Shaved ears and tail?

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Before I post a picture...which may be a long time because I can't bring myself to take one......does anyone have a picture of a doodle with SHAVED ears and tail???????

I can beat any groomer horror story you've got....promise!  I am so angry I can't begin to put into words what I am feeling without using numerous expletives.  Murphy had some matting on his tail and coat.  He swims quite a bit and they get worse everytime he gets in the water.  He went to the groomer today and I knew she would need to do some repair work on the ears and take his tail down very short.  I was worried about the tail but had accepted it.  I went to pick him up and he is cut exactly like a Schnauzer.  She shaved his ears and tail along with the rest of his body.  Not only are they shaved they are all choppy with some long pieces here and there.  It is the most awful thing I have ever seen.

Did I mention that my sweet Murphy now has SHAVED EARS and Tail??????

All I can do is cry.

I don't want to post a picture because it is so awful.......everyone here is so supportive and I know you would feel like being kind but it is impossible.  There is no way this can be fixed and there isn't a liar on the earth good enough to be kind about it.

I have never seen a doodle with shaved ears....have you?  Anyone?  Got a picture?

I am going to go back to crying and drinking now. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

The good news is that it does grow back.  It will be back before you know it.  Don't they always tell cancer patients that their hair will grow in thicker and maybe even a different color?  Be interesting to see what you end up with.  He will be beautiful no matter what.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Ronna,  this post has been so much fun.  I only hope it has not been at the expense of your feelings.  I have gotten a number of good laughs from what you and other's have had to say :-)  Love all the shaved doodle pictures.  Makes me want to shave one of mine to join in .....NOT!

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Linda, it has been fun for me too.  Especially after seeing other people's shaved doods but please don't do this to Webber or Seda!

[Kathie and the gang]

Well, not as bad as I thought he would look. I have been there and done that with my twol; but I just had the bodies to content with not the ears and tail. His poor tail will take a while to grown back. He is not looking real pleased with his look either.

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

We just had to have Dex completely shaved.  With his knee surgery in February, taking care of his coat just took the back burner and the poor guy was so matted.  I like the shorter look, but this is even a little extreme for me.  However honestly it's hair and it will grow back and think of how comfy your doodle probably is.

 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

They all look so different shaved. Almost like another breed altogether.

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Took this picture yesterday...he's still the cutest doodle ever to me :)

[Adrianne Matzkin]

agreed!!!!!!!!!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Can't argue with THAT!!! And like you said he does remind me of the Grinch's dog :)

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Agree!  Look at those eyes, I just want to hug him.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I was just thinking of you and wondering how you are. Of course he is still stinking adorable....

[Carol Brand]

I've watched this discussion for a couple of days now and I know you are disappointed in the way your dog looks , but I wanted to play the devil's advocate for just a bit.  This is not meant as a slam against you, but as some food for thought.

 

Murphy was matted.  By your own admission, he is horrible to groom, fighting you every step of the way.  De-matting is a slow and often painful process.  What exactly did you expect the groomer to do?  My guess is that the coat is choppy because the groomer had a bumpy ride with a badly matted coat.  You can't get a smooth and even trim unless the coat is totally brushed out and straight.  I'm also guessing that she tried keep the coat as long as possible for you.  If she had gone for totally even, your dog would have been shaved very close like on his ears.  I actually think the groomer did a decent job.  She put him in what looks to me like a Wheaten trim.    She kept his beard which is sort of a Doodle signature.  The rest of the body will catch up in no time.

 

Owners on this board love to grumble about how horrible groomers are.  Consider this....

The process for a well groomed dog starts at home.  With a coated breed, it is the owner's responsibility to teach good grooming manners.  From 8 weeks (earlier if you have a breeder worth her salt), a coated puppy should be taught to stand, sit and lie quietly on a grooming table to be brushed or trimmed.   This is not rocket science, it is simple training and behavior modification.   A groomer can't do a good trim on a dog who won't be still on the table.

 

Next, an owner MUST keep up with routine brushing at home if they want to keep a dog in coat.  Doodles have notoriously difficult coats to care for (much more difficult than Poodle coat).  Some of them are literally matting machines.  I've seen some owners on this board say that they brush EVERY DAY to keep their dogs mat free!  Now most of us do not have that kind of extra time on our hands and life often gets away from us.  That's OK.   However, if an owner can't keep up with the brushing, then the coat has to come off and go short.  A groomer can't do a good trim on a coat that is matted.