I cut the whiskers under my doggy's chin. I do leave her nose whiskers. She has some incredibly long eyebrow hairs. I've been thinking about giving them a nip. However, she weaves thru the trees and bushes when she's on squirrel patrol. The whiskers give her "feel" when she's zipping around.

So if she's not zipping around I don't think it's an issue. Totally irrelevant but If I'm on the computer too long, she'll jump up, and I can feel her whiskers on my cheek. Sometimes she'll even touch my cheek with her nose. Her whiskers are very long.

They tickle don't they? The problem is when they start to grow back then they are super strong and sharp so I would have to keep them trimmed...which I don't mind....as long as its not harmful to her. She loves to cuddle so is always rubbing her head all over me....the whiskers either hurt or tickle...I would put up with it if I had to...but its good to know if I have options :-) My other bully's whiskers never really bothered me...I wonder if different dogs have different textures for things....I know I kissed her just as much.

I don't have dogs, but I have cats, and I would NEVER even think of cutting their whiskers, why????

On my dog, all of her, whiskers are really long and soft.

I'm sure her breed may have something to do with soft whiskers.... but I wonder if shaving them makes them harder/sharper when they grow back.

She has a couple long ones above her eye, that I've been thinking about trimming, because they tickle me when we are snuggling... but I haven't actually done that, wondering if she needs them for something?

Let nature be nature... its a bad idea don't do it. Dogs needs those hairs to feel around and keep track of where they are

Some things we have to change, like sexual intactness, or birds flight feathers, but these are for very good reasons. Animals like cats and dogs are WWAAY overpopulated, they live longer fixed and are better fits for human society, birds would fly away and get lost or hurt if we didn't clip the flight feathers.

De clawing, debarking, tail docking/ear cropping,de meowing, de beaking, are all stupid and harm the animal in one way or another..

It won't hurt the dog to keep the whiskers cut. But cutting them makes them more prickly since you are blunting them. Natural whiskers taper at the end and are not nearly as uncomfortable. If you can bear with it for a while, it won't be as uncomfortable once they grow back to normal.

Yeah I would never trim or cut either...Whiskers are wonderful

Okay I think I will leave them. I think you are right and when the breeder kept cutting them they just got harder? My other bullies whiskers have never bothered me so this is the first time I had to consider it. Maybe I will eventually become immune to it.

Cutting the hair, wont hurt but what if dog bangs into something? In gen though this is probably a concern with cats more then dogs.

Honestly this dog bangs into things all the time anyway. I've noticed that bulldogs never seem to realize just how big they are.

What? We have dogs and never trim their whiskers, why was she doing that?

I'm not sure....she shows dogs so maybe it was so they look better?

Some breeds get their whiskers cut off for the show ring. I can't think of a good reason why, but I don't show dogs!

I was about to add that as well. Show dogs of certain breeds commonly get their whiskers trimmed...many is the time that I've watched my father groom a dog and trim their whiskers before taking them into the ring. It doesn't seem to harm them; they always grow back pretty quickly. I'm not sure why it's done for the show ring either...there's some pretty strange stuff that is done at dog shows, trust me.

Well Toots is no longer a show dog (if she ever was one). She just our pet and we love her....I will just learn to love the whiskers too :-)

Good. Maybe you can start a "Whiskers collection"

Another reason to leave the whiskers is that they use them to feel there way around if they can't see. Our little Maggie was blind for 5 years and it was facinating to watch her get around by sometimes using her whiskers to feel the walls.
Linda

Thanks Linda, I will not be cutting them.