When grooming West Highland White terriers, creating the proper tail shape seems to be confusing to some groomers. Here are some tips to help you nail those tails.
West Highland White terriers are supposed to have tails trimmed to resemble a carrot. They should not have a flag of long hair on the underside like a setter, a pom like a poodle, a short band at the base, or look like a bushy fir tree, though I’ve seen all these shaped tails on the breed. Creating the proper look is actually quite simple. Here is how:
- Start by carding out some undercoat. The Andis Deshedding tool excels at this job, and if you don’t have one, you should. They are endlessly useful in the grooming environment. Card the jacket and tail before you clip the pattern on the jacket. The breed standard calls for a flat top line, and carding out a dead undercoat will help you achieve that look and help your clipped areas look smoother. Use a #4 or 5 blade or a guard comb to get the most natural-looking pattern. Shorter blades (such as a 7F) will not look as natural and will be hard to blend into the furnishings. When shaping the tail, clip the underside with the grain the same 4, 5, or comb you clipped the pattern.
- Next, comb the tail so all the coat lies naturally. Using chunkers or thinning shears, trim the hair from the tip. Examine the tip before trimming; if the hair is sparse, don’t trim too closely, or it will look naked. Depending on how fuzzy the tail is, you may need to take some length off the hair growing at the end of the tail so it is close to the tip. You want the hair to end close to the end of the tail but not so close that the skin is exposed.
- Hold the tail so it extends straight off the back of the dog, and comb the hair again. Using your chunkers or thinners, working from the tip towards the base, trim the hair from each side of the tail, angling your shears so they cut closer at the end of the tail and leave the fur at the base longer.
- Using your comb, and holding the tail in the same position as above, comb all the hair to one side. Trim to neaten up any hair that hangs over your previous scissor line. Then, comb all the hair to the opposite side and repeat.
- Gently lift the tail so it is standing upright. Ensure the fur on the rump blends smoothly into the hair at the base of the tail and that there is no lump of fur where the tail joins the body. If there is, card more coat out or thin that area with your thinning shears until everything looks smooth.
- Encourage the dog to shake, or better yet, take it off the table, let it move freely for a few moments, and see how the tail looks. If you see any “sticky outies,” pop the dog back on the table to tidy the straggler hairs up.
Properly trimmed, the Westie tail should look like a sturdy carrot, blending naturally into the back coat and nicely balancing the grooming on the rest of the pet.
