# How long does it take for her coat to grow out again?



## Joey's Mom2

I attempted to cut her hair for the first time ever. It turned out really REALLY bad. The scary thing is, I'm going to attempt it again--once her hair starts to grow out, that is. I'm really determined to learn how to groom on my own, because I HAVE to save money however I can. 

So the end result is that she looks really choppy on her legs, and because when I came across some matting, I just snipped it rather than smooth it over (bad mistake--makes her look even choppier!) 

So I have two questions, actually. One is, how long does it take for her hair to grow? And secondly, how can improve my grooming "skills?"


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## carrie

awww... i'm sure it's not as bad as you think... the first time i cut massimo, just the drastic change made me freak out! lol.. now, i love the look so i keep him short...

about how long it takes hair to grow... i think it varies by malt. massimo's seems to grow much faster than mini's. i cut him every few months or so. i kinda let it get a bit longer in the cooler months...(only because he seems to get less dirty being inside when it's cold!







)

i have groomed massimo myself since day one. now, since he has epilepsy, i don't think i could allow anyone else to do it. he needs to be scissored instead of clipped because the noise of the clippers stresses him out. actually, i think being groomed by a stranger would stress him out. he's so good for me, i wouldn't ever need to take him any place tho.
mini's another story...uhhg...talk about a total spaz...lol.. 

all i can say is practice, practice, practice. the first time i cut him, i just kinda randomly cut him short. i didn't have a specific look i was going for...i just wanted to cut him down... after that i looked and looked for a style i wanted and then tried from there. after a few times i got pretty good.


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## Tina

It takes about 3 months to 6 months to get to 3 to 4 inches long. What equipment are you using? If you are not using hair sissors it makes it a little harder. Hair siccors are sharp enough to actually cut off parts of dogs. So, you have to be careful with them. I taught myself how to groom. It will get better as you do it more often. Just find a picture of what you want her to look like and try to cut it to match.

Tina


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## Cosy

If you know a good groomer go watch her/him. Even Petsmart's window might help you to pick up some pointers. It takes lots of practice to get good at it. Don't be so hard on yourself. Hair grows back


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## Snowflake's mom

The first time I took Snowflake to the groomer, she looked so different that I didn't recognize her when I picked her up!!









I'm sure your little one looks great to anyone else. I'm betting that you're your own worst critic.

You can get sissors with rounded tips at a pet supply store, which are safer and a little easier to use than pointed shears. I snip little bits out of mattes to clear them. But my groomer showed me how to use thinning shears - very similar to what your hairdresser might use to thin or add lift. She used the thinning shears on the middle of the matte, and that cut enough hair to comb out the matte without cutting out a big chunk of her hair. I need to get a pair of those shears. They were like magic!

Has anyone tried the various electric clippers available online and at PetSmart? I'd like to learn to groom Snowflake completely too, but I'm a little nervous about using those.


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## my baby

Try getting some blending in scissors!! I noticed that when my groomer cut snoop he looked so choppy but once she got those scissors out... like magic he didnt look choppy!







Good luck!


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## fifi

I had to laugh when I read your post; I take Fifi to the groomer every 2 weeks, and so far it has gone beautifully...except yesterday. It is very hot outside, so I told my stylist to cut her hair short (see, Fifi thinks that she is a hound...digging holes in the garden, chasing birds and moles throughout the property...nobody bothered to tell her that she is supposed to be a dainty little princess ). Well....Fifi came back almost shaved, except her little face. I was in shock, but could not help to laugh at this. I am french, so I think that the accent got in the way of what I meant. And honestly, she is always cute to us...I guess I will not spend much time on grooming!!!


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## Joey's Mom2

Thanks for the tips and for sharing stories! I didn't realize how much equipment is available for grooming. I used clippers and a little but of scissors. I will consider using some of what was recommended. Again thanks everyone!


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## Angelswish

Hey girls, I have a question I still haven't cut Bella's hair except between her paws witch I do every month, but her hair doesn't seem to be growing as fast as I expected(not that I know how fast it is suppose to grow, but I love the long hair look on them so I ma trying to accomplishhttps://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1441412_4979984557179_1404856779_n.jpg it) what should I do? This is how she looks now, she is 9 months old.https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1383056_4933177467031_1398515221_n.jpg


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