Whiskers

Depending on the breed, yes, show dogs do have their whiskers shaved off. Even pets do, if they're Poodles or Chinese Cresteds[] 

A vet tech told me that whiskers under the jaw, and above the eyes are useful tactile hairs, and should NOT be cut off.  Many Pro handlers leave these hairs on the show dogs.  The vet tech said it was fine to cut off the hairs on the muzzle though.  A #10 blade is good for shaving them close on short coated breeds.  I read that on longhaired show dogs, you should cut the whiskers back a few weeks before the show, so they can "naturalize".
 
I'm taking over a grooming shop in a few days, and we do not clip off whiskers unless the owner requests.  This, of course, excludes "clean shaven" breeds like poodles and cockers.  
 
And there are always exceptions.  Today we groomed a oodle with a teddy bear face.  That dog turned out adorable.  Pet poodles should always be groomed that way.[]

 

I read that on longhaired show dogs, you should cut the whiskers back a few weeks before the show, so they can "naturalize".

 
Maybe my girl has fast growing whiskers, but if I don't trim them the night before the show she has funny-looking stubble on her muzzle.
Shaving with a 10 blade leaves too much stubble, and a shorter blade makes her muzzle look bald.  The best way I've found is to just trim them individually with scissors.
I never heard that about the tactile whiskers, that is very interesting!  I've been trimming them all off without any issues but I'll ask around about that one.
 
Best in Show is more of a documentary.  I'd consider it non-fiction!  It's all true- this is pretty much how dog showing is!!

Shaving with a 10 blade leaves too much stubble, and a shorter blade makes her muzzle look bald. The best way I've found is to just trim them individually with scissors.

That's interesting. Now, I feel the urge to experiment. All I've done, on my own dogs, is scissor the whiskers on the top of Emma's nose (she has a very whiskery face, she's a broken Jack). I am a little nervous about shaving her whiskers, because I don't want them to come back a weird texture. They're cute. I may leave them be. Teenie's, though.... Teenie's can go and stay gone. They're short, and black, and don't enhance her at all.

Today we groomed a poodle with a teddy bear face. That dog turned out adorable. Pet poodles should always be groomed that way

 
I really don't like the teddy bear face on poodles. Aside from it just being my preference the hair on the face always gets shmutz in it. Austin and Java have little donut mustaches (which I decided their personalities dictate) but those get fine combed every day.

It said in The Stone Guide to Dog Grooming that electric clippers are best for removing whiskers.  It also said thinning shears, a duplex dresser, or safety razor also worked well, in addition to barber shears.  Of course, most of the breed-specific grooming in that book is submitted by representatives of the "breed-clubs", so I'm sure this is one of those topics where some tools work for some people better than others.
 
I really don't like the teddy bear face on poodles. Aside from it just being my preference, the hair on the face always gets shmutz in it. Austin and Java have little donut mustaches (which I decided their personalities dictate) but those get fine combed every day.
 
I agree about the cleanliness factor.  Do you prefer clean feet as well?  I don't, as many poodles have totally overgrown nails.  Oh well, You've obviously been grooming poodles longer than I have![]

I agree about the cleanliness factor. Do you prefer clean feet as well? I don't, as many poodles have totally overgrown nails. Oh well, You've obviously been grooming poodles longer than I have!

Not Bunni, but I like clean feet on EVERYTHING[] I have a few Schnauzers and Cockers, and one powder puff Crested that get clean feet. My JRT has had clean feet, in the past, too. I like painting her nails[]

I keep all of my dogs whiskers shaved.  I too found that #10  blades left to much stubble, so I have started using #40 blades.

I don't especially like the look of the shaved feet but I do it (usually) for sanitary reasons and because it makes it easier to do nails - especially with the dremel.
 
I am always annoyed with whatever tools I use to groom the feet. Except for a couple of them it's almost impossible to do those tiny feet with regular (A5) clipper blades. I have a smaller one from Oster but the blades don't last any amount of time. Usually I use the standard mustache/beard trimmer from the drug store. They don't last real long either but they're cheap. I also use those for the new pups. (Very cute video of that on my site: [linkhttp://poodlejunction.com/video/groming071705-Molly31.htm]http://poodlejunction.com/video/groming071705-Molly31.htm[/link])
 
I wouldn't leave hair on the feet long to cover overgrown nails. I'd shave them even shorter so the owners could see how bad the nails are - but that's just me. I'd never make it as a groomer. I wouldn't be polite enough with the dog owners.  
 
Not that I never get behind on nails - I do but not grossly so.
 
Regarding the length of time I've been grooming poodles: Lots of people have done it longer than I have but few have done it as much. I have never done anything in my life (and I can do a whole lot of things) that took me so long to get good at. (And I'm still not all that good at it.)
 
Professional groomers get far too little respect as far as I'm concerned. People have no idea what a hard job you have, for how little money, taking care of people's wiggly dogs (never mind the dirty and nasty ones). 

Almost all show paps get their whiskers shaved before competition.  Beau's are currently growing back after being shaved for show.  They're about an inch and a half long now.  Man, when they started growing back at first he was so bristly!  It scratched when he kissed you.  He also had the hair on his nose shaved a bit.  He usually has a bump on his snout from longer hair on his muzzle, but for show it was smooth.  Made his muzzle look finer and cleaner than when he's not groomed.

It's kind of sad, he was so gorgeous when he finished and now he's looking kind of ratty again LOL.  Not ratty, but not nearly as nice as he did being groomed every weekend.

Here's his semi whiskers -


Now


Shaved


Fully whiskered.

Can anyone tell where he likes to sleep?

I wouldn't leave hair on the feet long to cover overgrown nails. I'd shave them even shorter so the owners could see how bad the nails are - but that's just me. I'd never make it as a groomer. I wouldn't be polite enough with the dog owners.

 
I know what you mean.  Honestly, I don't think shaving the feet would encourage people to clip their nails, and if you are not shaving the feet, cutting it close around looks REALLY ugly.  A few weeks ago, a little poodle(truck dog) came in for a regular kennel clip, and it's nails had actually started to grow back into it's clean feet.
 

Professional groomers get far too little respect as far as I'm concerned. People have no idea what a hard job you have, for how little money, taking care of people's wiggly dogs (never mind the dirty and nasty ones)

 
I hear ya!

I am always annoyed with whatever tools I use to groom the feet.

Have you ever tried the tidbit or the peanut (whatever they're calling that litte, orange one, now)?  What about the thinner foot blades that fit a standard clipper?

I just use a regular #40, but I don't groom a lot of teensy dogs, and I have a clipper vac.

Jennie, I wonder if that's the one they used to call the poodle blade. None of the places I get blades from have that one anymore.
 
I think the peanut is a different clipper - more like my little mustache trimmer but wider. It's not the thickness of the blade (40 or 10 or whatever) it's the width of it. I cannot do those tiny feet with such a wide blade.
 
You're only one state away. Why don't you come teach me?!

I use a Tidbit on feet here, love it for that...it's too close for muzzles.
 
I prefer to cut whiskers with scissors to trimming...but mine are VERY still on the table so I can. If I had a licker or a fidgeter I'd probably just do clippers and be stubbly rather than catch a tongue and have a bloody mess and wounded hound...lol.
 
I remove all whiskers..never had issues with eye damage or such. If I ran my dogs in brush for work or fun, I'd leave them on.