tibetan terrier grooming

Question
QUESTION: Hello,i was wondering when i should get a tibetan terrier trimmed in the groomers for the first time?daisy's coat is quite thick but manageable.She is just nine months old.Any help would be great,thanks

ANSWER: NOW NOW NOW!!!!!!!
I am sure you heard by now that Tibetan terriers are not actually terriers.
The sooner the better. It may be manageable now but it seems to go haywire all at once. What may seem manageable to you is not always what is the reality to a groomer- we get down to the armpits and the ear canals so unless you have put a metal comb to your pup and got it through to the skin, I am afraid I would be a bit dubious about your description as Tibetans are considered a high maintenance breed. They also can be quite testy as to having the coat de-tangled, which the groomer has the right to charge extra for. When the puppy coat falls out and the adult coat starts to develop it can matt seemingly within a day- especially if you wash it at home yourself.
So, get thee to your local groomer and make sure they are familiar with the breed, it is a type of herding/sheep dog so has sensitive eyes and is supposed to have hair over the eyes to protect them. The coat is beautiful long but requires lots of work and consistent maintenance in between groomer visits.
Hope this helps
good luck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for answering so quick,we do use a metal comb and are quite dilligent when it comes to brushing.We were told when we bought her that if we were to get her trimmed before she was a year old that her coat would become coarse and curly.Is this nonsense?Because it would be great to get her trimmed back to a more tidy level.thanks again,stevie

Answer
The deal with these coats are if they are cut back they lose the weight that pulls them down and makes them straight. The shaft is cut and can split giving a "frizz" to the ends if not kept up on a really regular basis. Making an almost velcro like occurrence catching with the other strands and forming matts. Am I making this clear? Breeds like the Dandie Dinmont purposely do that to the heads to make them stand up like a helmut but a Tibetan is meant to be long and straight.
If you trim the ends with a scissor and follow the body line keeping the length, then it should not be such a problem but if clippers are  used and a "puppy" cut is the goal then forget the look of a Tibetan and think large Shitzu. As I said make sure your groomer knows this breed. Do your homework and be your dog's advocate. If the groomer you use does not want to work with you on this find another who will. We are a diverse community and many pride themselves on doing the correct cut for your breed. But you get what you pay for so watch out for the "weekend special". The dog should never be cage dried. Only hand blown. That way the hair can be stretched and straightened.
hope this help.
good luck.