bichon grooming

Question
I have a 5 1/2 month old male Bichon.  He is in the straggly stage of coat, between adult curl and puppy fluff.  When can I safely have his hair cut and not risk losing the curl.  I was told if I have the hair cut too early, I will end up with wavy coat instead of lamb look curl.  Is this true?, and if so, at what age can I have his coat cut and not lose the curl?
Thank you,
Vicki

Answer
Hello Vicki,
This is nonsense. I have done and seen hundreds of this breed of dog.
If you have a bichon it has a curly coat as an adult- some have curlier coats than others- some take longer to mature. This is not a show dog, I am assuming, so my advice would be to have the groomer clip down the puppy coat with a #3 blade and work it from there.
If you got the dog from a breeder you should have been able to see what the future of your dog looks like but if you bought at a pet shop then whatever you get you get.
If you wait too long to cut the hair you are likely to have matts and will have to shave it down anyway- with an even shorter  blade.
Bichons are hand scissored for showing- it makes for a more crisp coat but rarely do you get a pet groomer who is skilled at this. It is labor intensive and requires skill and can be costly- remember in dog grooming you get what you pay for, if you are lucky enough to have choices.
Monthly grooming is essential for a bichon to look its best- they get very ragged looking if you wait longer especially if you are not doing any maintenance in between. Bichons like poodles are a high maintenance so it's good to do some research - maybe get a video so you know what you are looking for.
good luck!