The dogs I shave the faces of are Poodles and Cocker spaniels. It is impossible to leave the hair on the face of the dog without some kind of trimming, and the owners like them clean shaven.

i didn't know such a thing was or could be done to dogs, so no i wouldn't trim them, nature must have some reason for them so thats a good enough reason for me.

Granted nature left us an appendix! but i still wouldn't trim her whiskers.

O Lord, I might have guessed!

This is not an aggressive or accusatory question ... but why? Why can't the hair be left on their faces? And if it can't, why do the whiskers need to come off?

There are newer studies that suggest that far from being the vestigial organ that was thought, the appendix actually plays an important part in protecting the "good" natural flora and fauna which occurs in our colon and which is so vital to a healthy gut.

Spaniels usually have their whiskers trimmed for the show ring because they're so mahoosive!

Isla's were trimmed off whist she was shown and she showed no pain or discomfort during or after having them trimmed off. She didn't behave any differently to all the other dogs I've had that had whiskers.

Since I've stopped showing her her whiskers have been left intact and again there is no difference in her behaviour.

Rossi's whiskers are left intact at the request of my parents and I doubt I'd trim Isla's off again if and when she goes back into the ring. It's not that I feel it's cruel, just that I think it's unnecessary - I get a lot of comments about Rossi's whiskers when in the ring, but if the judge places me down because of a few whiskers then I'll just make sure I avoid that judge in future!

I would never trim whiskers of dogs who's faces dont need trimming, however I shaved the poodles faces, the whiskers came off, and when I trim Scout and Zoe's faces, I imagine the whiskers in their fur get trimmed, but why trim whiskers on shorthaired dogs? that's an odd one to me.

I don't think its cruel but I dont particularly like it, even for the show ring. I used to show working hunter ponies and loads of people would shave their whiskers off, never understood the attraction myself and never did our placings any harm.

Zeke lost ALL his whiskers when he had chemo, we threw a little party each time a new one grew back!

I wouldn't say it was cruel, but I don't like it. I just don't see the need at all.

I did the blinking test with Jake, and he blinked.

I love Jake's whiskers!

Ok got back early, phone ran out of battery, can cope with lots of things, but not a dead phone , took dogs out, and have article in front of me, will try and pick out points without pressing enter half way through, can't promise anything though I tried to make some things just points, but it doesn't really work on the phone , the following is mentioned in article, Wilhelmina is a Sheltie, who lost most her sight at age four, after following advice to help her she managed around the home fine, but one day she started bumping into things and falling over, she even missed her water bowl, bumping her nose on the floor, it turned out the groomer had cut off her wiskers, which wasn't done before, she got better once they grew back, *wiskers are also rooted four times deeper then normal hairs, and bleed when they are plucked out. *Dr John Burchard, Saluki breeder explains 'on closer examination you will find a system of seven 'hair warts' forming a sort of crown surrounding the head, giving the dog information about where it can safely stick its head and where it can't. There is one tuft of vibrissae above each eye, two on each cheek (one upper, one lower) and one under the middle of the chin, in a dog with a normal shaped head, those seven tufts of vibrissae form a roughly equal circle all round the head, providing important information about surroundings in a zone where the animal cannot see.' article also says a large part of the brain is dedicated to processing the nerve impulses from vibrissae, and if vibrissal papillae are damaged in new born mice it results in adnormal brain development, it mentions the rats which can swim up to 48 hours with vibrissae, but if they are removed sink to the bottom after a minute after suffering cardiac arrest, and how blindfolded cats with wiskers can dispatch prey still, but without they can't, *Professor Thomas McGill, also a Newfie breeder mentions one Vizsla who was worked aswell as shown, who suffered facial injuries when younger and shown, so wiskers removed, but not when older when he was able to keep them, and also mentions one obience trainer who reports how removing vibrassae can affect young gundogs ability to retrieve. *Stories of horses sustaining facial and eye injuries after having vibrassae removed, one man said his mare wouldn't eat for two days after having hers removed, and some horses acting like they have been shocked when vibrissae stubble have been touched, apparently the British Horse Society have now advised agaisnt removal of vibrissae, Germany have banned it in horses on the basis its sensory deprivation, while other horse and dog owners say that it makes no differnce to their animals like a breeder of Manchester terriers who does her dogs wiskers and they still hunt. *A spokesperson for the Pet Care Trust says it will moniter the situation, but there is a lack of evidence as yet. *The BVA was asked, and they said that they had not had the oppurtunity to debate this issue yet so has no formal policy, however (Harvey Lock) I can say that wiskers should not be trimmed, shaved, or removed for cosmetic reasons and in cases where the muzzle is clipped for cleanliness, every effort should be made to preserve the vibrissae. They are a sensory organ with innervation, so it is reasonable to assume that their amputation causes discomfort.' *last December apparently KC issued a statement saying that it did not believe that any dog should have its wiskers removed for purely cosmetic reasons, and also expressing concern that the practice is becoming more common place in certain breeds, *in the US some breed standards have been changer regarding wiskers, including the Newfie and Visla. End of points from article. Although each and every point could be debated, I believe we don't know their true function and feeling for dogs, and just because we own a animal that we do not have the right to remove them as we prefer them without, but at least you don't have to read the article now, I copied prehaps a bit too much . Finish, if it don't make as much sense as you would like you try writing while sat on your bed, while on a phone, with a 26kg lapdog on you .