I'm a professional dog groomer, and though my basenji's tail isn't bushy I can give you 2 different options. 1. Go to a petsmart and get a pair of Martha Stewart Thinning Shears, essentially you will just scissor repeatedly in the same spot until all the hair is uniformly trimmed, (You can use a pair of small straight or curved shears, but it would be blunt and to unnatural looking). Or 2. go to a reputable groomer, get your baby a lovely bath, and ask her to do the trimming, if the groomer wants to shave it, tell her to do it with a "3 blade" or "5/8ths blade". that would leave the hair longer and not shaved looking.
Trimmed tail
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I got a question…are there any guidelines as to how to trim their tail, or should it be done to looks? I noticed, after reading this thread, that Otis' tail is getting "thicker" and some day we will probably need to have his tail done. Should I take him to a groomer or should it be done by me? I have horror stories about how the groomers, all the ones I visited, really "screwed" up my Westie, so I can only imagine how they would potentially wreck Otis' good looks..LOL. Otis' tail is curled straight, in line over his spine...if that makes sense, but today I saw that it is starting to tilt to one side, like I have seen some of y'all dogs tails on here has it. Is that normal?
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If you are not showing him, there is really no reason to trim the tail…. they are not like a Westie that needs to be groomed because the hair continues to grow.. on a Basenji it will just get so thicker (especially as they age from puppies to adults) and then stop... IMO there is never a reason to take a Basenji to a groomer unless you can't do their nails yourself. This is the most important thing, is their nails and especially if they still have dew claws (typically removed in the US except by PM's and many BYB's) In other countries they are left on.
As far as the tail curl, they can all be different, loose curl, laying to the left or right, curl twice, curl three times, set directly over the butt instead of to one side or the other (sometimes that style is call a tea cup tail, my OJ had that).... and sometimes how the tail lays depends on how the tail is set on the butt.
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Tanza, Thanks for your quick response. I have been doing his claws myself, he doesn't really hate nor does he love it, so I will keep on doing it until he says otherwise..lol. As far as his dewclaws, they are removed. So I don't really have to trim it, unless I want to? I really like the way the tails look when they are skinnier vs thicker, if that makes sense. I guess I just wait and see what Otis' will look like once fully "furred". teacup tail, I like that…so sweet.
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Exactly… only if you want to trim it..., my personal opinion is that I like the "thicker" tail...ggg
And if you want to try trimming it just for the "heck" of it... what you are really doing is trying to follow the contour of the tail.... Use thinning scissors and just try to following the curl of the tail, trimming away the long hairs... with thinning sicissors, even if you mess up... no one will really notice...ggg
If you are doing it for show... I use thinning scissors and curved regular scissors.. thin first, use the curved to clean up the stray hairs..
But.. to do it, best if you either have someone hold his head while you are doing the tail... or use a grooming table that has a noose for his head.
And kudos to you for doing his nails.. that is a total pet peeve for me... they are really easy to do and while they may not love it.. (just like you said.. not thrilled, but accept).. it is important to keep their nails trimmed. They really should be done once a month at the longest... I prefer every 2 wks, but I use a Dremel grinder, not nail clippers. Show dogs are usually done at least once a week.
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We trim the tails here too…
Chafuko's tail.. pfff he has LONG hair!!!!
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Exactly… my personal opinion is that I like the "thicker" tail...ggg
Same here…Liyah's tail is really thick, but because she's about to hit the ring, she has to be trimmed (unfortunately)...she still looks great, but IMHO, not as good as she does when her tail is left to its own devices. :D:D
Needless to say, she won't have her tail trimmed when she's done showing...and none of the adults get theirs trimmed. Ruby's looks bushy like a squirrel (her tail just has one big loop) :D:D:D.
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It looks perfect! What type of scissors did you use and how did you do it??
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Decided to have a go myself today with puppy Rocco, I think I did an ok job. I did most of it while he was asleep!
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Decided to have a go myself today with puppy Rocco, I think I did an ok job. I did most of it while he was asleep!
Very nice
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Good job..I am so going to have to do Otis'. I like the tails better when they are trimmed and sleek..and his is gettiung rather bushy..bush dog.
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It looks perfect! What type of scissors did you use and how did you do it??
Great job! I totally forgot to answer your question about the scissors.. Sorry for that! But I used a 'normal' paper scissor..
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we also trim the tails when we are going to a show, otherwise we dont bother, but our basenjis dont have very bushy tails like some do have.
At first I thought how stupid it was to trim tails, and sometimes I still agree with my former opinion , depending on how and for what reason a tail is trimmed.
I do it myself, but I really have mixed feelings about it, a basenji is an ancient original dog, please let them look the way they just do, but then dogshows dont work that way anymore unfortunately and it looks more "finished / showy" when a tail has been trimmed.I hate it when people trim the whiskers of their basenjis, these are important organs and not just thick hairs that you need to trim so the dogs face looks more silk
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we also trim the tails when we are going to a show, otherwise we dont bother, but our basenjis dont have very bushy tails like some do have.
At first I thought how stupid it was to trim tails, and sometimes I still agree with my former opinion , depending on how and for what reason a tail is trimmed.
I do it myself, but I really have mixed feelings about it, a basenji is an ancient original dog, please let them look the way they just do, but then dogshows dont work that way anymore unfortunately and it looks more "finished / showy" when a tail has been trimmed.I hate it when people trim the whiskers of their basenjis, these are important organs and not just thick hairs that you need to trim so the dogs face looks more silk
I trim a few whiskers when we are getting ready for a show…but otherwise, no. And also refuse to cut all the whiskers, I do think they use them.
As far as being a ancient dog..yes...but humans are an ancient original species also..we still trim our hair, and some of us wear make up when we want to look extra nice.
I see what you are saying though
Here in the US, an untrimmed tail in the show ring, (particularly a bushy tail) screams 'my handler is new at this'!!!! -
I leave my Bs completely as nature intended. Bushy tails, whiskers and dew claws. The only think I do is clip there nails. It's never done me any harm in the show ring.
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As far as being a ancient dog..yes…but humans are an ancient original species also..we still trim our hair, and some of us wear make up when we want to look extra nice.
I hope you know that what you are saying here makes no sense at all
the main difference is that WE do it for OURSELVES , because WE want to look extra nice, the dogs and other animals dont care, but nooo we humans want THEM to look nicer and nicer too, and therefore we trim them, and also put stupid clothes on them and sometimes even make-up yes indeed :rolleyes: so everything that has to be nicer is a HUMAN decision and has nothing to do with the animals themselves
and I certainly hope you dont compare animals with humans seriously, that is such an INSULT FOR THE ANIMALS!!! :eek:but also, ( no effence please ! ) but the american way of showing is way much more exaggarated then here in europe, a way of culture I guess, and that is just the way it is. Look at the afghan hounds and irish setters you have there in the showring, they have nothing to do with the original breedstandard and type!! SHAME ON THE PEOPLE WHO RUINED THOSE BREEDS !!!!! and I can go on and on and on , but will not do that
It appears to me that the american way is a lot more about appereances then back here in europe, allthough a lot of people are only appearences here as well, but I guess that is human too :rolleyes:and please dont take it personal
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Clearly, you don't know me very well I am not a fan of anthropomorphism; and no, I don't compare animals with humans....because humans ARE animals
I guess I won't take it personally that you made a gross generalization about the US' preoccupation with appearances... Wait, aren't most of the cosmetic and fashion design houses, and prestigious modeling agencies in Europe? Or were you just talking dogs?
Come on....the topic is tail trimming on a dog...not plastic surgery.... -
To follow up on this topic….it does seem that dog showing in Europe is a much more casual affair than it is in the US. And I wish, wish, wish that were the case here. There is far too much emphasis on the what the handler looks like, and the 'presentation' here in the US, and not enough on the actual dog (IMO, of course).
So, if that is what you were trying to say Ibi N Sane ...I totally agree....
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no I dont know you very well , as well as you dont know me, and that is also the problem with the internet as it is difficult to read intonations
and I am talking about dogshows, and I am sure you must see what I see , and yes a lot of americans show for appearences, it is even worse then over here in europe where it is starting to get out of hands as well!!
please look you must see it, afghan hounds, irish setters etc.hairs must be longer, more and more angulations, more and more chest, the dog must have the perfect "human idea" picture while stacked, I am sorry it is the truth and a very hot topic over here in europe
I must admit that I like the golden retriever type and sheltie type more over there in the USA.
some breeds are damaged everywehre like the english bulldog, the german shepherd and the sharpei , horrible what these breeds look nowadays just because the humans like them better this way …...I think you know what I am trying to say, it starts with triming, where does it end?
and again, dont take it personall, when you have nothing to do with it you dont need to take it personal right? anyway it would be a nice discussion as it is obvious what most humans do to dogs just because it looks more pretty and that is going on for ages! -
To follow up on this topic….it does seem that dog showing in Europe is a much more casual affair than it is in the US. And I wish, wish, wish that were the case here. There is far too much emphasis on the what the handler looks like, and the 'presentation' here in the US, and not enough on the actual dog (IMO, of course).
So, if that is what you were trying to say Ibi N Sane ...I totally agree....
yes it is
see my other post as well, our posts are crossing hahaha that is not handy as well :p
but about the casual affair….it is getting more american here as well... unfortunately not the other way round.....:(I am happy we cleared that out
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please look you must see it, afghan hounds, irish setters etc.hairs must be longer, more and more angulations, more and more chest, the dog must have the perfect "human idea" picture while stacked, I am sorry it is the truth and a very hot topic over here in europe
I must admit that I like the golden retriever type and sheltie type more over there in the USA.
some breeds are damaged everywehre like the english bulldog, the german shepherd and the sharpei , horrible what these breeds look nowadays just because the humans like them better this way …...I think you know what I am trying to say, it starts with triming, where does it end?
Well, Afghan hounds, Irish Setters, those are man made breeds…so I suppose that people can make them look however their fanciers agree that they want them to look. If there is disagreement among the fancy, which I am sure there is...they have to find some common ground. I do hate to see when artificial selection/human selection starts to interfere with the structural health of the dog...i.e. bulldogs, etc. Those breeders need to evaluate what they are doing, and see if the 'look' is worth having a dog that can't breath properly...obviously it doesn't seem logical.
Basenjis, as you mentioned, are a natural breed...and yes, I think our duty is to preserve, rather than improve the breed. And I think that we do a pretty good job of that, based on how similar the dogs that are being brought out of Africa look to those that are currently in the show ring.
IMO and IME...a trimmed tail ends in a trimmed tail? not everything is a slippery slope....
