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Pooping in a Show Coat

4K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  tokipoke 
#1 ·
I know there are some members who keep their Havs in a long show coat. I'd love to hear how you put their hair up to get it out of the way for bathroom duty. I've gotten Lucy's stools to the point where they're not runny and slimy, but sometimes they're still soft and sticky and with the snow being so high, when she squats her hair is on the snow, waiting for the poop to drop on it.

I've tried putting a "puppy tail" (aka pony tail) on each side of her rear, pulling the long leg/rear hair up and into the side hair, but if my husband does it, she just shakes it out. It's also a pain to do at 4 a.m. when she's in a hurry to go and I still have to get bundled up to brave the below zero weather.

ANyone do anything creative with a hair clip?
Any pictures?
 
#3 ·
my girls' coat isn't super long but it's getting there. For some reason she is able to poop without getting any on her fur! It's quite a trick. I do trim the hair right around the opening, not a lot but enough for a clean exit. If she gets diarrhea it's another story; there was one day where she had 4 "bum baths".
 
#4 ·
Rosie always had a clean exit, but the poop would drop on the hair from her legs that wastouching the ground or attach to the tail that was touching the ground. If she stayed out long enough, it would dry and fall off, but if cold or raining and she ran back inside, it would be sticky and hard to get off. I am throughl enjoying the hair cut.
 
#5 ·
Cey's in full coat, not necessarily show coat - I've never trimmed him, including his bottom area. As long as he has 'good', i.e., normal poops (he has a bit of a sensitive tummy so we've had plenty of occasions for butt baths) it is not really a problem. A good, normal stool is well-formed enough to not stick anywhere - at the very most, I may have to help him shake a little hanger-on off before he comes inside.

That being said, it definitely helps when his hair is clean and well-conditioned :).
 
#6 ·
Millie and Molly both have full coats but due to the malnutrition from being in a puppy mill. Molly has many bald spots, mainly on the sides and ears. However the rest of her is so full and long that I have had problems with matts, poop and pee issues. Now maybe this isn't the correct way or the best way but this is the only way I know to deal with this. After the girls come in from a pottying they have to pass the butt check before entering past the laundry room. If one has a smelly bottom it's in to a small pastic dish pan filled about 3" or 4" with water, tiny bit of shampoo and conditioner and then a quick dip in another pastic dish pan for a rinse. In my rinse water I normal have a little leave in conditioner. I do this for muddy paws and snow balls too.. . .I can do this pretty fast so it works for me. Oh and I do make sure that the are kept trimmed around their bottoms too. . .that helps alots.
 
#7 ·
I keep Bama's butt hair short to avoid as much poopy-butt problems as possible. I used to check after she went but haven't needed to as much lately. I always keep wipes around. With Miss Yorkie there were a few times where she would have poopy butt on a walk and so it couldn't be immediately dealt with, and when we would get home I would go straight to the picnic table while my dad grabbed the wipes. A few times I just cut some of the hair around the butt to make it easier since it was major mess, and then she would get a bath. She has had long hair from time to time, but never a full length Yorkie show coat.

Im not sure what the snow situation is where you are, is it compacted and solid so she can walk on top, or does she sink in a bit with her paws?

What about, instead of trying to pull the hair up and away, covering it somehow? Not all the time, obviously, since that could lead to matts, but maybe for those early morning potty trips putting on a doggy snow suit or some leggings?
 
#10 ·
If you've ever seen some of the top shows like Westminster etc, where all the top level Havanese compete, you will probably have the same reaction as I did: The front and sides, oh how lovely, but those rear shots I was more like, OMG they are completely exposed! They really cut back the "exit" area a whole lot, as in bald, not sure exactly what they do. On Hanna I do use a 30 blade about once a month on her sanitary area and that seems to do the trick. Warning, only do that if you know how to do it or you can end up sending your dog to the vet.
 
#11 ·
Louis is not in show coat, but his hair back there is long! I eventually want to grow him into a show coat. But even at the length he has right now, it's a mess if he has soft stools. I had to deal with diarrhea and blood two weekends ago. Yuuuck! You can either trim it very short back there, or invest in a lot of baby wipes like I do. I also love using Chris Christensen Magic Foam. I use the baby wipes to wipe out the smears, then follow it up the Magic Foam. I work it into the coat and continue to wipe it out with baby wipes and a greyhound comb. You can follow up with blow drying the area. I like the foam because it deodorizes the area so it doesn't smell like poo. I find it works better than waterless shampoo, which leaves a soapy residue.

With my standard poodle, I have to deal with him peeing on his front leg. This is very common with male standard poodles. As the hair grows on the leg, it gets worse because there is more hair to get in their aim! My poodle also has terrible aim as it is.
 
#13 ·
Louis is not in show coat, but his hair back there is long! I eventually want to grow him into a show coat. But even at the length he has right now, it's a mess if he has soft stools. I had to deal with diarrhea and blood two weekends ago. Yuuuck! You can either trim it very short back there, or invest in a lot of baby wipes like I do. I also love using Chris Christensen Magic Foam. I use the baby wipes to wipe out the smears, then follow it up the Magic Foam. I work it into the coat and continue to wipe it out with baby wipes and a greyhound comb. You can follow up with blow drying the area. I like the foam because it deodorizes the area so it doesn't smell like poo. I find it works better than waterless shampoo, which leaves a soapy residue.
is that really any easier than just popping them in the sink and washing their hiny with shampoo? I've also worried that you really don't deal with all the germs that way. What are your thoughts?
 
#15 ·
Louis is bathed weekly or at most every 2 weeks, so I just use the wipes and the foam to hold me until I can give him a proper bath. I am also waiting to see if his stools firm up. He had diarrhea yesterday twice, and then he was restless at 3 AM (very unusual) to be let out and he had soft stools again. Then he had the runs this morning. Not sure what is going on, but keeping an eye on it! Wiping a Hav butt at 3AM is no fun!!
 
#12 ·
Right after I submitted my previous reply, I noticed Louis being restless in his crate and staring at me. I took him out and leashed him, and he danced at the door to be let out while I got my coat on. As soon as I let him out, he RAN to the grassy area and had watery diarrhea! I need to stop feeding him rich treats. It was SO gross, all of it smeared on the back area. He must have known I was on this topic.
 
#20 ·
Not only did I clean Hav butt at 3AM, but I put on my coat, went outside in the freezing cold in my PJs with a flashlight to look at dog poop. I don't even know how I managed to wake up to take Louis out. I was in deep sleep, dreaming, and then I just opened my eyes and looked at Louis and knew he had to go. I also cannot see at all without my contacts so I had to get my glasses to look at his poop. The things we do for our dogs!
 
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