Westie struggle..

[Raggs]

I've been working at my job now for just over a year. In that time I have done a Westie every month or every other month. Off and on like that. He's always in for daycare before I get to work and I leave before he goes home. Every time I groom him, no matter how short I make him, I would keep getting feedback that his owner wants him shorter. So he'd come in the next day for daycare and I'd shorten him up. This has been going on since day 1. So the other day finally I was there before he was dropped off. So I went out and talked to his owner.

My bosses would keep telling me to trim his skirt up and take more off his back legs. (Just on the outside of the thigh)

So in talking to his owner, she wanted him REALLY short EVERYWHERE. His head, his skirt and his legs. She said that there is no such thing as to short on him because his hair grows so fast. She said not to worry about making him "to short" because hair grows, so it wouldn't matter to her. (I wish every customer was like this lady)

So I did a #7 on his back (only because my blade screwed up and I had to get the lines out. She's rather a #5 on his back) and a #2 on his legs, skirt and tail. I trimmed his head while it was still wet. Not extremely short, but not as long as a normal Westie head.

She loved him. It was what she wanted the entire time. Now if only that could have gotten across to me, there wouldn't have been this battle.

If I had known I was going to groom him that day and talk to him mom to get it right I would have brought my camera in. I will next time he's scheduled and take a picture...

He was the cutest little thing.. He looked just like a puppy again..

[amysue2638]

It's funny, almost all the Westie customers I have want them SHORT. Short on the back, short on the skirt. In fact one customer has 2 westies and makes me use a #10 on their backs. I started the first time with a #5 like I normally do, next time used a #7 because she wanted shorter, then finally a #10....it's impossible to blend well into the skirt and they look ridiculous, but she likes it. I'm tempted to tell her to meet me around back to pick up her dogs.

[SiotehCat]

All of my westies are also short. #10's mostly but some #7's. I have never been asked to do that length all over though, like a summer cut. I always wondered why. I still wonder why.

[RoosMom]

All of my westies are also short. #10's mostly but some #7's. I have never been asked to do that length all over though, like a summer cut. I always wondered why. I still wonder why.

Maybe because they look ugly totally naked, their crooked little front legs showing.lol Don't get me wrong, I LOVE doing Westies and Scotties- but I think they look hideous without at least a little bit of hair on their legs. ;-)

[Peaster]

....it's impossible to blend well into the skirt and they look ridiculous, but she likes it. I'm tempted to tell her to meet me around back to pick up her dogs.

I'm sure you have already tried it but I've had some sucess with using a #7 skip to blend thick westies that want short backs.

on a funnier note I had a really fat westie that the owner kept wanting me to make his skirt shorter and I had to tell him that if I went any shorter his belly would stick out. (his belly hung Really Low and he was quiet swayback which didn't help at all LOL)

[Raggs]

I'm tempted to tell her to meet me around back to pick up her dogs.

Been there done that... LOL

When I was grooming in New York my boss and I did this Standard Poodle. A white one to boot. The owner wanted her shaved bald. We did a #10 EVERYWHERE on this dog. No hair at all. None on ears or tail or head, nothing. The lady actually said to my boss that she would pick the dog up at the back door so that nobody saw her walking out the front. The owner knew it wasn't a good looking dog when it was shaved. She used to keep the dog in a Poodle cut, but she got on in years and wasn't able to brush her out anymore. My boss gladly brought the dog to the back door and loaded her into the car for the owner.