whiskers or not?

Justicemom said:
I don't cut the whiskers unless they are being shown. I don't like the prickly stage and I don't like trimming them so it is athe one thing I am willing to give on.

I know different breeds trim or don't trim. Rachel also shows Samoyeds and they don't trim whiskers at all in fact it is a huge No No in that breed. Malamutes it can go either way with most not trimming. I don't know why I must ask.
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It is interesting to note what breeds its acceptable for a which breeds not. Terrier would make sense NOT to trim, as you would think the standard would require them to have great whisker for shooting down holes. I wonder which breeds are allowed to trim and which ones aren't.

Ah, a question for another day! Inquiring minds want to know (but not so badly that I'm going to spend my evening researching this!):lol:
 
I trim Trapp's whiskers.They are heavy & thick black.I think it makes him look mousey with them.And so much better clean shaven!

Jaspers are white for the most part,he has like one black whisker on each side,but not heavy,thick.
 
I leave the whiskers on mine. Liam's are both black and white. I did notice that a few on both have gotten trimmed by the other dog I suspect.

Funny story about whiskers - my first Sheltie, Hamish, was my sister's dog. He was shown and she kept his whiskers trimmed. After I got him, I let the whiskers grow. My oldest niece, when she saw them, stated - he's got whiskers!
 
Just listening to a Stanley Coren interview about dealing with older dogs and he was discussing the purpose of whiskers. Apparently they serve 2 purposes, one is it picks up low frequencies through vibration and the other is for finding their way around in low light.

The reason he was discussing it was to say that whiskers should not be trimmed or cut off in older dogs as they serve as another sense to compensate for loss of sight or hearing. They help a dog get around and not bump into things. But if the dog has had its whiskers trimmed all its life it may not learn to use them for guidance.
 
*Caro said:
Just listening to a Stanley Coren interview about dealing with older dogs and he was discussing the purpose of whiskers. Apparently they serve 2 purposes, one is it picks up low frequencies through vibration and the other is for finding their way around in low light.

The reason he was discussing it was to say that whiskers should not be trimmed or cut off in older dogs as they serve as another sense to compensate for loss of sight or hearing. They help a dog get around and not bump into things. But if the dog has had its whiskers trimmed all its life it may not learn to use them for guidance.
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That's very interesting and a good point, I'd not though of whiskers in those terms before. Thanks for sharing!
 
Trim? NO

Take it from a human who has had a full beard since 1976 and DO NOT trim those whiskers. I have never trimmed them on any of my four Shelties. They are, in fact, a significant aid in sensory perception and to trim or remove them is to remove one of the ways a Sheltie has to interact with his environment. This is one area in which aesthetics should not be a factor. Learn to love the whiskers. Kind regards, Will
 
No I don't trim the whiskers. What would Lady do without hers? She takes her whiskers and rubs them against my face, and tickles my nose to wake me up. Her whiskers are part of her make-up.
 
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