An easy spitz haircut at home is theoretically possible. But the pet owner should have at least a general understanding of grooming. It is better not to get carried away with amateur activities; you should act carefully. For a dog, fur is not decoration, but clothing, a means of regulating body heat. If you don’t have enough money for a salon, it’s better to study the information about dog hairstyles in as much detail as possible.
Required age for the first procedure
Some owners are sure that the puppy should not be cut. This opinion is fundamentally wrong. A simple hairstyle will not harm the puppy's fur, but will instead create an addiction in the dog. Grooming should be carried out from 3-4 months. If you start the procedure at a young age, the dog will not become nervous in the future.
The puppy experiences its first molt between the ages of 3 and 8 months. Up to 3 months, the dog is simply combed thoroughly without bathing or grooming.
But a model haircut for a puppy is unacceptable. The coat at a young age is not sufficiently formed. A complex hairstyle for a pet can only be done from 11-12 months. Before this, you should remove some hair from the ears, paws, and slightly shorten the hair under the tail. Otherwise, the baby will look sloppy.
Why not?
If you, despite the advice of experts, still decide to cut your pet’s hair short, then you may encounter many problems. It’s not for nothing that your pets are naturally given such rich fur.
What will happen?
Here are some of the most common problems that may arise after cutting your pet's hair short.
A dense coat helps a dog regulate body heat. Protects her from hypothermia and heat. By losing it, your pet becomes defenseless against heat, moisture and cold.
When a dog undergoes short haircuts, he loses guard hairs . All that remains is the undercoat, which will very often and quickly fall into one lump, which will give the Spitz a not very well-groomed appearance. Such wool will get dirty quickly and constantly, so it has lost its protection. Be prepared to constantly bathe your dog.
The Pomeranian's exposed skin will be exposed to ultraviolet rays. Even heat stroke, burns, etc. . And this will take a very long time to treat and will be expensive.
Heat stroke will have the following effects on your dog: lethargy, possibly seizures and fainting. Take precautions by allowing your dog to be in the shade to avoid the negative effects of the sun.
You will have to thoroughly comb your pet .
The floor of an apartment, house, or any home will be strewn with small hairs .
If you decide to give up short hair and decide to regrow your dog's hair, it will take a long time. In most cases, you have to wait out several molting cycles . This takes about two years. But there is also a danger that the wool will not return to its original appearance.
Short-haired Spitz dogs become a delicacy for mosquitoes, midges and other blood-sucking creatures . Their bites can cause allergic reactions in dogs.
The worst outcome of constant short haircuts is mechanical alopecia . It will take a long period of time to recover from baldness.
Before subjecting animals to such a test. Weigh the pros and cons. Perhaps a couple of months of beauty will cost you years of treatment and recovery.
How often should a German Spitz be cut?
A haircut is necessary for long and thick coats once every 2-3 months. Mandatory minimum - 2 times a year, during molting in spring and autumn. However, you should not overdo it and cut the fur every month. This will harm your pet, especially if the undercoat is affected. It is optimal to carry out the procedure at the beginning of each season.
Special requirements exist for show dogs. It is believed that at the exhibition the dog must look natural - complex haircuts are not allowed. The pet should not look shorn at all. Therefore, the wool for the exhibition is slightly tidied up 6 months before the event. The rest of the time you only need to comb the coat.
How to choose a groomer
Finding a good groomer is similar to finding a good hairdresser. Unprofessional mistakes will take a very long time to correct.
Good groomer:
- Has a diploma of completion of courses. It is highly desirable to have various certificates confirming the continuous improvement of skills.
- The groomer must know the characteristics of the breed. If the master does not cut the Spitz, you should not give him the dog. Especially if she is going to perform at an exhibition.
- It is imperative to have high-quality tools that are kept clean. The work area is also clean and tidy.
- If you decide to cut your Pomeranian short (boo or lion), a professional groomer is obliged to inform you about all the consequences of such a haircut.
- The groomer must be able to establish contact with animals. For many dogs, a new place and the procedure itself causes great stress. Rough treatment will only make the situation worse. And rudeness in itself is unacceptable in any salon.
It is important to take care of such a high-maintenance breed. Otherwise, the luxurious dog turns into a shapeless ball of hair. Beautiful coat is an indicator of the health of the Spitz and the quality of care on the part of the owner.
Basic rules for creating a dog's hairstyle
There are certain conditions that must be met by the groomer. Each breed has its own type of coat, adapted for a specific climate. Spitz does not tolerate cold well. You should not make your pet's hairstyle too short. Removing the undercoat has unpleasant consequences: hair growth is disrupted, and the pet may get sick.
The following nuances must be taken into account:
- Without undercoat, a dog's skin becomes vulnerable. Due to the absence of sweat glands, the function of thermoregulation is performed by the fur. A pet with a short haircut is susceptible to sunburn.
- If the short haircut of the Spitz was still done. You need to buy your dog a warm jumpsuit and walk him in clothes. Decorative breeds are especially prone to diseases.
- You can't repeat the mistake you made. The Spitz undercoat recovers very poorly. If the coat is greatly shortened, only the guard hairs will grow back.
Small dogs have a very thick, fluffy undercoat. But the shedding of representatives of this breed is not as abundant as it might seem. The better the hair care, the less you need to worry about fluff flying around the house. The fur is fully formed only by the age of 3. During this time, the pet's color may change slightly.
When does a dog need grooming?
Grooming a Spitz is done not only to maintain the beauty of the pet. Hygienic hair trimming is performed according to the following indications:
- The appearance of tangles that cannot be removed by combing.
- Detection of fungus or infectious foci on the fur.
- Trimming hair around the eyes and ears as they grow to prevent hearing and vision problems.
- Prevention of fleas, ticks and other parasites.
If your pet takes part in exhibitions, you can’t do without a haircut to create interesting images.
Place: salon groomer or spitz trimming at home
The choice is up to each owner. An experienced groomer will make the procedure simple and remove the cut hair yourself. A visit to the salon eliminates contamination of the home. If there is a separate place where you can cut a dog, a specialist is called to your home. This service costs less, and the result is not much inferior to the salon one.
Your dog's first haircut should be done by a professional. But not all owners of furry breeds can afford regular salon services. It is recommended to carefully observe the groomer's actions. If the procedure seems feasible, you can act independently.
Is it possible to trim your pet's hair yourself?
You can groom a German Spitz yourself, but only if you have certain skills and know a number of rules and recommendations. If you plan to groom your pet not only to maintain the beauty of its coat, but also to participate in exhibitions, you should start practicing Pomeranian grooming; you should take a master class from professionals.
A professional groomer can create an unrivaled haircut, but if you wish, you can repeat it yourself
Additional Information! Grooming a dog in a salon will cost about 2000-3000 rubles.* Knowing how to cut a Pomeranian haircut at home and learning how to do it, you can save a lot.
Possible hairstyle options for your pet
The most common hairstyles are a hygienic haircut and an exhibition one. The first step is to maintain a well-groomed appearance of the dog. The fur is shortened under the tail, on the paws, and possibly shortened on the ears. Only those parts that interfere with keeping the dog clean are cut.
A “classic” haircut is called an exhibition haircut. The main goal of this hairstyle is to make the dog as attractive as possible, hiding flaws. The ears barely peek out from the fluffy coat, the paws and tail are rounded. A rounded “collar” is created around the neck.
Rules and recommendations
Spitz dogs have an unusual coat structure that can be damaged by improper cutting techniques. Beginning plush dog groomers need to adhere to a number of rules:
- Spitz cannot be cut before reaching the age of 3 months;
- The first trim involves trimming the hair on the paws only and removing a small amount of hair on the collar.
Recommendations for cutting individual parts of the body:
- ears. Before trimming your Spitz's ears, you need to pinch their edges with your fingers and remove those hairs that protrude;
- tail area. The tail is raised, the hair at the back is cut strictly along the line of its growth;
- the back is processed with thinning scissors;
- The hair between the toes must be trimmed, otherwise it will begin to cake and it will be painful for the dog to step on its paws.
Additional Information! Before trimming the hair on a Spitz's ears, they must be examined for the presence of inflammatory foci or wounds.
Preparation for the procedure, important nuances
Your pet will require special care before and after the procedure. You need to give your dog a bath with shampoo and conditioner. This will make the fur smooth and silky. This will eliminate unnecessary problems during the trimming process, especially if the fur is tangled.
Puppies are afraid of unusual events. Therefore, for the first time, it is better to refuse washing, and even more so, drying with a hairdryer. The puppy's coat is already soft. Excess stress can give your dog a negative first impression.
For the procedure you will need:
- Small, sharp scissors.
- Comb with frequent and sparse teeth.
- Thinning scissors.
- Wooden brush.
- Claw clipper.
Before you take the scissors, you need to thoroughly comb your Spitz. Brushing an adult dog should take about half an hour. You can brush your puppy a little less time. It is necessary to comb well not only the surface coat, but also the undercoat.
Necessary equipment for haircut
Before you start cutting your Spitz at home, you need to purchase the following equipment:
- a comb with long metal teeth;
- scissors are straight and have a wavy stroke;
- thinning scissors;
- machine (blade should be 0.25 mm);
- slicker;
- shampoo for dogs with long hair;
- towel;
- hairdryer
You need to take care of the place where the animal will be placed during the procedure. A table with a non-slip surface can be used as a pedestal.
Additional Information! The type of procedure determines which scissors will be needed to trim your Spitz. For a hygienic haircut, straight scissors are sufficient. If you are planning more complex model hairstyles, you cannot do without a thinning tool.
Grooming a Spitz at home - instructions
Once the fur has become well combed, you can proceed to the most important thing. It is advisable to hold the puppy in your arms during the procedure. This will require the help of a loved one familiar to the baby. An adult pet should be taught to stand still on the table during the grooming process.
As a last resort, it is worth preparing cotton pads with a solution of potassium permanganate. If a cut occurs, the affected area should be treated immediately.
The Spitz is cut in stages, treating various parts of the body and head:
- Paws. First you need to cut the claws, if grinding did not occur during walks. The hair is shortened between carefully spread fingers, at the pad. Then you should bend the paw slightly at the joint and shorten the fur around the circumference.
- Head. On the “cheeks” the fur is rounded, and between the ears it is trimmed. As a result, the head should have a roundish shape.
- Ears. Trimming ears is especially dangerous; special care must be taken. To avoid damage, lightly squeeze the end of the ear with your index finger and thumb. They begin to shorten the hair from the bottom and go at an upward angle. The ends should be rounded.
- Collar. Proper combing is the key to an even hairstyle after a haircut. On the head, the collar is placed towards the back of the head, under the muzzle it is laid down. Taking the hair with two fingers, you should trim the length. The collar should remain fluffy and round.
- Tail. Before shortening, the coat on the tail must be combed upward. Laying it out on the back, you need to part the lush fur with a parting. After this, you can straighten the protruding hairs.
Treatment of consequences
Why doesn't wool grow?
Many owners of this beautiful decorative dog breed notice that over time, after constant short haircuts, spots appear on its skin, as if it is going bald. And such doubts are indeed justified. Alopecia or baldness can be caused by several factors:
- allergy;
- effects of toxic or irritating substances;
- parasites or fleas;
- hormonal imbalance.
It is very easy to see the manifestations of this disease; the animal’s hair begins to fall out. This may happen suddenly or gradually. Baldness can be accompanied by unpleasant itching.
Reference! Alopecia in dogs is not an independent disease; there is always a reason for its appearance.
How to recover?
If you are sure that the dog does not suffer from any diseases that could cause hair loss, then this is mechanical alopecia. Baldness is always treated based on the reasons that cause it.
The veterinarian selects a course of medications. In the case of mechanical alopecia, the owner of the affected dog will only have to wait:
- give up short haircuts;
- give the dog time.
She will need six months at best. If the case is extremely severe, it will take up to two years to grow new hair.
Choosing a groomer, estimated cost
If the procedure seems too demanding and complicated, you need to contact a groomer. It is recommended to carefully study the cost of haircuts from different hairdressers. Many people engage in grooming, but few have sufficient competence for this matter. Reviews about the master play an important role; you should not look for services at the lowest price.
How much does the service cost on average? The average cost of groomer services is 2,500 Russian rubles. The price tag depends on the complexity of the hairstyle, the skill of the professional, and the location of the procedure. An effective way to reduce costs is to contact specialists who will come to your home.
Varieties of haircuts for Pomeranian Spitz
The cut Pomeranian Spitz, a photo of which is on the website, should look as natural as possible. In this case, it is recommended to hide the shortcomings and draw attention to the dog’s advantages.
Classic haircut
Pomeranians have an exhibition standard. If you plan to exhibit your pet, choose a classic haircut. It makes the dog look natural, its haircut is not noticeable.
The ears are trimmed to remove excess length and given a rounded shape. Thinning with special scissors is allowed.
The paw pads are also given a round shape. Excess length is removed between the fingers.
Upon completion of the haircut, the contour is carefully milled.
Modern haircut
A haircut that is more convenient for combing and washing than a show cut. The technique of its execution is the same as that of the classical one. However, the length of the coat is significantly shorter. This allows you to preserve the natural beauty of the Spitz and avoid the hassle of caring for it.
Operating principle
Once your Spitz gets used to being brushed, repeat the process no more than two to three times a week. Otherwise, you will remove all the undercoat and deprive the dog of its beauty. Comb the fur carefully, in different directions, trying not to cause discomfort to your pet.
To make combing easier and improve the quality of the coat, use special sprays. Don’t skimp on your pet – choose companies that produce high-quality cosmetics. The Italian Iv San Bernard and the American Crown Royale have proven themselves well. Finish the procedure by moving the comb against the grain to return the guard hairs to a vertical position.
Pay special attention to areas with soft fur: armpits, behind the ears, in the groin area, under the throat, between the toes. In such places tangles can form. If you cannot comb them, do not hurt your Pomeranian - use a tangle cutter.
Daily brushing will be needed during shedding, when there is especially a lot of dead hair. To prevent the hair from splitting due to frequent brushing, before each procedure, spray it from a spray bottle with a solution of five parts warm water and one part dog conditioner. After carefully combing all the wool, fluff it with your hands so that the hairs do not mat or tangle.
Spitz coat care
Since the Spitz has a very thick and beautiful coat, it can be cut in different ways. The hair has a characteristic shine and stiffness, and a chic collar forms on the neck. In addition, the coat of these dogs is very well dyed in various colors.
There are situations where tangled areas are formed. To prevent this from happening, your pet needs to be combed constantly, ideally every day. Before starting this procedure, the wool must be moistened with a special spray, which facilitates the process. After this, a large parting is made near the head, and combing of the hair tufts from the roots begins, dividing them into strands.
When should you trim your pet?
When purchasing a representative of the Pomeranian breed, you need to understand that he will require careful care. Bathing, fur trimming, and combing are carried out not only for exhibitions and shows, but also for personal hygiene. Haircuts for Spitz dogs help prevent:
- formation of tangles;
- tangling of fur;
- severe shedding;
- breakage, loss of spine;
- bald areas.
A beautiful fur coat is not only a decoration for a dog. It also performs a protective function: it protects against heat or cold. Therefore, cutting your pet almost bald will not help relieve your pet from the heat of the sun. Moreover, exposure of the skin leads to burns and heat stroke. A coat that is too short cannot grow back quickly, so experienced groomers leave 3-4 cm in length.
Features of wool
The Spitz resembles a small teddy bear with button eyes and a beautiful collar. This effect is achieved due to the abundant soft undercoat and stiffer long hair. Thanks to the dense undercoat, the awn is held perpendicular to the skin, giving a rounded silhouette.
In order for the pet to remain “plush”, it is necessary to carry out grooming - caring for its appearance. Regular procedures include brushing once a week. Frequent brushing can lead to the loss of most of the undercoat, causing the pet to become “smooth” because... The guard hair will fall off, or even develop unsightly bald spots. When combing, more careful attention should be paid to the ears, armpits, and crotch. These places are most susceptible to the formation of tangles.
Grooming your Pomeranian is necessary to give it shape and is done every two to three months. After the procedure, the pet becomes a real beauty with even, smooth, well-groomed fur. You can cut only the ends or make a model haircut that suits a specific pet. Grooming a German or any other Spitz is carried out according to a single algorithm .
Dog groomer
Spitz is a dog breed that requires special care. This is primarily due to the animal's fur. It needs to be brushed every day, and dogs of this breed really like this attention from their owners.
If your pet will participate in exhibitions, then shortening the coat is not recommended, but only the ears and under the tail are allowed to be trimmed to ensure hygiene. Only those dogs that will not attend competition events can be groomed. There is an option to do it yourself, but there is no guarantee that it will turn out beautifully. Therefore, many people have a question: where to trim a Spitz?
For this purpose, there are special hairdressing salons for dogs, where professional groomers can not only properly trim the fur, but also dye it in different colors.
