PEAR shaped. As far as "perfect scissoring", it will eventually come naturally, as if the scissors are an extension of your fingers and your mind. Your eyes see a ridge of hair, and your hand will eventually glide over it and make it disappear. You probably are "thinking" too much. I learned an excercise in scissoring. Turn on a good dance song and begin "air scissoring". Pretend your are on a topline, under the rib and just click away......the point is to be fluid in your movements, not choppy and definitely NOT THINKING. You are concentrating on the beat and rhythm of the music....the scissoring is done to the beat. Practice keeping your wrist straight and just dance around with the scissors going right, left, up, down, diagonal. Have fun, use the cheaper scissors to scissor dance with....and save your long straights and nice curves for the real dog. Limber up, relax and visualize but dont over-analyze.


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## Cameo (Feb 5, 2010)

Jelena said:


> partial2 thanks for commenting and thank you for your inspiring words, that photo was taken about two months ago, now we are pretty much close to a full Scandinavian clip. My boy is three years old now and I'm keeping him in long coat just to practice grooming, I'm not showing him actively any more.
> 
> This is my best (think so) achievement so far (February this year)
> 
> ...


I'm no expert at paint, but here's what I would change. I would tighten up on the jacket. Bring it in on the chest and the underline should come up to the elbow (no lower). Fill in the blended area on the back and make it a more definate difference between the jacket and the scissored area on the rear (more like a continental). Take off some of the hair on the back of the leg under the point of the rump to accentuate the angulation. I'd also take off some of the hair on the back of the front legs to give him some length. I feel there is just entirely to much hair there, but then it could be, the way he's standing.


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## Jelena (Aug 20, 2010)

partial2 thanks that is great idea, music would probably help a lot! I'm gonna try more DOING and less THINKING.

Cameo you gave me some really good advices, now I know what to change next time! Thank you very much! 

I'll try to do some 'photoshoping' too


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