10 replies to this topic

[Autumn&Molly]

As Molly's hair gets longer, I've noticed the hair on her ears "fringes" or "feathers" around her ears. It actually looks quite pretty, but in the photos I've seen of Cairns, I think this hair has been stripped or trimmed? Is it normal to do this? I know she's just my little pet, but I'd like to have her look as close to the breed standard as I can.

[bradl]

Normal grooming for ears is to strip the fringe off the top third (or half) of the ear. The effect you get is a nice, pointy, velvety ear poking up through the bouquet of head furnishings. It's usually *very* easy to pull those hairs - we've never had a dog fuss about it.

Pull along the edges of the ear, and also pull from the back surface of the ear. Up to you whether you pull hair *inside* the ear. I normally don't pull hairs that look like they originate down in the ear canal, but I will pull anything whose root I caan see just from looking at the ear.

That is, you know, if I ever actually groom a dog again Dog below is not mine. Just a photo I took.

[kintra]

Ditto what Brad said. If you're steady with a grooming shears, you can also trim along the ear leather (I hold the leather in between my forefinger/thumb to make sure to not hit it). I've even taken a clippers to the ear leather on some pet Cairns who dislike the hair being pulled, then trimmed the edges with a shears.

LOVE the head on your dog, Brad!

[Shazza]

I trim the upper 1/3 of the ear myself. I've also used the clippers but I prefer to do what Kintra is talking about.

[Autumn&Molly]

Okay, got it! I will try this with Molly tomorrow. Thank you everyone!

[sanford]

To trim ear fringes or not to? The eternal question! I see a good number of cairns with ear fringes (and feathery tails) and I just don't understand it. Although I realize that as a pet, a cairn can be trimmed, clipped - or not, depending on the owners preference, it frankly seems peculiar to me when I see cairns with ear and tails that are so feathery, they don't look like cairns anymore. Or with or with coats trimmed/shaved so tightly that they look like border terriers. In addition to the wonderful and unique personality, most of us select a dog because we like the way the breed looks. The ears and tails happen to give the cairn a lot of it's distinctive "cairn" look and are expressive of its personality. That is lost when tail and ear fringes are allowed to grow out.

As a dog lover, I love them no matter how they are trimmed, but because cairns are my favored choice, I think they should look like cairns!

[jetersmom]

Can someone then explain how to trim the tail because that is one thing I haven't been able to accomplish... the ear fringe thing I can handle!

[Tracy A.]

As I was reading Brad's post and saw the head shot, I was going to compliment Brad on the grooming job... then read that it isn't one of his Dogs..
LOL Which makes sense since Brad always states what a bad groomer he is...LOL

[Hawkeye]

jetersmom, on 05 October 2009 - 07:43 AM, said:

Can someone then explain how to trim the tail because that is one thing I haven't been able to accomplish... the ear fringe thing I can handle!

I use the trimming shears on the tail and fan out the fur trimming from the base to the tip. Should come out looking like a carrot.

[kintra]

I use a thinning shears to shape the very tip of the tail, then strip the rest of it. Like Hawkeye said, it should come out looking like an introverted carrot.

hehe sorry Brad, I totally skipped over the part where you said it wasn't your dog. The head looks so familiar though (coming from the girl who has pretty much been out of the show loop lately!), do you remember who it is?

[Autumn&Molly]

sanford, on 05 October 2009 - 05:44 AM, said:

As a dog lover, I love them no matter how they are trimmed, but because cairns are my favored choice, I think they should look like cairns!

Agreed. As I said in my OP, I think the ear fringe looks pretty, but I'd rather have her look like the Cairn she is! Molly's tail also needs some immediate attention. We've only had her about 6 months now, so I am still learning.