# Bella W/O Top Knot



## Maltese Adora-Belle (Jan 23, 2005)

I am thinking of having Bella cut like she was when we got her as a pup. It would be like the picture of her with the duck in her mouth. What are your thoughts. When I think of all Marj's Bows I say no, but when I put them in her hair with the top knot she goes banannas trying to get it out and ends up looking like a mess. Do I give the litttle brat her way. What are your thoughts. I don't even know if it can be cut to look like when she was 3 mos. Now that it is her adult coat it could look like a disaster. Just curious if anyone else has done this and are you happy with the results. Thks! I'm thingkin of her picture in the gallery under the nane Belle.


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## Linus McDuff (Jul 12, 2006)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE top knots, but my Duff is the same way with the bows. I'm growing his top out again, and I'm thinking I'm just not going to tie it up everyday. I would say to try doing the same. I love the puppy look as well, but it's a royal pain in (my you know what) trying to grow his hair out again!


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## my baby (Aug 22, 2006)

I think ditch the top knot if she really hates it!!! Although I think they look great, it must be horrible to have something stuck in your hair if you really find it uncomfortable. And there are some gorgeous furbabies that dont have top knots!!
Good luck what ever you decide


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

I once had Boos topknot cut off. I really really didn't like it. So I let it grow back out but I do trim it & keep it cut in a way that he can wear it up or down. He really just has a ponytail though, not a typical topknot. I think they're all cute with or without a topknot or ponytail, it's just whatever you prefer.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> I am thinking of having Bella cut like she was when we got her as a pup. It would be like the picture of her with the duck in her mouth. What are your thoughts. When I think of all Marj's Bows I say no, but when I put them in her hair with the top knot she goes banannas trying to get it out and ends up looking like a mess. Do I give the litttle brat her way. What are your thoughts. I don't even know if it can be cut to look like when she was 3 mos. Now that it is her adult coat it could look like a disaster. Just curious if anyone else has done this and are you happy with the results. Thks! I'm thingkin of her picture in the gallery under the nane Belle.[/B]


Oh but it's so pretty! And you're right about the adult coat not looking quite the same on them short as the puppy coat. PLUS their bodies grow, aren't as chubby as they were as puppies, etc. etc. I don't mind Ollie's hair being short BUT I do love it longer better. Good luck on your decision!!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

My vet had Lady groomed while I was in the hospital after my accident and they cut her topknot off. I was heartbroken! It takes so long to grow back. It's been almost a year and I think the stragglers have finally gotten long enough. I'd make really, really sure you are 100% sure you want to do it first.

I am lucky, though, since Lady doesn't mind her topknots. It's a hard call if Bella really hates them that much.

You may like it, though. I recently gave Lady a super short haircut and chopped her ears short. I have to have more surgery in a few weeks and I did it out of necessity, not knowing how long she'll have to boarded. I ended up loving it!!!!

But I kept the topknot.









And nobody had better come near that with a pair of scissors no matter how long she is at my vet's!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">Well since I'm in the process of growing out Zoe's top knot and all the horrors of "angry/mean" eyebrows where they can't see, I can't even imagine cutting off a fully grown top knot. That said, I have always loved Zoe's head cut round too. And if Bella REALLY hates it then...? Just know that growing it out is a real pain & they look kind of silly & awkward during the process. But yes, you can make the head look full & round (even puppyish) if your good with the scissors. I never did the "visor" cut.</span>


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

Aww she is so pretty! If she really hates the top knot and isn't leaving it in, why put yourself and her through the frustration?! She will be darling with short hair, and if you truly hate itit will grow back. now is a nice time to do it- for summer! 

Good luck!


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Lacie hates the top knot and bows as much as Bella does -- but I insist that she wear them and she does often look like a mess because she won't leave them alone.

I cut her down when she was about 18 months old including the topknot. I wish I had never cut her down. She is now 2 1/2 and I keep starting to grow her out and at about 4-5 inches, I give up and cut her down again. I haven't cut off her top knot a second time, but, as Marj said, it seems to be taking forever for the top knot to grow out. Of course her always trying to get it down doesn't help much.

It is up to you (and Bella) but think about it carefully because top knots really don't grow back fast at all.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Personally I like a top knot on a girl.....but if it bothers her that much - it's probably not worth it.
It probably also causes you stress to get it finally in right for her just to try to get it out!!!









Hair will always grow back - I just had Archie's hair cut on his head and kept his ears long - he's so pretty now I think he looks like a girl!!!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

> It takes so long to grow back. It's been almost a year and I think the stragglers have finally gotten long enough.[/B]


<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">Yikes!!!







Really? A year!! Oh man it's only been a couple of months & I can't stand it already!







A YEAR??!!! Does the hair on the head grow slower than the body? I swear her body hair can grow 2" in 6 weeks time!!</span>


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Josie hated her topknot from day one. I lopped it off a while back and I love it! She looks so much neater and more put together. Although topknots are adorable, it just wasn't for me and Josie. Now she looks neat and clean all the time, rather than the straggly ragamuffin look that she ALWAYS had when she had a topknot. 

Josie says: I hated them bows, so I showed 'em who's boss!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

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The hair on the top of the head grows fast enough to gather into a topknot in a few months, but the hair in the front by the eyes takes a long time to get long enough to be pulled back that far. Lady's haircut was last May and it has finally grown to the point that I don't have to use hair gel anymore to tame the stragglers around her eyes. Until the whole thing is long enough to catch in a band or barrette though, the topknot never really looks neat to me.

It would be terrible to have a Maltese who didn't want to wear a topknot! Gosh, it's part of their "job description"!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

> QUOTE(Crystal&Zoe @ Mar 30 2007, 05:53 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=357652


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> It takes so long to grow back. It's been almost a year and I think the stragglers have finally gotten long enough.[/B]


<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">Well I LOVE your bows & want Zoe to wear them so I'm not backing down now. I'll just have to tell Grandma & Grandpa that the messy top knot is going to stay & the subject will have to be off limits for a year!







</span>


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

It would be terrible to have a Maltese who didn't want to wear a topknot! Gosh, it's part of their "job description"!








[/QUOTE]

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">Well I LOVE your bows & want Zoe to wear them so I'm not backing down now. I'll just have to tell Grandma & Grandpa that the messy top knot is going to stay & the subject will have to be off limits for a year!







</span> 
[/QUOTE]

Mia's hair isn't long enough for a top knot and she has plenty of scraglers but I love her hair up in a bow.







I just bought a bunch more......she on the other hand hates them everytime she sees me open her box of bows she runs!









I don't think she likes the oriental look...just kidding....I try not to do them to tight...I thought I was oriental for the first 10 years of my life until my mom stopped putting my hair in pigtails.


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

Abbey hates her topknot, too...especially when it's first done. But I can't imagine her without her ponytail!







I give her breaks by putting her hair pulled back with those clips. The only bad thing is that Abbey will not wear anything but a rubberband...no pretty bows for her.









I really think Bella looks beautiful with her topknot but I think you should do what you feel best about.


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## belibaby14 (Mar 21, 2007)

Belinha also hates wearing hair bows. I used to put it on her and she would rub her head on the floor until it was all messed up. She knew that when it messed up I would take the bow out. So I gave up and gave her a nice hair cut.

It seems that most people here put bows on their dogs hair. I was a member of another dog forum before, and once I made a thread about how belinha hated wearing bows and what I should do to get her used to it. All the responses that I got was people telling me that I'm a "bad dog owner" because I want my dog to look cute. Lets just say I no longer go to that forum.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Besides the fact that Lacie doesn't like her top knot, we also have a little helper called Tilly. And what a helper she is.









If Lacie let's me put her top knot in and doesn't mess with it too much and it looks nice, Tilly comes along and tries (and often succeeds) in grabing Lacie's bow and messing the top knot up anyway.








And, of course, Lacie just stands there and let's Tilly take her top knot down.









What's a mommy to do?


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

I like top knots, esp on girls...but neither of my boys liked them, and I just figured the struggle wasn't worth it. I am used to both of them w/out it now. It would be hard if I had a girl though...I would want cute bows in all the time, but in the end...if she wasn't comfortable, I would not fight it.
My boys have different types of hair on their heads. Brinks lays nicely left longer and just shaped around his face. Neyland's grows into a 'fro if I let it get too long and don't put it in a clip or top knot, so his has to stay shorter. I wish it was more like Brink's, but oh well.

Good luck with your decision.


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## Maltese Adora-Belle (Jan 23, 2005)

Thanks for the input. I've decided the top knot stays. I will go back to giving her a treat when I'm done putting it in and if she messes it up oh well. It sounds much better than trying to let it grow out again. Thanks! She just wouldn't look like a maltese w/o her topknot and bow at the age of 2 1/2. We can;t always have our way little miss Bella.


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## dolcevita (Aug 3, 2005)

Dolce hates having a top knot, so I let her have her way. It's a waste of time for me to put them in when she ruins it right away. I think she looks cute without one, though I do like the top knot better.


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## bellasmommy (May 8, 2005)

My Bella hates bows too. What I do is just use a really lightweight band (no bow) that she barely knows is there. I only put in bows for pictures or really special occasions. A few years ago I tried going without the topknot, but I couldn't get used to it. Just putting in a bow for pictures sort of appeases us both. She doesn't mind just the bands at all.


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