At Transformation Pet Center, Tucson AZ, we take pride in being able to identify the styling details that give each breed its distinct look. That includes capturing the breed expression.
The AKC Complete Dog Book defines "expression" as "The general appearance of all features of the head." It's a mistake to think that the Bichon look is just a big round head. It really all begins with the eyes. Let's look closely at how we detail the eyes in order to capture the Bichon expression. The picture above is none other than my own Ms. Diva, after her very special encounter with The Master, Paul Flores, a top show handler and breeder of Bichons. He loved her expression, and made her look her very best, ever. Looking closer at the eyes we see:
The AKC Complete Dog Book defines "expression" as "The general appearance of all features of the head." It's a mistake to think that the Bichon look is just a big round head. It really all begins with the eyes. Let's look closely at how we detail the eyes in order to capture the Bichon expression. The picture above is none other than my own Ms. Diva, after her very special encounter with The Master, Paul Flores, a top show handler and breeder of Bichons. He loved her expression, and made her look her very best, ever. Looking closer at the eyes we see:
Man, that's cute! Don't those eyes just draw you in? Setting in the Bichon eyes is one of my most favorite grooming things to do. The Bichon Frise has dark pigment around the eyes, called "halos". It's almost like natural eyeliner. When we set in the eyes by trimming around the eye rim, the halos are exposed and the Bichon "look" pops out. Voila!
In this next picture, I have combed back the hair to attempt to show more clearly how it is scissored around the eyes. It is really HARD to photograph. This is my best shot.
Here's a 7-month old puppy that came to me for the first time yesterday. This is Maggie!
Maggie's owner was almost in tears when she picked up her puppy. "Oh, Maggie, your eyes, your eyes. You look so beautiful." That did my heart good!
In this next picture, I have combed back the hair to attempt to show more clearly how it is scissored around the eyes. It is really HARD to photograph. This is my best shot.
Paul Flores, perhaps the finest Bichon Frise handler in the land, showed me that we can take off even more than I thought in detailing the eyes. As much as 1/4" over the eye can be cleaned off, as well as a generous scoop from the stop. The hair on top of the muzzle from eyes to nose is NOT CLIPPED; it is cleaned out with a thinning/blender scissor. The line over the eye is not super thin. However, you don't want to go too far back behind the eye, 1/4" is plenty for Ms. Diva. It depends on the size of the head. But don't be afraid to take it off. Just be careful to hold that head very steady while you work. This is not a place to rush your work.
The "ledge" or overhang is vital to the Bichon expression. You can't just scissor over the eyes and up to the top of the head. That would give you an expression without any depth. We've outlined the steps in creating the ledge in a previous article. Click here to go there. This is a side view of Diva's head showing the depth of the ledge.
When done right, the ledge does not droop into the dog's eyes after two weeks, or four, or eight. It has to be beveled or "stacked."
Here's a 7-month old puppy that came to me for the first time yesterday. This is Maggie!
Maggie's owner was almost in tears when she picked up her puppy. "Oh, Maggie, your eyes, your eyes. You look so beautiful." That did my heart good!
Here is how the Bichon expression translates to one of our most elderly clients, "Devi":
Miss Devi really appreciates that the look involves scissoring more from the top of the eyes, as she has problems with any hair in her eyes bothering her considerably. In the case of the Bichon Frise, achieving the proper expression also helps to reduce hair in the eyes and problems that give pet owners grief.
The Bichon expression is captured by carefully detailing the eyes. This is then framed with the round head that incorporates the ears into a circle that frames the face. The groomer who takes the time to master these elements will be adored by her/his clients. It's well worth the time it takes to develop the ability. Bichon owners just want their dogs to look like....BICHONS! This is the look that you want to aim for.
Here is a picture of Shawnee. His owner prefers to leave the ears separate from the head. Detailing around the eyes achieves the typical Bichon expression. I scissored the head round in front of the ears & also rounded the bottoms of the ears to suggest the outer circle.
PS. I would be hard pressed to detail the Bichon eyes as well as I do without the help of my 5.5" curved scissor. I have named this scissor "The Detailer". The right tools make a big difference. Shop at here for this item and many more carefully selected grooming shears. I only sell what I use. If you are "scissor shy" and afraid to scissor this close to the eyes, the detailing of the Bichon eyes can be achieved with an electric trimmer, such as the Laube Speed Feed, on the #15 setting. This item is also found at the BBird Shopping Cart. "Shop with a Groomer - It's Good Karma".
Barbara Bird is an International Certified Master Groomer (ICMG) and owner/operator of Transformation Pet Center in Tucson, Arizona.
The Bichon expression is captured by carefully detailing the eyes. This is then framed with the round head that incorporates the ears into a circle that frames the face. The groomer who takes the time to master these elements will be adored by her/his clients. It's well worth the time it takes to develop the ability. Bichon owners just want their dogs to look like....BICHONS! This is the look that you want to aim for.
Here is a picture of Shawnee. His owner prefers to leave the ears separate from the head. Detailing around the eyes achieves the typical Bichon expression. I scissored the head round in front of the ears & also rounded the bottoms of the ears to suggest the outer circle.
PS. I would be hard pressed to detail the Bichon eyes as well as I do without the help of my 5.5" curved scissor. I have named this scissor "The Detailer". The right tools make a big difference. Shop at here for this item and many more carefully selected grooming shears. I only sell what I use. If you are "scissor shy" and afraid to scissor this close to the eyes, the detailing of the Bichon eyes can be achieved with an electric trimmer, such as the Laube Speed Feed, on the #15 setting. This item is also found at the BBird Shopping Cart. "Shop with a Groomer - It's Good Karma".
Barbara Bird is an International Certified Master Groomer (ICMG) and owner/operator of Transformation Pet Center in Tucson, Arizona.