affenpinscher clipped

[affenal]

I am not a groomer, I'm just visiting because I'm thinking somebody around here might be able to answer this question....

We took our affenpinscher (mix) puppy (4.5 mo) to the groomer today for the first time, she is a maltipoo/affenpinscher mix but she looks nothing like her mother the maltipoo. I know from the research I did before taking her in that affens should nto be clipped, but unfortunately I don't think I was precise enough with my directions and the groomer clipped her coat pretty short. Now I keep seeing that it will "ruin" the coat if an affen is clipped. Does anyone know what "ruin" means? Obviously she's not a show dog, so i don't mind the short coat for now, and I don't mind if it grows back in the wrong shape or whatever... but I liked her longer, shaggy fur...

So does anyone know if her coat will grow out at all or is it going to be ruined and short forever?

[AuntieBeth]

Aff Mix

Affies are indeed meant to be plucked; Maltese no way! You have a mixed breed so as an expert in handstripping I would not even do it to your dog. It will grow but I seriously doubt that it would ever have the hard coat of a pure bred. You can modify the pattern with clippers or just do a puppy cut. Both breeds are considered high maintenance in my book so regular appointments are your best bet - Usually when your dog comes home really short it is because the groomer had to buzz/strip you dog because of matts and knots. Appointments every 4 -8 weeks will prevent that from happening. Of course you need to learn how to maintain your pup in between.

[Arrooh]

Would have been great with pictures.

I had a puppy buyer from me take their Brittany to a shop for grooming and they shaved the back and left the hock and tail flag of hair. Opposite it should have been.

Some people say the coat would be ruined. Some people say No Way. I can't say that I've ever seen a coat ruined by having been clipped and it should grow back to what it was. I have a feeling that your dog had some harshness to it and was not matted, but often it is Matts that lead groomers to cut off the hair.

[pugnacious]

Hair does not get ruined with clipping so don't worry! It will grow back just fine and probably quicker than you thing. Personally, I can't imagine a four and a half month old puppy whose hair was in such bad shape that the groomer would have to strip it !?? Unless of course, you have bathed it at home many times without properly brushing it. Next time make sure your puppy's hair is in good shape and let the groomer know what length ( in inches or parts of inches ) you might like. A dressmaker's seam guide works very well to measure the puppy's hair. Meanwhile, track the number of weeks it takes the hair to grow out to the length you like and schedule your future appointments accordingly.

[Poodleboy60]

This will be one for the hair genetics books. You have parents with three extremely different coat types. The Affen is a wirey, determinite growth coat, the Maltese and Poodle are non-determinate coats that just keep growing, but one is a smooth drop coat and the other is a curley coat. Plus there is a big change in Maltese and Poodles from puppy to adult coats, not so much with terriers. It will be somewhere between 8-12 months old when you really know what the coat is going to be like and what groom will work out the best. There's no guarantees on how a coat will come out from mixed parents.

[Pegroomer]

Relax...

When people speak of a coat being "ruined" by clipping, they usually mean a change in texture/colour NOT hair not growing back. "ruined" coats can be rehabilitated, it just takes time and effort.
I am not sure your pup's coat is suitable for hand stripping. Just because it doesn't look like it's maltipoo mom doesn't mean it hasn't inherited some of her coat qualities, at such a young age it would be hard for anyone to know.
Part of the misunderstanding with your groomer may be terminology. "Strip" can mean different things depending on the dog, the owner and the groomer. Many of us petgroomers refer to a shave down as a 'strip' or a 'strip off' as in "make him naked". A show groomer or someone who specializes in terriers would refer to a 'hand strip' meaning to shape, shorten and add texture/colour to the coat by plucking away unwanted hair (think eyebrow plucking on a grander scale<G>).
My clipping short at this time you might avoid the dreaded 'coat change' stage. This is when the soft "baby" coat drops out as the coarser adult coat grows in. It is also the time when the coat will knot up in a slight breeze..it is no fun! Sometimes a puppy drops it's fluffy baby coat and grows a shorter adult coat, if this happens it is not from the grooming but something that was genetically predetermined and would have happened anyway (in an older dog it can be a sign of a health problem). I don't think that's likely for your pup as it's a mix of breeds that are all hairy.
Hope this reassures!
Peg

[affenal]

Thanks Everyone!

I guess ultimately her coat will be a bit of a mystery. That's fine with us, obviously we knew she was a mix so we weren't expecting any particular look.

Anyway, I was mostly concerned than any affen genes in her DNA would kick in with the clipping and she would suddenly go bald or change colors or otherwise be seriously ruined but you all have put that irrational fear to rest, which is good because I think I was driving my husband crazy talking about our poor bald puppy...

[pudel]

you wil really just have to wait and see what kind of coat this dog actualy has when it grows out. Maybe stripped, maybe clipped. You have a mixed breed. So no One can predict what kind of coat the dog will have as an adult.

[Helly]

Anyway, I was mostly concerned than any affen genes in her DNA would kick in with the clipping and she would suddenly go bald or change colors or otherwise be seriously ruined but you all have put that irrational fear to rest, which is good because I think I was driving my husband crazy talking about our poor bald puppy...

If she suddenly goes bald, there's a medical problem. It's not from being clipped. If her hair doesn't grow back, there's a medical problem. It's not from being clipped.

If the texture and/or color changes it's because the soft undercoat has been exposed. There are many more undercoat hairs than longer top coat hairs. Undercoat is softer and usually lighter. There's also a difference in the hair shaft at the base of the hair. It's narrower and lighter than the tip and main body of the hair. So it's also softer and lighter in color.

When the top coat hairs fall out, and eventually they will, new hair will be produced. That new hair will be just like the old hair was when it started growing.