# Question for those who groom at home...



## panancy (Dec 4, 2012)

I have recently begun grooming Lily at home. I purchased a video download from www.diypetgrooms.com and Private Messaged Aastha (eiksaa) with regard to face trimming. I have to say that both the video and Aastha were very helpful. So here come the questions... (Oh and Lily is groomed in a puppy cut.)


My previous groomer would trim Lily's eyelashes. But as they grew back in, that increased her tearing. I am suffering through "growing out the hair around her eyes" or do Malts need trimming around their eyes? 
If Lily has hair that wants to grow into her eyes, should I let it grow into a topknot?
I use Bausch + *Lomb's C*ollyrium for *Fresh* *Eyes* *Eye* Wash and last week purchased I-Lid 'n Lash Hygiene Vet Wipes. Both seem to help. 
I have THE most difficult time grooming feet! I either leave the hair too long and it flips up or I cut it too short. Help is needed! I swear it's easier to groom a Cocker Spaniel than a Maltese!!!
I am attaching a pic of Lily. Thanks for any help you can give me.


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

It's harder to groom a Maltese than a cocker...I know,I have both!
It's hard to find a groomer who can groom Malts as well...
I've pretty much done my own through trial and error...
Try Youtube, I found several good Malt grooming videos plus others here also groom their own and hopefully will have time to post.


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Lily is adorable and I'm loving her teddy bear haircut. 

Eyelashes shouldn't really grow into the eyes. I trim G&M eyelashes, that's only the hair on their upper lids. I do not trim between their eyes or their muzzle hair. Mine are in topknots. It's a stylistic choice now but in the beginning I did it because I did not want to keep trimming their hair to keep it from falling into the eyes. 

If you do not want a topknot you could keep trimming her visor. That's only the hair on her forehead, above her eyes. You still don't need to trim the hair between the eyes or on the muzzle. 

For the feet I have them stand on a table and keep the shears at an upwards angle and trim then (instead of trying to keep the shears flush with the table). So their hair ends up being JUST off the floor. This also gives their foot a more rounded look I think. Attaching a badly drawn diagram to show what I mean. The grey is their leg and the green shows how I trim at an angle. The hair closest to their foot is floor length and it gets shorter as it goes out. 








Hope this helps! Do share more pics. 

Thanks for the tip about the vet eye wipes. Will try those out. 




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## maltese manica (Nov 6, 2012)

eiksaa said:


> Lily is adorable and I'm loving her teddy bear haircut.
> 
> Eyelashes shouldn't really grow into the eyes. I trim G&M eyelashes, that's only the hair on their upper lids. I do not trim between their eyes or their muzzle hair. Mine are in topknots. It's a stylistic choice now but in the beginning I did it because I did not want to keep trimming their hair to keep it from falling into the eyes.
> 
> ...


I wish you would do a grooming vid for us! I love the way you style your babies hair


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

I do all my grooming myself and it really is trial and error and watching lots of videos  

to answer your questions: 


My previous groomer would trim Lily's eyelashes. But as they grew back in, that increased her tearing. I am suffering through "growing out the hair around her eyes" or do Malts need trimming around their eyes? 

*I trim my pups eyelashes too and it really helps "open" up the eye. For shorter hair without a topknot, you can tell the difference when the hair is damp (not wet) and just carefully trim the hair along the lash line. *

If Lily has hair that wants to grow into her eyes, should I let it grow into a topknot?

*Which hair are you referring to? If you're referring to the hair right between the eyes (not on the muzzle), I'd let it grow and brush it UPWARDS and trim with thinning shears to blend into the little bangs/visor. If the dog's hair to way too thick, you can thin it out so it doesn't overwhelm the eye area. I would never cut it bluntly with straight shears. *

I use Bausch + *Lomb's C*ollyrium for *Fresh* *Eyes* *Eye* Wash and last week purchased I-Lid 'n Lash Hygiene Vet Wipes. Both seem to help. 

* I use the Collyrium too and find it works well. keep it uP!*

I have THE most difficult time grooming feet! I either leave the hair too long and it flips up or I cut it too short. Help is needed! I swear it's easier to groom a Cocker Spaniel than a Maltese!!!
 
*There are multiple methods in grooming the feet. The most efficient and clean method I've found is to focus on the bottom of the feet first and trim the pad hair (if not done with clippers). Using the SAME angle in the plane of the paw pad, that's where you want to trim the "back" of the leg. You do this while holding the leg. Then, have the dog stand and brush the hair down and round the feet. For a longer, cleaner look, you can cut ever so slightly on an angle as Aastha has diagrammed. BUT, if you prefer a longer leg or if you're practicing in the beginning, just round it out. Curved shears are handy but not essential.

If you are doing a shorter leg style, you can lift up the leg and round out but I find that this takes more skill and practice than leaving the leg on the table. 

I'll try to take some pics or video when my husband gets home  Hope this helps! i love grooming my malts!*


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## panancy (Dec 4, 2012)

Thank you all SO MUCH! I look forward to any further help (or pics) you can provide! 

When you trim the eyelashes, are you using straight scissors, curved or clippers? I trim our cocker spaniel's eyelashes with the clipper. BTW the clipper is not cordless, but an Andis Ultraedge. Is that too wide? 

Again, many many thanks!


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## maltese manica (Nov 6, 2012)

hoaloha said:


> I do all my grooming myself and it really is trial and error and watching lots of videos
> 
> to answer your questions:
> 
> ...


You are fantastic at grooming too! I love your videos that you post:wub: very helpful


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

hoaloha said:


> I do all my grooming myself and it really is trial and error and watching lots of videos
> 
> to answer your questions:
> 
> ...



Marisa, I would love if you could do a video. I cut the kids hair and really messed up on their legs and feet. :embarrassed: The ones that are cute are sporting the same look and i got their faces too short to, but thank goodness hair grows out. I do appreciate your help, i think i might be a doggie groomer drop out, but at least the 4 haircuts i did myself paid for the clippers by saving money i would have paid at the groomer's, i really love the Wahl Bravura Clippers and best thing i found them in pink! Next haircut the straight and curved scissors and metal combs for the clippers will have paid for themselves by saving and not spending the money for someone else to groom them. All i need now is the thinning shears and i think i'm all set.


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

panancy said:


> Thank you all SO MUCH! I look forward to any further help (or pics) you can provide!
> 
> When you trim the eyelashes, are you using straight scissors, curved or clippers? I trim our cocker spaniel's eyelashes with the clipper. BTW the clipper is not cordless, but an Andis Ultraedge. Is that too wide?
> 
> Again, many many thanks!


I use shears (any shears) for trimming the eye lashes. I think we might be using the same term for two different things here. I thought you meant the hair on their eye lids, like human eye lashes. 

Do you mean the hair above their eyes instead?


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

maltese manica said:


> I wish you would do a grooming vid for us! I love the way you style your babies hair


Thank you so much, Janene. Very kind of you to like G&M's hairstyles. Gustave is up for a haircut very soon. 


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

eiksaa said:


> Thank you so much, Janene. Very kind of you to like G&M's hairstyles. Gustave is up for a haircut very soon.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Aastha can i just send mine to you and Marisa when it's time for their next groom?  You both do an excellent job, if i can become half as good as either of you i would be a very happy girl!


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

mysugarbears said:


> Aastha can i just send mine to you and Marisa when it's time for their next groom?  You both do an excellent job, if i can become half as good as either of you i would be a very happy girl!


You're too kind, Debbie. Thank you so much, I appreciate it. 

Sure, send them over. One question, do I need to return them? 


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

eiksaa said:


> Thank you so much, Janene. Very kind of you to like G&M's hairstyles. Gustave is up for a haircut very soon.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App





eiksaa said:


> You're too kind, Debbie. Thank you so much, I appreciate it.
> 
> Sure, send them over. One question, do I need to return them?
> 
> ...




Aastha believe me you'll want to return them! :HistericalSmiley:


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I like the eye lashes trimmed. It is a personal preference. I also prefer the hair in the very corner of the eye trimmed. Just realize you'll need to neaten these up every week or two if you keep them trimmed.


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