When and how to do a haircut?

Spitz dogs have a long and surprisingly beautiful coat, which requires delicate and regular care. One of its elements is a regular haircut. This article will discuss how and when you need to cut Spitz and whether it is worth doing a haircut.

It’s worth mentioning right away that experienced breeders do not recommend grooming these pets. It is allowed only in situations, some of which are described below.

• Regrowth of hair. Long hair clearly prevents the animal from running and playing calmly. This is especially true for Spitz short, in which the hair is so long that it can interfere with movement.
• Mud. After numerous walks, the animal’s hair fell heavily, thick and dirty tundles formed, which could not be removed with a comb or washed off.
• Temperature threshold When the warm season (early spring, summer) begins, it is extremely inconvenient for Spitzs with their lush fur coat to be in the sun. Due to the severity of the coat, the dog quickly gets tired and suffocates.
• Diseases Hair cutting is recommended in cases where wool has become a haven for harmful insects or bacteria that cannot be washed off with plain water. In addition, a large amount of dust and dirt often accumulates in long hair, which can cause inflammatory or allergic processes on the skin.
• Molting. During periods of molting, young Spitzs throw off a huge amount of wool. Typically, these processes begin to occur already from the age of three months. Some owners prefer to simply cut short the Spitz so as not to engage in constant cleaning.

It is not recommended to cut Spitz for several reasons.

• Protection. Hair for Spitz, and especially for young individuals, is like a life jacket that protects them from frost, temperature spikes and annoying insects. If you cut off this cover, the Spitz is extremely vulnerable to colds.
• The claim that Spitz needs a haircut before the summer season can be controversial. In dogs, perspiration does not occur as in humans - not through the skin. They prefer to fight heat through their tongue sticking out.

• Attempts to “fool molting” when right during this process, the owners simply cut the entire upper hairline, are fraught with the same consequences. You can also fight against molting and summer heat in another way - constantly comb your dog using an ordinary comb and a slicker.

• Mental condition. Any haircut causes attacks of fear and aggression in Spitz, consider such a procedure a huge blow to the psyche of the animal, especially with regard to haircut.

On some resources you can find information about exactly when you need to take your pet to the very first haircut. However, from the above, you should already have understood that this procedure should be carried out only in case of urgent need. The same applies to the regularity of Spitz haircuts - if you take into account the situations in which the grooming of these dogs is really necessary, then you will have to take the dogs to the groomer no more than 2-3 times a year.

Grooming allows you to make the hairline of dogs shorter, forms beautiful hairstyles, while not touching the undercoat, which performs a protective function.

Not so long ago, a beautifully trimmed Spitz was an obligatory “attribute” of any self-respecting lady at social events in Germany and the USA. These dogs had long hair, which allowed them to create amazing hairstyles.

• Under boo. It is considered a very fashionable and successful haircut for dwarf breeds of Spitz. Animals trimmed in this way can often be found on social networks - they become the heroes of jokes and different stories. In this haircut, the main emphasis is on the most miniature and plush body with uniform paws and a large round head with small, slightly protruding ears. With all its appearance, such a Spitz resembles a little teddy bear who escaped from the forest. Small black bear eyes and a small miniature nose give an ironic look to the image.

• Short or home haircut. It is the simplest type of haircut, since it does not require any additional tasks from the owner. A certain layer of wool is simply removed from the pet, leaving at the same time no more than 3-5 cm together with the undercoat.

• Hygienic haircut. A simple type of haircut, but requiring regular care from the owner to maintain a well-groomed appearance.

• Under the lion. It is the most controversial type of haircut, since in this case the hair is removed so carefully that it practically does not recover in the future. Haircut involves the complete shaving of the hair on the body of the Spitz from the muzzle up to the shoulder blades.On the head, crown, nape and chest, as well as on the tips of the paws and tail, the hair remains, forming a kind of mane and the likeness of a lion's exterior.

The choice of haircuts for the Spitz depends on several factors. They are distinguished by experienced breeders who take their Spitz to various competitions, exhibitions and public receptions.

• goal. If you are cutting your Spitz exclusively for practical purposes, then you should choose the most simple haircuts that will not interfere with the animal itself and will not yet require adjustment. If your goal is an exhibition, then you should think about some extravagant form of hairstyle.
• Pet's place of residence. For domestic Spitz, who spend most of their time at home, it makes no sense to choose some intricate haircuts. There is also no need to especially monitor the length of the hairline - after all, at home it is very difficult to catch a cold. If your Spitz is constantly on the street, participating in competitions or exhibitions, then it is worth choosing at the same time an unusual, but also a warm haircut, which will not allow him to get sick or injure his skin.
• A kind of spitz. On some breeds, for example, on German Wolfs Spitz, extravagant hairstyles will look ridiculous - this is a watchdog breed of dogs that rarely participates in any competitions. You should also think about the breed of the animal and imagine whether the hairstyle will contrast with this look.
• The color of the animal. Some types of haircuts look good only on animals with a certain shade of hair. For example, haircuts under Leo will look great only with representatives of Spitz red and fire colors. But the haircut under the Bu will look great with white and black individuals. You should also pay attention to the color of the undercoat of the animal - this can greatly affect the overall image of the Spitz after shearing.

Most often, a professional haircut, or grooming, is carried out in specialized salons by masters, but even an inexperienced breeder can cope with the simplest hygienic haircut at home. Those who just started a dog and have no idea about grooming pets should still go to the salon for the very first time and just watch the grooming process.

The secret of cutting any Spitz is that it is carried out in three stages: combing, bathing, cutting itself.

Preparation involves the initial treatment of the animal's hairline. In order for this stage to go as calmly as possible and not cause undue panic in the pet, try to follow the rules described below.

• Hair should always be combed against hair growth, that is, from the tail to the crown. It is in this case that you can get to the lowest layers and the undercoat, in which the warlocks are often formed.
• Buy a soft, durable wooden brush with thin and frequent teeth in advance. Make sure that the comb or brush is sensitive to the hair - it should not tear or break it.
• Do not overdo it with the duration of combing. For full training, 10-15 minutes of quiet work are often enough. Especially try not to brush the undercoat with a brush so as not to deprive the fur coat of the pet of natural fluff.
• Since any thorough combing is dangerous for the skin, try to choose combs with gentle and rounded teeth. If wounds or scratches form on the skin of the animal, it is likely that they will fester, turn red and may cause, if not inflammation, then ordinary discomfort in the dog.
• Be sure to remove all tangles and knots in the wool. For comfortable and quick removal, you can use a special spray.
• For all haircut procedures, you should choose a specific place where the pet would feel as safe as possible. If you are going to mow a puppy at all, it is better to hold him in your arms during the course of the procedure - so he will rather get used to the fact that there is nothing wrong with these actions and will be more calm in your arms.

After preparing and combing, start bathing. Just like a haircut, it should be carried out extremely rarely and at the discretion - no more than 2 times in six months. If, after a walk, your pet’s paws or butt are dirty, rinse only certain parts of the body without touching the main coat.

List of tools that you may need for carrying out water procedures.

• First of all, special shampoos on a liquid or dry basis, as well as conditioners for Spitz with a thick undercoat.
• Antistatic - useful to you at the time of cutting hair. Because of their long lengths, Spitz hair is often electrified and can cause electrical discharges that will harm you or the animal itself.
• Powders or bleaches, special shampoos for fair hair, designed to return a natural color.
• An ordinary pile or linen towel that you do not mind.
• Spitz has a rather long coat and a thick undercoat that dries slowly and hard. That is why a hairdryer is also useful to you.

The bathing procedure itself also takes place in 3 stages.

• Preparation. At this point, plug the dog’s ears with cotton swabs (to prevent water from entering), then put the dog in the bathroom. The first step is to thoroughly rinse the pet’s hair with plain water, choosing a suitable temperature in advance. Try not to hurt your head and crown at the same time.
• Water treatments. After you dampen the entire body of the pet, apply a little shampoo to the sponge or rag and smoothly apply it evenly over the entire length of the hair. Then, with your fingers, a little foam it and make sure that there are no tangles.
• Drying. After waiting for literally half a minute, begin to slowly wash off the shampoo under running water, apply conditioner, and thoroughly rinse all the hair again. After the procedure, wipe the pet a little with a towel, and then use a hairdryer. You should not trust drying the spitz itself - they themselves will dry for a very long time.

During the drying process, adhere to the following rules.

• At the very beginning, set the hairdryer to a temperature that is comfortable for the pet.
• Use a large comb with frequent cloves to raise your hair against its growth. Use a hairdryer to shape your hair and dry your hair.
• First dry the undercoat itself, and then the patches of raised hair.
• Do not hold the hair dryer in one place for a long time and in no case should you bring it close to the skin. The process of drying with a hairdryer should be carried out very quickly - in just a couple of minutes.
• After drying, comb the pet again, but along the hairline to check the purity of the coat and prepare it for the haircut itself.

Tools that may be useful to you in the process of cutting (most of them can be found at home):

• small sharp scissors - to get to hard-to-reach areas;
• blunt-tip scissors - to work near the undercoat and delicate skin;
• thinning scissors - useful for thinning out the thickest areas of wool on the chest, crown and abdomen;
• several combs with different lengths and different texture of the teeth;
• also grab a massage brush - It can come in handy for effective combing of hair and soothing the animal.

Below you will see a step-by-step outline of a haircut for an ordinary Spitz. Remember that the sequence of processing of wool may vary depending on the type of haircut.

• The ears. Define the edge of the animal’s ears and grip it between the fingers. The protruding hair should be carefully cut to the desired length. On the ears themselves, hair rarely grows, so do not touch them.
• Collar. Grooming masters usually choose a circular method of cutting their heads. In this case, the front of the hair is aligned with the comb down, and the back is simply combed against the growth line to the back of the head. After you have visually imagined the dimensions of the so-called “mane”, you should pinch the required length of hair with your fingers and carefully walk with normal scissors all over the back of the head to the crown. Try to choose the correct length of the haircut so that as a result the correct semicircle forms on the back of the head. To continue the circle, you must set the correct length for the chest and chin. As a result, you should get an almost perfect circle, from the chest to the crown and the back of the head.
• Rear part. Since most breeds of Spitz love to tighten the tail to the anus, it should be raised and placed on the back of the animal. After that, gently comb the hair along the hairline in different directions. Here you should cut only the largest hairs, which can really interfere with the pet. Before the procedure, it is recommended to determine for the pet the borders of the back, along which you will move during the haircut. It is necessary to ensure that the length of the hairline near the anus coincides with the future length of the rest of the hair. For a haircut in this area, it is better to choose scissors with blunt or rounded teeth.
• Tail. In order to correctly cut the tail, you must first carefully comb it along the hairline and place it on the back of the animal. Then divide it into two parts - left and right, and remove the longest and protruding wool with scissors on both sides. As a result, you should get an even, but fluffy and luxurious tail.
• Limbs and paws. The hair on the paws is leveled and combed in the same way; special attention should be paid to the wool between the pads. To do this, use small scissors with blunt tips.
• Since after such procedures your Spitz may look unnaturally round or even sharp, take advantage conventional thinning scissors to give the whole coat a more neat and natural look.

For how to trim the spitz, see the next video.