Tibetan Terrier undercoat

Question
Hi Lori, I have an adorable 17 month old Tibetan Terrier. Is his fur full length now? Also I love the long hair but it is very thick.How can we keep the length but get rid of some of the thickness? he goes for a wash and blow every 2-3 weeks but am unsure about letting them cut his hair. Would I be able to thin the undercoat myself? How would I do it? Many thanks, christina

Answer
When your puppy was about a year old was the hardest time to care for his hair.  The coat changes at that time from puppy to adult texture and gets that fluffy undercoat that you spoke of.
This is a good site with pictures.
http://www.sugeo.net/DogCare_Main.asp

Your dogs hair probably won't get any longer, but at any rate, you might consider a puppy cut, have the groomer skin the dog with a #1 clip on attachment.  Do not have him cut really short on his legs and such, just have it skimmed down if you want to try something different.  You can always go shorter, but dont' try a new "do" all at once, you may be shocked.
They are awful cute clipped some, though, they look more like a younger puppy.

If he is VERY thick, make sure he is not matted, can you COMB him down to the skin?  If so, he may just be a very thick coated dog. There isn't much you can do, as thinning will simply make the coat nicer for a few weeks, then it will stick out and become ragged looking as you continue the thinning process.
It would be better to have them trim out the chest and inside of the legs and leave the longer stuff. But I think maybe I'd talk to the groomers really seriously and take some time to have them explain if they can make it alittle shorter and just tidy the look some.
It is really hard for me to say without seeing your cute guy!
The undercoat should not be there all the time, it should come all the way out and then be gone until it grows back. HOWEVER breeding is a factor, does your dog shed? TT should not really shed,, that is what they say, but some do.  
I am sorry this is not really helpful, this is one of those questions that is really hard without seeing the dog!
Good luck,
Lori