Question:
Yep, I guess the title is self-explanitory. I see a lot of people with clipped dogs that are not traditionally clipped, especially in California. My friend has a yellow Lab with a very slight clip, his fur is still moderately long. I have also seen a yellow Lab shaved to the skin!!!
Personally, Gonzo has been clipped for the summer several times, and he really seems much happier and cooler. I want to at least get his belly shaved, because he will be attending lots of Flyball, Agility AND Frisbee events, and after each run he has been taught to lay down in a baby pool/tub. When his belly is shaved, the water cools him down much quicker. I'm still considering getting a full-body clip for him... see his Dogster, if you want to know what he looks like with a buzz cut (and a mohawk). =P A lot of people give me wierd looks and ask why I would shave a BC, other people say he looks very happy. In all honesty, he is outdoors about 5 times a day - potty trips, a long walk in the early morning and in the evening, and 1-2 hours of exercising in the evening. The rest of the time, he is crashed on the couch! Does anyone feel shaving him is ridiculous? He does love his groomers, and his coat comes back in healthy every time.
Answer:
Does anyone feel shaving him is ridiculous? .
Yes
Fur is insulation just like in the walls of your home, it keeps heat in, and cold out in the winter, and in the summer they expel the heat they don't need thru their belly, tongue, and paws, and the fur keeps heat out. Shaving it off takes away their natural temp. regulation. I'll trust mother nature and the dog to know how to keep themselves at a good operating temperature before I trust some guy with a clippers.
Answer:
Leave the hair on his body, shave his tummy.
A few of our Cockers get shaved down all the way during the summer. In a breed like the Cocker, the hair does nothing to keep them cool. Shaving them is the only way to help them keep cool. Though, I certainly don't recommend shaving adog with thinner hair, or shaving a dog so short that it could get sunburnt.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1/tessa_s212/Brownie/browniegingerbald.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1/tessa_s212/Brownie/brownieboylooking.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1/tessa_s212/Brownie/brownie2.jpg
And then the cycle starts all over again.
Answer:
jw but how many cocker spaniels do you have?
Answer:
Seven
www.freewebs.com/tessa_s212
Answer:
[QUOTE=tessa_s212]Leave the hair on his body, shave his tummy.
A few of our Cockers get shaved down all the way during the summer. In a breed like the Cocker, the hair does nothing to keep them cool. Shaving them is the only way to help them keep cool. Though, I certainly don't recommend shaving adog with thinner hair, or shaving a dog so short that it could get sunburnt.
QUOTE]
Do cockers have different fur than the rest of the dogs? As far as I know having dogs with long hair that is matted is the only thing that will affect its ability to keep cool, otherwise dogs with longer fur are the same as the rest.
Answer:
Tell your friends to stop shaving their Labs. Their fur is meant to protect them from both heat and cold :)
Oh, and HI ERICA. Didn't know you were here. :D
Answer:
Leave the hair on his body, shave his tummy.
A few of our Cockers get shaved down all the way during the summer. In a breed like the Cocker, the hair does nothing to keep them cool. Shaving them is the only way to help them keep cool. Though, I certainly don't recommend shaving a dog with thinner hair, or shaving a dog so short that it could get sunburnt.
Do cockers have different fur than the rest of the dogs? As far as I know having dogs with long hair that is matted is the only thing that will affect its ability to keep cool, otherwise dogs with longer fur are the same as the rest.
I guess you just have to be a cocker owner to understand. I can tell you for a fact that all of our shaved dogs are always MUCH cooler over the summer than our dogs that are left in full coat.
Answer:
Yeah, I think I will just stick with his tummy, even if it looks kind of dumb! I really want his hindquarters trimmed, too. OMG they get so poofy.
Sarah, I didn't know you were here, either! I got a link to this from LJ. Good to see you! And, I know, it is pretty pointless to shave a Lab. Their coat is so short anyway... especially when they shave to the skin! >_<
Answer:
i like the mohawk! lol i just shaved my dog today like that. i usually do the mohawk and lion cut... the chest has fur and the back of his neck and everything. everyone likes the lion cut! lol they always ask me if i can cut there dogs fur!
Answer:
You do what?
We once did shave brownie to look like a lion(his gold color was even better..he was so cute) but we quickly shave dhim up and fixed him in a week after we had our fun.
But what dog of your's has long enough hair to be shaved? :(
Answer:
But what dog of your's has long enough hair to be shaved? :(
I'm guessing the Chow/Shepherd.
Really, I don't think it's that huge of a deal. Some one who clips their dogs for the summer obviously does care a lot about them, regardless. I've gotten very rude looks when Gonzo is clipped (even though it is just to his undercoat), but I have met more people involved in dog sports and herding who really liked it and understood. Gonzo's coat is very thick and long and even though I understand the temperature regulation thing, he does seem very very happy without heavy fur all over him in 100* heat.
Answer:
i think it depends ....
just look at it like that: if your wear a light shirt in the summer you will probably be cooler than if the sun burns directly on your skin......but wearing a winter coat in summer is for sure going to make you feel hot hot hot!!!
i wouldnt shave my dog down to the skin in summer but i also wouldnt leave him in full coat... no clue why anybody feels the need to shave a lab though.....i saw them doing that at petsmart last week and it looker really weird :rolleyes:
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I would never shave my Goldens and see no sense in shaving a Lab. Yes, I've seen a lot of shaved dogs... mostly because of lack of grooming and laziness of owners to remove mats . If you feel your dogs are cooler, so be it . Yes, my dogs loved to cool of in water after a workout... but I used a towel .
Answer:
Labs have short but very thick dense fur... I guess that could be the reason.
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I personally don't believe that whole line about hair keeping the heat out. Protect the skin from sunburn and direct sun, yes. But actually keep out heat? No. If that were true, then why do most desert-originated breeds have extremely short hair? Hairy dogs usually come from cold climates, and short-haired dogs from hot climates. Northern wolves have thick, full hair; Mexican red wolves don't. That's proof enough for me.
It's very hot where I live, and a lot of people get their dogs shaved in the summer. And it's quite obvious that these dogs are MUCH happier and cooler with their coats shaved. They're more playful, more active and pant less. If you were going to take your dog in direct sun a lot, than I wouldn't do it. But if your dog is mainly indoors, I think it's a good idea.
Answer:
Have to agree gempress.
I'd like to see the hard evidence that the hair cools them. If I see that, I will be happy to change my opinion.
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As you all know Casey is a Golden and I have shaved her. I know I don't live anywhere near the equator but it does get hot here, sometimes :rolleyes: . 2yrs ago during the summer she would wake us up in the night and I would think she'd be asking to go out so she could go to the toilet, that wasn't the case. All she did was sit outside, she was too hot but there was nothing I could do about it, there was no heating on and my bedroom window was open (our house was a new build and was generally a very hot house). She became very uncomfortable and someone suggested she either sleep outside (that was out of the question) or get shaved. We went with the second option and she seemed a lot more comfortable.
I know she's a golden and I didn't want her to be shaved, but I thought it would cool her down so I did it.
I honestly don't know if long fur does keep the heat out, I just figured less hair=cooler dog, whether it's right or not is a different matter. Now we have moved to an older house built in 1913, it has higher ceilings and tends to be cooler so I doubt we will have the same problems. As a result she won't get shaved.
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I used to work at a groomer's as a receptionist and people would request their labs to be shaved every once in a while. People are under the impression that if you clip your lab short, it will stop them from shedding :rolleyes: . However in my experience they just come out looking horrible and the shedding amount doesn't really change. These are the same people that complain that their dog sheds after picking him up from grooming. You just want to tell them (but can't because you have to be polite:D) that groomers don't have magic wands. There is no possible way to get EVERY HAIR out of a dog unless you brushed him for about ten hours straight or something.
I clip my terrier mix myself in the summer, but we let him grow out long in the winter. He does seem happier with short hair in the summer. If we let it get long he just lies there in the house panting.
Answer:
it doesn't matter how much, or how long, you brush a dog...you'll still get shedding if it has a shedding coat. our Labs don't shed much at all. she got stressed about our computer when we first got it and was shedding all over the place. you would have thought we'd had a lab hair floor in our kitchen! lol once she realized the computer wasn't some strange dog or contraption out to take attention from her (and after we bathed her with no shed shampoo) she stopped shedding...well there were a few hairs...but nothing like before. when ours get hot, she jumps in some water (pool, tub, pond, etc) and cools off and we take a break. i don't think i'd ever shave her or our youngest.
Answer:
Thanks for the nice replies ;0) Gempress, your view makes perfect sense. He never gets shaved to the "skin", just a clip so he looks like a smooth-coated BC. I think I'm just going to talk with his groomer about it. I know clipping should not be done for shedding... Gonzo sheds very little thanks to his diet, anyway. It's mostly because he seems much cooler! His coat is particularly thick for a BC, almost Husky-like. I talked to his herding instructor the other day, and she made me feel much better about everything. She breeds Border Collies and has 8 dogs, all working dogs and house dogs. She clips their tummies herself when the weather is warm, and says she would take in 3 of her furrier BC's to get full-body groomed if it was economical. I really trust in her advice, so I might decide to get his whole body trimmed.
I agree that shaving a short-haired dog is pointless. :p
Answer:
My mom shaved our yorkie but not entirely. He loved it and we only take him out when theres barely sun, so he didn't have any problems. He looked like he liked it, he ran around afterwards and had more energy to do things. It was the first time but next time we will probably do the same if it gets hot enough.
Answer:
We clip our terrier mix year round. We just don't cut him as short in the winter. I'm still not sure exactly what breeds are in him, but if we don't clip him, he gets this funky white afro thing happening on his entire body.
Answer:
I think you already received fantastic advise. So, I am probably just repeating the advise.
For double coated breeds you normally can get a lot of the undercoat out by a professional grooming. I always had my big coated dogs belly shaved, right from their front legs all the way down. A big coated dog cannot get the benefit from a cold floor with all that coat. And anyone who states a big coated dog has that coat to keep them cooler is mistaken.
One last word of advise, make sure your dogs paws are trimmed. You or your groomer can shave in between the pads. Dogs sweat and regulate their body heat through the pads of their paws.
With my big coated dogs in their later years I did start having them shaved off in the summer. And it did make them cooler and more comfortable.
Gempress explained it very well.
Answer:
No. If I shaved Kota her double coat may not come in again correctly. Not to mention it is her system for heat/cool. Personally I wouln't shave any dog regardless of breed.
Why you should not shave your double coated dog (http://www.epinions.com/pets-review-612F-3D22E415-3A22C1AD-prod6)
Answer:
For a double coated breed there is a chance of the undercoat growing out faster than the out guard hairs. That is a chance you take when shaving off double coated breeds. But, in some cases it is more sensible to do whats best for the dogs health rather than beauty in the eye of the owner.
Dogs like Poodles, maltese, shih tzus, and other dogs with no undercoat of course require regular grooming and haircuts, but dogs with undercoats rarely do.
hmmmm, so, lets not worry about your collie, no a collie as per the article you posted does not need regular grooming:rolleyes:
Fast forward to the local groomers shop. "Oh yeah," they say, "You should shave that dog right now! How much? Oh about $50 or more since we have to shave so much hair off."
Or, why don't we brush that mess of a dog out completely, that will be $100.00 or more. Plus bring your dog in every 4 weeks so we can keep up with that coat.
It's completely a personal choice. If an owner is not vain about their dogs apperance then shaving off is a great choice. Keep in mind as well that many Great Pyr working dogs are lined up with the sheep each year and shaved off for summer months, why, to keep them cooler. These dogs are out working all day and it has been proven that they suffer no consequense from the sun.
Another thing to think of is horses, they are double coated and yet most people shave them off in the summer, why to keep them cool.
Answer:
I shave Sprout. He's got no snout, so the fur grows right into his eyes! So I hafta cut that. Then the fur on his head will get so long it will become dreadlocks! So I just shave him all down :) WHen they're shaved, they always feel clean, even if they arent heh
We shave our golden too. His fur is SOOOOO long and it sheds EVERYWHERE. We find ourselves petting him more often when he's shaved because you'll have a hand full of fur if you pet him when he's not shaved.. plus its fun to clip them hehe.
Edit: And I live in Az USA.. which is EXTREMELY hot. I know about all that insolation stuff that people say, but it really does help to keep them shaved. And its not like it gets cold at all in the winter :rolleyes: So we dont have much to worry about
Answer:
I don't shave my dogs, there's no reason for me to. I do however clip a friend's Border Collie often and just clipped Tango's brother yesterday. Both are clipped to an inch of fur and they are a whole lot happier and cooler when they're coat is shorter. Niether live outside, both are exercised either in the evening or very early morning when its cooler outside and the rest of the time, they're in the house sleeping. Some people say that they could get heat stroke quickly now that their coats are shorter but I really don't think thats a huge possibility and you can tell that they're happier this way. The BC is 9 and he's been getting clipped for almost his entire life, he seems to be jsut fine. Both of their coats grow in properly and don't look or feel any different than before they were clipped. I think its entirely up to the owner whether you shave your dog or not.
Answer:
Up until last night I thought it didn't matter. I was watching the Eukanuba 2006 (Best of Show, I think) on Animal Planet and one of the judges said that the bottom coat is fur and the top coat is hair and when you shave a dog you are actually not helping it because their coats are designed to regulate their body temperature. Maybe this only applies to certain breeds, but that's certainly not what it sounded like.
Either way, I don't shave my Labs. That would just look silly (IMO) and would defeat the purpose of being able to regulate their temps when swimming and hunting or doing field work.
Answer:
Just a quick article I found.
Some owners have asked about shaving their dogs during summer months and most veterinarians and professional groomers recommend AGAINST shaving your dog for the summer months because a dog's coat helps to protect his skin from the sun and provides insulation from the heat. Dogs don't sweat to cool themselves and they don't need exposed skin to stay cool.
http://adogsdreams.tripod.com/augustheat.html
Answer:
Why not to shave your Siberian:
http://www.sibrescue.com/tip-shave.asp
I simply give my dogs a kiddy pool to play in, plenty of fresh water, and shade in the summer. Never had problems with my Siberians in the heat. Regular grooming works just fine, I'd never shave one. I do believe that their coat helps regulate their body temperature in both winter and summer. And some of my Siberians looked darn near naked in their summer coats. They do just fine without me shaving.
Answer:
Moco gets shaved every two months.