To create this look, we scissored the face closely under the ears and shaped a round muzzle. We also rounded the ears themselves. We did not cut over the tops of the ears, as you would for a Poodle. This look would also work for as an optional pet style for Bichons.
Grooming by Barbara Bird, International Certified Master Groomer and owner/operator of Transformation Pet Center, Tucson, AZ.
Should my Bichpoo's coat be stripped?
ReplyDeleteIf by "stripped" you mean to hand strip as we do on terrier coats, the answer is a definite NO! Neither the Bichon nor the Poodle coat is suitable for hand stripping. Only terrier coats can be hand stripped, as the outer coat has an extended resting phase, where the hairs shrink in the follicle and move closer to the surface of the skin. These hairs are easily plucked out. Bichons and Poodles have hair that is more deeply and more firmly rooted. Sometimes pet groomers use the term "strip" to mean a very close clip down, as with a #10 or #7 blade. This is appropriate when the coat has become severely matted and the more wide-spaced blades cannot go through the coat. Some damage to the coat can occur with this, including a more wirey texture when the coat grows back, and it leaves the dog more susceptible to sun damage. I don't recommend this type of clipping unless there is no option. A short lamb-style cut with a #4 or #5 blade is as short as I like to go.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I groom him myself, and have never heard of it until I read some of the comments elsewhere. I wanted to make sure
ReplyDeleteI wasnt missing something.
the 'combo-head' for the Bichon x poodle is a wonderful compromise -- I do not care for 'big ears' on Bichons - or Bichon mixes ( if the coat texture will support a more traditional pattern ); What we have around here are groomers that somehow produce 'mutton chops' on the Bichon - areas on the front of the cheeks that simply look like 'Mutton Chops' -- now sure what they are doing to achieve that, but it's really really awful.
ReplyDelete