Never Cut The Whiskers

[ellz]

Anybody want to come and watch me try to clip my American Cocker faces, but leave all whiskers intact?

Hmmmmm.....think not!

[tomas]

And THAT isn't calling me a horrible person?

Lucky I pull them out

To follow your analogy, a dog with a lot of facial hair would be like a person wearing thick gloves, so they wouldn't be relying on them to understand their environment.

I was'nt giving you an analogy I was giving you facts.

I don't care what you do,they are your dogs!

[tomas]

Anybody want to come and watch me try to clip my American Cocker faces, but leave all whiskers intact?

Hmmmmm.....think not!

See that's my point,WHY do you have to clip their faces,let alone whiskers? To make them pretty.... but have you ever tried not doing it and see for say 3-6 months if it affects your placings....?

So much of what goes on show wise is what is considered the norm...but IMO half of it is a waste of time.

I have never cut whiskers off my dogs and yet we still have won multiple BIS and BISS. Never once been told I SHOULD have cut off their whiskers and been showing now 12 years! I know I don't have a coated breed.

But it seems you all missed my point.

Their whiskers are a HUGE sensory organ, it's verging on mutilation in a sense. But that assertion will have you all up in arms no doubt!

[ellz]

Anybody want to come and watch me try to clip my American Cocker faces, but leave all whiskers intact?

Hmmmmm.....think not!

See that's my point,WHY do you have to clip their faces,let alone whiskers? To make them pretty.... but have you ever tried not doing it and see for say 3-6 months if it affects your placings....?

Doesn't have much to do with showing them, but they DO like to be able to see and they certainly cannot do that if left untrimmed! And anyway, as a gundog, excess hair around faces leaves them more likely to get debris in their eyes.

You tell me....what is healthier for the dog.....

This

Or this?

Same dog, before and after clipping.

[tomas]

Same dog, before and after clipping.

GREAT pics! I guess then I would say yeah cut around the whiskers,though I KNOW that is not possible....

But you know where I am coming from don't you,it seems so much of what goes on in preparing a dog for the ring,to make them prettier seems silly...

Once I read the Stanley Coren book where he goes into great detail about the whiskers,I was floored that it goes on so widely. Though as I said I have never cut them off,I have dogs with no coat...easy for me to say is'nt it.

I guess I would like some happy medium...sigh.

[tomas]

Doesn't have much to do with showing them, but they DO like to be able to see and they certainly cannot do that if left untrimmed! And anyway, as a gundog, excess hair around faces leaves them more likely to get debris in their eyes.

You tell me....what is healthier for the dog.....

This

You could trim the skull and cut the facial hair not as close? Leaving whiskers intact. Just playing devils advocate here. Would'nt give the head as clean a look though.

[ellz]

You could trim the skull and cut the facial hair not as close? Leaving whiskers intact. Just playing devils advocate here. Would'nt give the head as clean a look though.

Whichever way you do it, you'll still cut whiskers. And leaving any facial hair at all has the effect of acting like a wick, drawing grass seeds and debris into the eyes.

[Blue Fox 001]

Ohh my ellz that transformation is absolutely amazing and gorgeous - you are a wizard

Sorry back to the topic but that really is spectacular - my standard poo has had his whiskers clipped weeky or at the outside fortnightly since he was a baby.

I wonder if they have never had whiskas if they simply learn to do without cause he certainly never has had any problems - just thought I'd throw that out there!

[tomas]

i cant see this affecting a dog with long hair too much, because yes the whiskers do have alot on the scenery side of things. But a dog also has all thoes senses in there other hairs, they still feel a insect landing on them etc, and a light breeze and bla bla, so a dog with long hair would probably most likely be using there long hair to do all that stuff anyways.

Also remember with the senses im pretty sure it goes "smell, sound, sight, touch" (dont count me on that), but I know smell and sound come first.

But yeh anyway, a dog has all the other hairs on its body, just like the hairs on our bodys, which still give them just about the same senses. So yeh...

Anyway. I wouldnt make such a HUGE fuss about it.

LOL. I was'nt making a HUGE fuss about it,this was a forum topic and I posted what I knew.

It's not like I am going to report anyone for animal cruelty is it.

Though my point IS still,YES it does affect EVERY dog short or long haired! My point STILL is they lose so much in sensory perception it's hard to quanitify how much and even if it has been done all their lives.

Sure if you were blind all your life you would'nt miss having eyesight,but it's a heck of a lot easier being able to see. Or if you are born with no legs,it's STILL easier to get around WITH legs.

I posted on Page 1 "Each individual whisker connects to a specific brain region, so that the dog can actually perceive movements of each whisker. About 40% of the part of the dog's brain that handles tactile information is devoted to the face, and a big piece of that to the region where the whiskers are located. Any time that much brain tissue is devoted to one thing, it's a sure sign that it's an important sensory mechanism."

It's not just for touch either..." They help dogs navigate in dim light. As the dog moves, the air currents stirred up by his movements bounce off walls and other objects, and the vibrissae are capable of detecting these and helping the dog avoid walls or other objects. Each hair is capable of being moved by small muscles, and a dog will actively move these back and forth across objects, as well as move his head to get information about the things near his face."

So YES their whiskers are INCREDIBLY important,but will they die without them no!

All everyone seems to be doing is justifying that they cut them off,so be it,BUT these are HUGELY useful pieces of anatomy! Face facts! No pun intended.

Dog show people can be so one eyed! I know you will all agree with me on THAT one!

[poodlefan]

You could trim the skull and cut the facial hair not as close? Leaving whiskers intact. Just playing devils advocate here. Would'nt give the head as clean a look though.

Whichever way you do it, you'll still cut whiskers. And leaving any facial hair at all has the effect of acting like a wick, drawing grass seeds and debris into the eyes.

Excessive hair around the mouth also harbours bacteria and wicks it into the mouth accelerating tooth decay. I shudder to see the state of a lot of poodle mixes with filthy long hair around and in the mouth.

[redarachnid]

All everyone seems to be doing is justifying that they cut them off,

:

Tomas, it is simply NOT possible to leave whiskers on some show breeds who have clipped faces like american cockers or poodles.

You can NOT scissor their faces off either. You would simply Not be able to compete with natural fluffly faces. THAT"S a FACT not a justification!

Petition the ANKC if it's so cruel.

[poodlefan]

All everyone seems to be doing is justifying that they cut them off,

:

Tomas, it is simply NOT possible to leave whiskers on some show breeds who have clipped faces like american cockers or poodles.

You can NOT scissor their faces off either. You would simply Not be able to compete with natural fluffly faces. THAT"S a FACT not a justification!

Petition the ANKC if it's so cruel.

It's not just show dogs who have clipped whiskers either. Many long haired pet dogs have their faces clipped for reasons of hygiene and comfort. Paws, tails and bums often get trimmed for the same reasons. You can do a far safer job with a pair of clippers than a pair of scissors anyhow.

Edited July 22, 2009 by poodlefan

[Gayle.]

Now I never realised American cockers had fluffy faces! I thought they had naturally short haired heads like my guys do. So, you learn something new every day. Gorgeous doggie, by the way, Ellz!

[WreckitWhippet]

I don't try and justify it. I do it because I like a clean face in the show ring, I always have and I always will.

I don't clip as I find it sends the dogs grey quicker, I use a combination of plucking and a whicker whacker

[OSoSwift]

Have never trimmed Rommi's as she hasn't been shown yet, but my Dobe had hers done all the time, she never seemed to suffer. She showed, did obedience, agility - managed a few titiles along the way- and was a fantastic pet dog - all without the aid of whiskers!