Help!

[denise&chico]

hi all Bella is 4 months and is getting her 1st grooming by a groomer today she has long hair and quite a few knots ...trying myself to get them out i brush her often got the kinky curley knot stuff all in all she needs a haircut lol Well My groomer said bella shouldnt get a real haircut for the first 10 months of her life or her silky coat will go cotton is this true???? She plans to just cut out her knots and though she wont look cute yet to take a comb to her everyday ..thoughts?

[Sylie]

I may be wrong, but I do believe that shaving...with clippers does affect the way the hair grows back in. Her hair doesn't look very long on your pictures. One of the prices you pay with a Maltese is that you MUST comb out the tangles every day. I sometimes skip a day, have even skipped two days, sometimes circumstances have kept me from brushing her longer. Then the time it takes is multiplied. Ten minutes a day, 40 minutes if you skip a day, 3 hours if you skip three days.

[Grace'sMom]

Originally Posted by Sylie

I may be wrong, but I do believe that shaving...with clippers does affect the way the hair grows back in. Her hair doesn't look very long on your pictures. One of the prices you pay with a Maltese is that you MUST comb out the tangles every day. I sometimes skip a day, have even skipped two days, sometimes circumstances have kept me from brushing her longer. Then the time it takes is multiplied. Ten minutes a day, 40 minutes if you skip a day, 3 hours if you skip three days.

Yep!

It's a daily thing... a good combing and then a brush. Make sure you aren't putting too much of the Kinky Kurly Knot in... It is great stuff, and really helpful for mats, but too much and daily use (unless you are doing weekly baths) could actually gunk up her coat.

I use it daily, but I bathe mine every other day.

I shaved Gus down because he didn't like combing... and he is the same: has to be combed and brushed daily or he mats. Unless I'm going to keep him short.

I skipped two days with him, it took me 3 days to comb the mats all out. It was horrible.

I'd hold off on shaving her unless you are going to always shave her. If you want to keep her coat longer, let it grow.

Get yourselves into a nice grooming routine... Keep the supplies by your TV or bed so you can do it while you both are relaxed and she is laying in your lap

[denise&chico]

Thanks guys well see is home and sleeping she ended up shaving her down she said she looked to werid after getting just the knots ... BUT! ugh she said i made her top knot too tight and she has a bruise on the top of her head I feel soooooooooooooo bad!!! I used the baby no snag band Omg i feel so bad ! She does look cute though she had a rough day she are her dinner and went to bed awww poor Bella!

[socalyte]

Aw, poor little Bella! A lot of us have had doggies with too-tight topknots. One of the groomers I've used actually put in the two topknots so tight they knotted right to the scalp and I had to go back and have her take them completely out, after which I put in my own topknots. My current groomer knows to leave the topknots loose.

I'm planning on having Cozette cut down so I can put sweaters on her for the winter months. Cozette LOVES her PJs and sweaters! I think I'll leave Pippa long, though, since she has such a beautiful coat-- though I really do have to keep after it! It's actually easier to deal with the longer it gets for some reason.

[Zoe's Mom88]

It really is important to brush and comb everyday. I don't know what you use but the Madan Brush and a Buttercomb are key. I bathe Zoe once a week, wash her face everyday and brush and comb everyday. That is truly the only way to stay on top of the knots and matting. Bella I am sure looks adorable in her haircut.

[Grace'sMom]

I divide Grace's top knot into 2 sections... I do one small section, loosen it, then comb the top of that first section into the back part of her topknot and tie it all up, then loosen it.

Helps keep it looser, but still holds all the hair in