I'm also looking forward to this reply! I've been having the same exact question because I'm also growing out Sasha's TK and her eyelashes are becoming long. I wasn't sure whether I should cut them or not.

 

Some people like to leave the eyelashes on their poodles because they are cute and curl also. If they curl and get in their eyes then the answer is clear: You have to cut them off. If they curl away from the eyes you end up with a poodle with adorable long eyelashes that people constantly comment on. I have been thinking about growing Bonnies eyelashes out, but haven't wanted to chance them getting in her eyes.

 

eye boogers = eeww.

i shave 'em off.

 

You should have your vet make sure it's not one of a few possible eyelid/eyelash disorders, because some of them may need surgical correction at some point in the dog's life.

Canine Eyelid Disorders

Canine Eyelash Disorders

If it's just a matter of the eyelashes themselves curling the wrong direction, then you just need to keep them shaved off or trimmed to a length where they won't cause the problem. When you stretch the eyelid to shave the face, just use the very edge of the blade to get just the upper eyelashes. If you're careful and she doesn't wiggle, you should be able to get them without cutting any of the hair you want to band up.

 

If it's just a matter of the eyelashes themselves curling the wrong direction, then you just need to keep them shaved off or trimmed to a length where they won't cause the problem. When you stretch the eyelid to shave the face, just use the very edge of the blade to get just the upper eyelashes. If you're careful and she doesn't wiggle, you should be able to get them without cutting any of the hair you want to band up.

it seems to just be the ends of the eyelashes that start to curve downwards, at the base they grow out as normal. I will probably trim them short just in case it irritates him

 

Are you talking about eyebrow hairs or eyelash hairs? When I try to grow Leroy's topknot, the hairs above his eyes (eyebrow hairs) gets sprouty and long and will grow downwards and poke him. These are the hairs that take me longest to grow whenever I want to band. I usually get fed up and end up trimming his topknot short. I hate not seeing his eyes. If you are talking about eyelashes, they will keep growing and growing. I love long poodle eyelashes. They look so cute. Leroy has long eyelashes, and if they get too long and flimsy, I will trim them back.


Last photo is Leroy as a pup with those sprouty eyebrow hairs I hate so much! (he looks awkward!)

 

I grew out Jaden's TK when he was a puppy and I let his eye lashes grow. They ended up being about 3 inches before I cut them. Some strands were short and would get in his eyes plus it was so much easier to make sure the hair wasn't pulling at his eyes once cut. So I say keep them trimmed.

 

Leroy's eyelashes are so full....feels like I want to run a mascara over them lol. Sasha's eyelashes aren't that full which makes me think that it could be me banding it up with the rest of the TK and perhaps accidentally pulling and breaking them off. They're all in uneven length, so I will trim them off now....thank you!

 

We also have quite a problem with all hair over the eye area with our boy (Bailey) who is a toy poodle. We have to keep it cut short or it will cause him to have eye problems. Take care and best regards to all. Paul

 

I grow eyelashes into the topknot. My puppies eyelashes are at least 3 inches long. I use styling wax and multiple topknot bands in the awkward growing-out phase. After that it's so easy, I put a new band in when it gets messy or once a week when he is groomed.

 

I think it varies by poodle. For example, my sable poodle has dark black eyelashes and they tend to curl up like a human's would (hard to see in pic) and don't grow very fast/well. On the other hand, my silver poodle doesn't have noticeable eyelashes as you can see in pic (and are easy enough to band with the topknot). I gave up on Pippin's topknot (sable) as it was a pain in the butt to keep those side bits in the band.

 

My puppy is silver too. His eyeslashes are black. If they stay black I might trim them so they don't detract from his look. Which would make me sad since I think eyelashes in the topknot (on all topknot breeds), looks smooth and finished.

Just give them space to blink! I don't like seeing show dogs with their topknot sooooo tight.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I when I was growing out Trev's topknot, I refused to band up his eyelashes because I felt like he wouldn't be able to blink if I did. Or at the very least, the lashes would pull on his eyelid, making it uncomfortable. Is my thinking off?

 

My breeder trims eyelashes on her show dogs.. she says they tend to grow into.. well get banded into the topknot and gives them a suprised expression lol.

 

Okay, now I am totally confused. If a person placed a dog's eyelashes into a topknot, the dog could not close its eyes or blink. You all cannot possibly be meaning "eyelashes". Imagine if your eyelashes were hooked up; you know, the area you put the mascara on.....imagine that pulled tightly upward and held... I don't think that would work. (Well, I guess there are some very bad facelifts that have that effect--LOL)

You must mean eyebrows or the hair that grows above the eyes, etc???

 

No, I mean eyelashes. The "bubble" gives enough space for the dog to blink and close eyes comfortably. I put in the topknot slightly loosely, grab the outer corner of my dog's eyelids and pull down until the hair is loose. Another way is to use the end of a rattail comb to loosen the topknot.

I attached some very sloppy topknot photos. Every stray and short hair is visible. :doh:

 

I posted at 0556 this morning and I meant "blend" for Merlin's topknot. No, his actual eyelashes aren't held within the rubber band. As you can see from these pictures, he can close his eyes.

Here are a few additional threads about eyelashes:
http://www.poodleforum.com/9-poodle-grooming/1663-eye-lashes-long-hair-above-eye.html
http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/5694-eyelashes.html
http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/13952-eyes.html
http://www.poodleforum.com/9-poodle-grooming/17468-need-advice.html
http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/18037-top-knot-questions.html

Last thread, see post #4 by Tortoise and post #11 here--perhaps she can answer your question or address your concerns:

...My mpoo puppy's EYELASHES are grown out into the topknot. They are 3" long, maybe more. I keep it tied up in a band. I change the band when it gets messy - every 3 days or so. I am trying to grow show coat on him, so his topknot, head, and neck are almost always in bands. ...

 

I didn't read the whole thread so I'm not sure if you ever said if you are talking about true eyelashes or topknot hair. If it's truly the eyelashes, I DO clip those on my show boy.

 

Thanks, Rowan and Tortoise; I can see what each of you mean now. My toy has a short TK, so her lashes simply get cut when it is trimmed. Since they do have such pretty lashes, I think I am going to try not cutting them with the next trim.

 

Lumi's eyelashes went through and awkward phase, too. I just keep brushing them out of her eyes and banding them as soon as they were long enough. Now they're about 3-4 inches long and never get in her eyes, even when down. When I used to band her I noticed that the eyelashes, for some reason, wouldn't stretch into the bubble like the rest of her hair would. I would pull the band back or pull her bubble forward with a comb until it seemed right, but she'd still look surprised! I think it may have been that her eyelashes are courser and therefore hold tight to the band instead of sliding out like the softer hairs do? I learned that I had to create a normal bubble, and then grasp the eyelashes themselves and give them a little pull out of the band to loosen them.

In the long run, it seems easier to me to grow the lashes out, then they tie right up and you have a pretty unimpeded view of their eyes. : ) Otherwise every few days as they're growing back, they'll grow right over the eye like an awning and hide that pretty expression. Unless you have a particularly bashful Poodle, then I guess you should go for it! : P

Tortoise, I think a silver topknot with black lashes would look beautiful! Would it be a show fault? I love the pretty look of tied up parti- or patterned dogs like Shihs and Yorkies and some Parti-Poodles. So much so that I plan to give Lumi her own "stripes" someday so that she can have those pretty lines through her tk. : ) For now we're happy with solid pink. : P

 

So far weegee( 5months) doesn't have really long eye lashes. However, I decided last night to cut the hair directly above his eyes. I cut it shorter, not shaved. I'm glad I did this. His hair isn't in his face as much. He has very weepy eyes so I am trying to avoid any irritants. I plan to keep doing this (at least most of the time) but hopefully get a bit of a better cut next time. (He still squirms when I groom him.)