Porties

So I live and work in an area where there are a lot of Portuguese Water Dogs. I don't have as many pictures as I thought, but I still have enough to make an entire blog post out of this breed that has probably enjoyed a surge in popularity since the Obamas got Bo.

I remember the very first time I saw a Portie in person. I had only been a bather for maybe a week, and I had to watch a wet one while the groomer washing it had to step away for a minute. When that groomer returned, I said, "What is that, a really ugly (Old English) Sheepdog mix?"

He looked at me oddly and said, "Uh, no, it's a Portuguese Water Dog." I had seen brown Porties in dog breed books and in shows, but I had never seen a black and white one - which is funny, because I've only seen one or two brown ones in all my years as a groomer.

So let's start with today and work backwards. This dog came in today.

He hadn't been groomed since March and was completely matted. Luckily his owner was aware of this and knew he would have to be shaved. Here you can see the matted hair hanging off his body partway through the shave.

And here's the end result. I left 3/4" on his tail and on top of his head. I had to shave his ears. I left just under 1/2" on his face. The shaved ears are unconventional, but I actually think they look cute.

I groomed this guy a couple of days ago. They were really unhappy with the last groom he had, so they decided to try some place different. He had been shaved - according to the owner, it was unwarranted. I'm guessing the dog was probably matted, that's how it usually goes. Anyway, he just wanted a light trim all over. This is the before picture.

And this is after. You can tell I took a lot off of his head and face. You can also tell that this was taken at the new groom shop because the tables are different.

I don't remember if I did this next Portie the day before or the day after that last one. It's been a busy few days. Anyway, This Portie was also matted and probably hadn't been groomed for six months.

I groomed this next Portie a week or two ago. I think I left 3/4" all over. You can see all the hair stuck to the table from drool - yuck!

And finally, a lion cut on a Portie, which I don't get to do very often. Most people do the retriever clip, so I've only done a handful of lion clips on Porties in my career. This dog actually belongs to one of my co-workers at the new groom shop. Her head and ears were a little longer and poofier than I usually like, but pet grooming is always about what the owner wants, not what the groomer wants. 

Well, that's all the Portie pictures I have right now. I'd like your input - did you enjoy this in-depth look at one specific breed? Or do you prefer posts with a whole bunch of dog breeds?