Grooming a Pekingese at home with scissors: rules

Pekingese - the favorites of ancient Chinese emperors - have a thick fluffy coat that requires careful grooming, combing and periodic trimming. And if show champions need long, well-groomed hair, it only gets in the way for pets. A neat hygienic or shaped haircut for your Pekingese will make life much easier for your furry friend and his owners.

Why and how often are Pekingese cut?

A Pekingese with a short haircut looks neat. Since the long coat constantly mats and needs frequent combing, the Pekingese requires significantly less grooming after grooming:

The dog won't get as dirty outside and will be easier to wash. Drying after washing will also not take so long, which means your pet is less likely to catch a cold.
Short hair is not only practical. It can save your pet's health, especially if the dog is often outdoors - it is easier to find attached and crawling ticks in short hairs. But you shouldn’t shave your dog’s head. It may seem that this way you will save her from the heat, but in reality, the guard hair protects the Pekingese from overheating and the scorching sun, so you should not remove it.
In older dogs, the coat becomes gray and faded, often patchy and of varying lengths. A short-haired old Pekingese will be a neat, handsome dog with regular grooming.

The frequency of the procedure depends on the rate of hair growth of each individual dog, but on average they are cut once every 3-4 months.

How to cut a Pekingese haircut

Pekingese are cut for several reasons:

To make caring for the dog easier, because such coat requires a lot of care;
For the aesthetic appearance of your pet;
So that the pet does not feel hot on warm days and does not suffer from tangles.

If you think that a trimmed Pekingese has an easier time in the heat than an untrimmed one, you are mistaken. Pekingese have very thick hair, and when their owners cut them, they think that they have saved the baby from discomfort. But it is caused not because of high temperature, but because of the specific structure of the pet’s skull. The baby's long coat provides excellent protection from strong sunlight and overheating. In the summer, Pekingese shed a lot and their appearance is no longer the same as in winter.

So, how to cut a Pekingese haircut and what is needed for this procedure? An ordinary haircut is considered to be shortening the hair in the area of the dog's ears, paws and belly. Any owner with at least some knowledge of scissors can trim a Pekingese dog. It is advisable that the scissors are hairdressing scissors and well sharpened.

Where is it better to do grooming: the advantages of salon and home haircuts

If you do not have experience, a professional will do the job faster and better. It is definitely better to entrust the groomer with the pre-show preparation of a thoroughbred animal, so as not to accidentally spoil the exterior - after all, any little thing can affect the rating and title.

If there are no high demands on the appearance, then you can cut your Pekingese haircut yourself at home. Regarding saving money, the situation is twofold - on the one hand, independent work is free, on the other hand, grooming tools are not cheap.

But you will definitely be able to save time – at least on the trip to the salon and back. You don’t have to wait for an appointment at the hairdresser either - the owner can cut his pet’s hair at any free minute.

Where to get a haircut: at home or in a salon

The first full haircut is best done in a salon. A professional groomer will shape the coat and give advice on caring for it. In the salon, the haircut can be done individually, so that the dog will become unlike any other.

The disadvantage of salon grooming is its high price. In addition, not in all cities it is easy to find a grooming salon near your home.

Regular hygienic haircuts can be done at home.

Pekingese haircut options

A short-haired Pekingese can look as varied as the length of the coat and the imagination of the groomer and owner (often in one person) allow. But there are hairstyles that are done according to certain rules, and a Pekingese cut this way will look approximately the same after different hairdressers.

Hygienic

If the pet is not going to shine in the ring, most often it is given a hygienic haircut shorter so that the fur does not get dirty and does not get tangled. This makes caring for the pet easier for the owner – and the life of the dog himself.

The principle of a hygienic haircut is simple - remove the length from panties, neck, trim the ends on the stomach. Sometimes they give a cute shape to the muzzle.

Standard

Standard types are simpler; most groomers can do them, and such options will be offered in any salon. Most of these simple hairstyles are easy to learn to do yourself.

Show-trim

For show dogs, fur is their main asset, so the most that can be done before the show is to slightly trim the ends of the hair to highlight the dog’s advantageous aspects. Much more attention is paid to the condition of the coat - it should be shiny, shining, fluffy and healthy.

Like a puppy

Grooming the Pekingese as a puppy is done with scissors and a clipper. The dog is left 2-3 cm long and its paws are formed into columns. The ears are made oval. Thanks to this hairstyle, your four-legged friend visually loses several years, even if he is already old.

Under the lion

Grooming a Pekingese as a lion is done in a similar way as for a puppy. The difference is that the full length remains on the head and a smooth transition is formed along the neck to the shoulders, and the tip of the tail is crowned with a tassel. The dog becomes like a real lion in miniature.

Shaped

Fashioned or model hairstyles are more complex and therefore require at least an initial level of training. You can’t do this with scissors alone: the tool must be versatile and appropriate. If you still want to experiment, then at least go to the salon for the first time to watch the groomer work, see the required tools, and perhaps get some advice from a professional in terms of grooming.

Another option is to enroll in a grooming course. Owners of several dogs often do this.

Clippework

For this hairstyle you will need a machine, with which the wool is cut to the same length and becomes like plush. Grooming your Pekingese with a clipper helps keep your dog looking neat for a long time.

Top-Knot

This hairstyle is done on many decorative breeds, while the body can be decorated in any way - the main changes concern the head. Usually this option is done for girls: to do this, they leave long hair on the head and ears to tie ponytails, bows, and braid hair. A Pekingese cut this way looks incredibly cute and gentle.

Blanding

This multi-layer technique is one of the most complex and is performed with thinning scissors. To get airy wool that looks like a shaggy cloud, they make smooth transitions for different lengths of wool.

Differences in boys' and girls' hairstyles

For different variations of standard haircuts, in which the body is cut short, the paws are often designed differently, depending on gender - girls are “dressed” in a straight, medium-length skirt, and boys are “dressed” in flared pants.

Step-by-step instruction

Even if you don’t plan to go to a salon to give your pet a fashionable haircut, you need to learn how to do it for hygienic purposes at home. To do this, you need to follow the following step-by-step recommendations:

To begin with, you need to thoroughly bathe your four-legged friend, comb its fur and dry it with a hairdryer. Then inspect your pet and determine the clipping areas;
First of all, take on the body. Using a special clipper, trim the fur from the sides to the tummy;
Next, you need to trim the chest area, belly of the Pekingese and collar;
The paw pads and the spaces between them also need to be treated with scissors.

Remember that you need to trim the hair on all parts of your pet's body using vertical movements.

Which hairstyle to choose for the summer for a boy or a girl is up to you to decide. But it is necessary to carry out such a procedure if you want to ensure that caring for your furry pet does not turn into an endless struggle with tangles. Take proper care of your Pekingese, and it will look very aesthetically pleasing.

Haircut at home

Grooming Pekingese dogs at home requires some preparation from the owner. The dog should be thoroughly washed and dried. It is necessary to prepare a place so that it is convenient for both the hairdresser and the animal, as well as tools and necessary hair cosmetics.

Preparing the place and the dog

The place for the procedure should be under good electric or daylight lighting so as not to miss a single area of fur. Ideally, the dog should be groomed on a special grooming table with an anti-slip coating and a special holder on the bar. But it is quite expensive, so to try out the pen, you can limit yourself to a rubber mat on a regular table.

Before grooming, the dog should be thoroughly combed and tangles removed. If an animal is being groomed for the first time, you need to prepare a treat to reward obedience and calm behavior.

Tools and tools

To implement this plan, you will need the following tools:

Machine. It is better to take a clipper specifically for dogs, and not for people, since the structure of the hair differs. In order not to scare your pet, choose the most silent device.
Several types of scissors: large and small straight, rounded, thinning.
You also need to take several combs: for the downy undercoat you will need a furminator or a special slicker brush. To comb the awn, use a toothed comb and a brush.
Often a manicure is done in parallel with a haircut. In this case, you will need a nail clipper.

All tools should be placed at hand, close to the table, so that you don’t have to reach for them. For cosmetics, you may need mousses and foams, but they are more often used before exhibitions and photo shoots.

Bath procedures

Before the procedure begins, the dog is carefully bathed, being careful not to get water in his ears. It is better to plug them with cotton swabs. For washing, you need to purchase special shampoo and conditioner for long-haired dogs.

After bathing, the washed friend is dried with a towel, dried with a hairdryer and combed again. You need to dry it with slightly warm air, because too hot air can damage the structure of the hair, and very carefully - you will have to make an effort to completely dry the dense undercoat.

Progress of the procedure in stages

The tools are laid out, a photo of a hairstyle is selected, your washed, dried and still furry friend stands quietly on the table. What are the next steps for cutting a Pekingese dog at home?

It is good to comb the fur, ridding your pet of all tangles and tangles. This should be done with a brush, and tangled areas should be sorted out with a comb. If you have complex and voluminous felt boots, it is better to take a welt cutter.
The first thing you need to do is get a manicure, since representatives of this breed walk at a measured pace and for a short time, and their claws do not have time to wear down naturally. There is no need to cut them at the root: they remove a few millimeters, trying not to touch the blood vessel.
After the claws, the paws are decorated - the hair is cut out between the toes and around the metacarpus itself.
Further actions depend on the chosen haircut. If you are getting a clipper cut, then start shaving from the groin, move to the stomach, and then shave the entire body using a nozzle of the selected length. If you don’t have a clipper or you don’t plan to completely remove the length, you need to learn how to trim a Pekingese with scissors. To do this, the body is trimmed with straight, long scissors; if you want more volume, it is created using thinning. Use rounded scissors to form column legs.
After this, they move on to the head - giving it smooth shapes and trimming the ears.
Last of all, the tail is cut - it is usually left in long hair, straightened into a saber shape, or, in the version of the lion haircut, it is shaved bald with a clipper, leaving a tassel on the tail.

After the Pekingese's haircut is completed, the dog is carefully combed again, bows are tied and braids are braided, if this is provided for in the hairstyle.

Why is grooming needed?

Despite the fact that the Pekingese's long coat is highly valued by the jury at various dog competitions and exhibitions, for most owners of this breed, fighting their pet's hair is one of their main concerns.

Home conditions are comfortable for any animal, but it is impossible to completely protect a dog from health problems. Often such problems appear precisely as a result of the neglected appearance of the animal:

tangles from matted fur not only worsen the appearance of the animal, but also interfere with its movement;
excessively long hair gets into the eyes and weighs down the eyelids, which can lead to poor vision;
a long absence of a haircut leads to the fact that the dog’s hair becomes a collection of all the dust and dirt that the Pekingese encounters during a walk;
In spring and summer, various insects, including fleas and ticks, can become entangled in a dog's hair.

It should be remembered that the Pekingese must be cut with caution, taking into account the climatic conditions and the health characteristics of the animal itself. In summer, too short hair will cause overheating, and in winter – hypothermia. Before cutting your Pekingese's hair, you will have to wash your pet with shampoo, which may be contraindicated for animals with dermatological diseases.

Caring for a clipped Pekingese

A trimmed four-legged friend causes much less trouble than a full coat, but this does not mean that he does not require any care at all. Your pet needs to be brushed daily, as even short but soft fur readily becomes tangled.

In especially slushy weather, put on your animal a mud-proof overall so that you don’t wash it completely, but limit yourself to wiping its paws. Dogs of this breed are thoroughly washed every 1.5-2 months, or in case of heavy contamination.

If your pet eats natural food, you can put a bandage on the ears that will not allow them to dip into the bowl, and the face should be wiped with a damp cloth after eating.

If you have learned to cut your four-legged friend's hair yourself, he will always look neat, and you will feel proud of your work.

Types of model haircuts

Modern grooming offers many options for dog haircuts for both boys and girls. However, for Pekingese it is recommended to choose options taking into account the length and quality of the hair of the breed.

Classical

To trim an animal “classically” means to shorten the hair all over the dog’s body to the same length. The only part of the body where hair is left long is the ears.

Under the lion

The “lion” haircut speaks for itself, because the main task of the groomer in this case is to turn the dog into the likeness of a little lion cub, leaving a thick, neat mane on the head and shortening the hair along the rest of the body.

Like a puppy

The fashion for this type of hairstyle came to us from Japan, where dog breeders are touched by the appearance of small puppies. To replicate the image of a one-month-old dog, an adult Pekingese's fur is shortened to 3 cm throughout the body, and the shape of the ears is made oval.

Options for girls and boys

The “boy” and “girl” versions differ in hair length: like humans, female Pekingese have longer hair than male Pekingese.

How to cut your own hair

You can carry out the grooming procedure at home, but there are a few points to consider:

having the right tools;
availability of conditions for haircuts;
the ability to calm the dog and force it to remain in a more or less motionless position for a long time;
patience and the ability to “work with your hands.” If you are preparing for an exhibition and are not sure that you will be able to maintain all the proportions, it is better to trust the professionals.

Tools and equipment

The tools needed for cutting can be easily purchased at a grooming shop or pet store. The main equipment is a clipper and scissors. The first tool can be purchased at a hardware store (there are no specific requirements for it). Scissors should have rounded ends so as not to damage the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and ears.

Additionally, you will need a nail clipper and three types of combs - silicone, with short and long bristles, and also with metal teeth. Such combs are needed for combing out tangles and primary polishing of wool. In addition, it would be useful to get a disposable diaper or oilcloth on which the Pekingese wool will fall, as well as a hairdryer.

detailed instructions

Once you have stocked up on the necessary tools and chosen a haircut model, you can begin grooming. Naturally, detailed instructions for cutting will depend on the specific option, but there are general rules for the process:

First of all, the dog must be washed with shampoo (if the washing was done less than a month ago, then it is possible without detergent), and also dry the hair with a hairdryer.
It is recommended to comb the wool thoroughly - start with a wire brush and finish with a polishing brush. You can comb and dry your hair at the same time.
Next, we carry out all the minor grooming procedures unrelated to the haircut style: trimming nails, caring for the dog’s eyes and ears, trimming excessively long hair around the eyes and inside the ears.
When starting the trimming process directly, they begin by cutting the hair around the intimate area: using a clipper with a medium nozzle, excess hair is removed, after which they carefully move to the hind limbs along the entire length.
When the limbs are finished, they proceed to the pads of the paws, with which you should be extremely delicate.
The body and chest are trimmed either immediately after cutting the intimate area, or after the paws (depending on the chosen model). When trimming your pet, always move from back to front, maintain shape and be careful.
Lastly, the neck, shoulders and head are cut. And the final stage is the decoration of any Pekingese - the tail.

Grooming at home is easy. Nevertheless, this procedure requires the owner to be careful, technical and, most importantly, patient, without which it is impossible to obtain a beautiful, uniform coat of hair on the animal.

Necessity of grooming

The luxurious, lush, shiny coat of the Pekingese is one of its main advantages. But there are a number of circumstances when it is simply necessary:

at high air temperatures in the summer, a trimmed dog will feel more free and easy;
during a walk after the rain, the fur is subject to particular contamination, after which a thorough bathing and combing of the pet is simply necessary;
the pet has its own personal image, looks more well-groomed and aesthetically pleasing;
if the Pekingese is already aged, then its coat is no longer so presentable and the necessity of a haircut is obvious;
Too thick hair can cause dermatological diseases and mites.

However, if you plan to take part in exhibitions, you should not get carried away with short models.

Because judges evaluate whether a pet's coat meets established breed standards.

Also, without the chic flowing fur, the Pekingese loses its charm and sophisticated appearance. In any case, a hygienic haircut is inevitable in caring for Pekingese fur.

Photo gallery

Taking care of your pet's fur is one of the necessary things. Let's see in our photo selection how people from different countries care for the appearance of their dogs.