One of my favorite methods of keeping long hair out of my Lhasa’s eyes is to braid the eye fall. Braids not only keep hair out of the eyes, but also frame the head well, help train the parting, slow tangling and tangling, and require less maintenance than other methods. Braids are quite attractive, especially when they are long. People always “ooh and aahh” about Lhasas (men and women) sporting braids.
If you want to try braiding, follow these steps:
1. Part the hair exactly in the middle of your Lhasa’s head.
2. Section the hair to be braided. The thickness of the section will depend on the thickness of your Lhasa’s eye drop, but usually the section will start somewhere between the middle and outer corner of the eye and go back about two inches or so. You just have to experiment until you find an amount of hair that is comfortable to work with and looks good for the shape of your dog’s head and eyes.
3. Divide the large section of hair into three smaller equal sections. Lightly mist with water or fur conditioner to make hair easier to work with. The coat conditioner helps prevent matting and matting.
4. Begin braiding by crossing the section closest to the eye over the center section. Keep the braid close to the Lhasa’s head and continue braiding until you run out of hair. Braid “down” and not “out.” Flatten hair while braiding.
5. Secure the bottom of the braid with a small latex band. The braids should be close to the head. If they stick out, it’s because you braided it too tight, tried to put too much hair in the braid, or started at a right angle to the dog’s head. In either case, you will have to start over.
That’s it basically! Braids should be brushed and rebraided every few days. Hair can still tangle when braided.
Oh, a word of warning to those of you who want to show off your Lhasas. Braiding causes wrinkles! If you bathe your Lhasa and plan to display her the next day, don’t braid her hair after her bath or you’ll have a puckered eyelid for the morning ring and you’ll need to wet the eyelid, blow-dry and iron it to set it straight before displaying. . Braids are for home or after the show. Eye-drop wrinkles are definitely NOT ring-dressing!
Please note: Permission is granted to reproduce and/or distribute the information in this article. However, the article must be shared in its entirety and credit must be given to Joyce Johanson, Lhasa Apsos of Joyslyn. Thank you!
