Shaving Your Dog

[Jessika]

I wanted to put out a warning about shaving your normally longer haired dogs during the summer, especially the ones with an undercoat.

Shaving a dog will NOT help it "keep cooler" during the summer months. In fact all you are doing is taking away their only protection from the harsh sun and exposing them to dangers such as severe sunburn, heatstroke, and even cancers.

Not only that, but shaving will ruin their beautiful top coat!

I feel like I've been repeating myself like a broken record across various dog/pet forums, so I will just give you a link to another forum where we have discussed this alread :)

PLEASE be aware of the dangers of shaving your dog before doing so!

http://theaustralianshepherd.net/aussieboard/viewtopic.php?t=592

[Rio&Nickysmommy]

Very interesting to read about. I have to Cocker Spaniels and I have been having them cut down real short for the summer months. My major concern has been being able to keep ticks and fles off of them. I dont have them cust bald but they get cut short. My dogs have hair on them just not the long Cocker hair flowing down their legs and such. I think the shorter hair in the flea and tick season makes it much easier to check and the dogs seem comfortable. Not sure if short hair cuts is the same as shved down?
Rio&Nicksymommy

[Jessika]

See that's where the line is fuzzy for me, too. Certain breeds don't have fur, they have hair that will continue to grow whether you cut it or not. Maltese, Shih-tzus, etc. Those I think it is ok on to get cut and such.

But for breeds with fur and especially those with undercoats, the line is fuzzy as to how short is too short?

[bckrazy]

I get chastised a lot when Gonzo is shaved. meh, whatever. I've heard from people with a LOT of Border Collie experience (like, years and years of owning/working/training/breeding them) that if your dog is an "inside" dog and does not get prolonged exposure to the sun, there will not be any side affects to shaving normally. Almost every rancher who works their dogs in the summer shaves at least their tummies, because working (and Flyball, Agility, etc) dogs are taught to lay down in a pond/bucket/baby pool of water after running and water is absorbed much more easily.

Gonzo is MUCH less tired from the heat after he's shaved. He never gets clipped to the skin, just about 1". He basically looks like a smooth BC. And, his coat is extremely healthy and thick. Some people have made good points about the coat insulating... a thick coat can ONLY do so much in 100*+ heat. I know people who have Malamutes & Huskies, and their thick coats don't do a lot of insulating for them in the summer, they're miserable outside in the heat. Like, dogs who were bred in the desert/heat don't exactly have a thick undercoat and top coat! I feel like, as long as the clip is reasonable and the dog is kept out of direct sunlight all day, what is the harm?

[jenluckenbach]

I believe that when many people say or hear the word "shave" they think naked. (think: as short as after surgery) This is not really the case. YES, it is short, but no shorter that a short haired breed (i.e. Doberman, Chihuahua)

And the problem with the thought that the dog's coat "insulates" against the heat is only true of a COMPLETELY brushed out coat. One must keep all the shedding undercoat brushed totally out or you do not allow air circulation at the skin. And after 22 years of pet grooming, people do NOT brush their dogs properly at home. (the ones coming to the groomers anyway)

Shaving the hair off a dog should not affect the coat. If the dog is healthy it should grow back according to the dog's DNA. Out of thousands and thousands of customers who have had their double coated dogs shaved I have seen only a handful who did not grow back properly, and of those, most ended up finding a thyroid or other metobolic problem.

And 99.7% of the people who have had their dogs shaved (the ones that crossed my path over the last 22 years) never go back to the full coat. Stories of how much more content the dogs are, are told often.

I am not a vet, only a groomer. My experience only comes from my customers. Take it for what it is worth.

[Jessika]

my biggest concern is heat stroke. Heat stroke can strike at any moment, whether they have been outside in the sun for hours or minutes, and unannounced. Heat stroke can be very serious and even lethal nad lead to death if you don't know what signs to look for or how to treat it properly.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

This is very good to know, thanks for sharing this, Jessika! :)

[Rio&Nickysmommy]

Thanks for the responses. I dont make my guys totally bald but my Rio hates to be combed and its really horrible putting him through it at times so when he is shorter its alot quicker and like I said before much easier to see if any fleas or ticks have gotten on him.
RIo&Nickysmommy

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Fully coated dogs also get heat stroke, I wouldn't blame that on shaving a dog. I shave a pug, a Chi mix, a purebred Chi and a Border Collie every month and they do tolerate the heat better when shaved (the BC especially, since his owner rarely ever brushes his coat thoroughly). I personally wouldn't shave my own long coated dog, only because I prefer long hair to short and I brush/groom Tango constantly. But, personally, I don't think there is any more of a heat sroke risk on shaved breeds than their is in fully coated breeds. It is true that dogs with thyroid problems will grow their fur back in patches and a lot of dogs when shaved will grow their coat back, but it won't look as full/nice as it did originally but if people don't mind then I don't see a problem with them shaving their dog. I could be wrong and this is a very controversial topic, but this is how I feel.

[wolfsoul]

Personally I wouldn't do it, myself. We get alot of dogs that come in to the shop whose hair did not grow back correctly. Just yesterday we had a BC come in whose's topcat was now the same texture as the undercoat, so the entire thing matted. When the groomer shaved it off, the entire thing came off in one huge mat. She said the same thing happened when she shaved one of her Belgians. We get alot of dog's whose coats come back in normally but then they have rough, wiry feeling patches of hair all over their body. Personally I think it's only good on dogs whose owners never brush them out, or dogs who have skin problems and need more air circulation.

[wolf_Q]

Here's my two cents. ;) Reggie and Sydney are shaved usually very short. Nebo is not, he has a full thick coat (that is brushed out) made for very cold climates, not heat. He tolerates the heat better than Reggie and Sydney. When we've taken them on hikes Sydney especially (I'm sure part of this is her black coloring) really has a hard time with the heat and Nebo is fine. His top coat gets hot but close to the skin its still cool where Sydney's skin with less hair is a lot more exposed to the sun.

I do agree that a dog can get heat stroke shaved or not shaved you just need to take procautions when it is very hot. Smokey got heat stroke years ago and I don't think he was shaved short at the time.

As for the coat I've seen some grow back just fine but many that did not. If you want to shave your dog that's a risk you have to take. Recently an aussie came in that was shaved a year ago and it had a large patch on his back that did not grow back and the rest of it did. I groomed a pomeranian yesterday that was also shaved about a year ago (when she adopted the dog it was severely matted there was no choice) and her coat looked perfectly fine but near the skin were prickly topcoat hairs that only grew back about 1/4 inch.

I, personally, do not like shaving double coated dogs. I think they are better with their coat, IF the owner BRUSHES the dog throughly. I think in most cases shaving the belly and trimming the feathers is a better alternative to entirely shaving a double coated dog. But if the dog is a matted mess I'd rather shave them then put the dog through the pain of brushing if the owner will not keep up with it anyway.

We get 90-100+ degree temps here in the summer and Nebo, a siberian husky, survives with all his coat. ;) Of course I wouldn't just leave him outside in the heat all day either though..he has a kiddie pool and trees for shade outside and inside there's air conditioning.

[emilysgk]

Hmmm I didnt bother looking before putting a new post asking this. See mind is one of them long hair breeds. She is a lhasa with about half length coat. Previous owner always kept her really short. She tried to claim to me that even brushing daily didnt keep matts away. Yes if you dont know how to do so properly. I will admist I only brush about once a week. Its enough to keep her pretty clean (of dead under hair) and keep the matts and such at bay. I dont have to worry about caot damage since she has been shaved numerous times already. She has a LOT of curl to the top of her head and base of back...maybe shaving caused this? In any case im deciding if I should cut her short (NOT shaved extremely short) or not for the summer. She spends lots of time outside and we have no A/C

[emilysgk]

I forgot to say also, that I do agree that most breeds, not including the extreme ones like lhasa and shih tzus, dont need to be shaved. Like I know someone whe shaves there golden every year, I dont think that help much. Same with various shepards and such. Some do it to get rid of the clumps they can lose when shedding... dont get the dog if you cant handle taking care of it as it comes... :rolleyes:

[BC_MoM]

Anyone heard of the FURminator? It works great in substitution for shaving.

[Cataholic]

Jessika- I could hug you for posting this! I have a neighbor and a couple of friends that shave down their dogs and a cat. I NEVER hear about how it is benefitting to the dog or cat, just how much less hair there is. They do it year round- so, bull-pucky that it is just to keep the dog cool.

JenL, you raise an interesting point, but, again, I never hear, "oh, the dog is so much more contented now"....just the less hair issue.

I see a big difference between a puppy cut, or, a trim and the full blown 1/4 inch bald look. :(

Get a picture of a dog if you can't deal with the hair (and, I feel totally comfortable saying that as I have 7 cats, 6 of them long haired, a small house, and lots and lots of hair).

[Logan]

I selfishly have my Golden Retriever, Honey, trimmed down short one time/year. It probably doesn't make a hill of beans of difference to her, but I'm happier, therefore, she's happier. We don't have to fight that thick, wooly hair in the hot summer afternoons (outside for brushing), I don't have big, white wads of hair all over the kitchen floor, so Honey and I have more time for playing together and loving each other. She is not shaved. Her hair is about the length of a Labrador Retriever now, maybe a little shorter, and she looks adorable!! And it will make it so much easier when she goes swimming to get her dry. She has the thickest, sheep like, woolly fur that I have ever seen. This is no "cheap" alternative, either. I paid $100 to have her done this year (including tip). So I don't take that decision lightly. I did choose to not trim Zipper or Lilly this year (this is before Zip passed away), as their coats aren't the same texture or thickness as Honey's.

It's an owner's perogative and if they are caring properly for their dog, then I truly don't see the problem with it. But, I do admit, it isn't for Honey, it is for me, which makes me a bit selfish, I guess, but like I said, in the long run, Honey is happier because I'm not chasing her with the slicker brush and shedding blade anymore. We can do a lot more fun things together!

Logan

[dab_20]

I shave both my dogs in the summer months. We usually end up having to shave Molli because her fur gets matts in it. No way around that until I find a brush that acctually works better. I notice Sam is alot cooler when he has shorter hair. When he had long hair he used to pant and become restless because how hot he was after walks. Now he doesn't. Right now Sam's hair is the length of a lab. I think we will stop shaving him and just cut it this short once a year. The rest of the time we give him a cocker cut, leaving feathering on the legs and ears. (in my sig)

[Jessika]

Shaving is not the same as trimming or clipping guys (unless you clip to like 1/4 inch that is). Just wanted to reiterate that point!!

Also, shaving DOES NOT help with shedding in the least bit, the dog or cat will still shed the exact same amount lol

[jenluckenbach]

You know what.........this argument is getting really "OLD". :(

Is it not personal preference? Don't poodle, cocker spaniel, schnauzer, terrier, (etc.) owners get their dogs shaved? (and remember, when I say SHAVE I mean they have a clipper blade used on them........they are not buck NAKED) Any why do they do it? Some do it for convinience. Brushing all the hair that the dog would grow if left natural might be difficult for their schedules. So when sheltie, chow, golder retriever, keeshond, border collie (etc.) owners have their dogs shaved because it is convienient for them to care for the dogs coat, why to we scorn them??

Most of these dogs getting shaved (remember.....NOT BALD) are pampered indoor pets. They aren't broiling out in the hot sun getting sun burned or heat stroke. They are inside lounging in the air conditioning. They get to spend more time having "dog-fun" instead of tedious daily groomings to care for their excessive coats.

I think I would worry more about the pet owners who's dogs are 30% (and more) overweight having heat stroke than a double coated collie who was shaved down.

Now can't we just agree that people who have a pet (be it a dog or a cat or a goat or a horse) and choose to have their pet's hair cut short is NOT killing their animal??????

just my humble opinion. And by the way I shave several of my own cats for various reasons and their hair have never been damaged by it.

[Jessika]

Most of these dogs getting shaved (remember.....NOT BALD) are pampered indoor pets. They aren't broiling out in the hot sun getting sun burned or heat stroke. They are inside lounging in the air conditioning. They get to spend more time having "dog-fun" instead of tedious daily groomings to care for their excessive coats.

It does not matter if a dog is outdoors for five hours or five minutes. Heat stroke can happen unannounced and without warning regardless of how long the dog has been outside.

[Logan]

Jessika, you are a very opinionated person, obviously. I think Jen's point and mine is that its a matter of personal preference and I would dare anyone to tell me that I am not cautious enough when it comes to the health of my dogs. I know you're going to disagree with me on this one, too, since i just read your statement about the dogs not shedding less......well, they may shed the exact same number of hairs, but I will promise you there is a lot LESS hair rolling around on my floor and in the brush when I brush her than there was before she was clipped down significantly. I won't believe a soul who tells me that she isn't more comfortable. She has to be because I'm not tugging on her so hard to try and get all that thick undercoat out. Brushing is fun now, not a chore.

OK, I'm done! I don't spend enough time on this site these days to get in an argument over something this silly.

Thanks for the discussion you guys!

Logan and a very happy Honey

[Jessika]

WOW, I honestly never meant to offend anyone over this, that was NOTTTTTTT the intent of the post. Calm down. I'm not out to get anyone!! Honest I'm not! lol

[Karen]

It does not matter if a dog is outdoors for five hours or five minutes. Heat stroke can happen unannounced and without warning regardless of how long the dog has been outside.


That is not true for people, so I cannot imagine it is any more true for dogs. The longer you are out in the sun, the more of a danger of heat stroke. It doesn't strike suddenly, it is a gradual thing.

My 2 cents, as I was blonde as a small child, am still fair-skinned, so my parents were always careful about how much sun I got at once (and vigilant with sunblock, as, being human, I don't have a plush fur coat to protect me)!

[Jessika]

Well I don't know if you can compare humans to dogs, as their bodies are the same, but different, but there was one case where a lady was walking a young Aussie (not necessarily a puppy though) and they were maybe ten minutes into the walk when he started suffering from heat stroke. Of course, she knew what to do, so he survived, but I can only imagine what would or could have happened under different circumstances.

EDIT: But you're entirely right, you don't have a fur coat to protect you, just like if you shave a dog down they no longer have their coat to protect them, either.

[Cataholic]

Gosh, who knew this was such a hot topic with people? Not I. :eek:

[labmomma]

I have my dog groomed every spring and she is a long haired dog with very dense hair. My groomer doesn't shave her but leaves about 1/2" on her and she does great. It's very hot and humid here during the summer and she spends most of her time in the house so she doesn't suffer at all. She sleeps in the house at night as do my other two dogs that are crated. She is almost 14 years old and her grooming sessions does wonders for her spirits. My groomer makes over her and alway puts a little pink ribbon on one of her ears. She has arthritis really bad in her hind hips and she has trouble having a bowel movement because she can't squat the way she used to and we have to keep her backside clipped pretty close. :)

[shihtzulover850]

snuggles doesn't get shaved bare, just enough to keep her cool because in her case she gets really hot. but I have never thought about it like that before.... can you put sunblock on a dog to protect it? i mean do they make a special one for dogs?

[Jessika]

snuggles doesn't get shaved bare, just enough to keep her cool because in her case she gets really hot. but I have never thought about it like that before.... can you put sunblock on a dog to protect it? i mean do they make a special one for dogs?

Yes, and yes. You can put sunblock on a dog (I would recommend children's if you're going to use "human" sunblock) otherwise they do make sunblock especially for doggies. If you have a dog with a pink nose or with light patches of fur around their eyes or nose (like Charlie has a black nose, but his skin is white, and his fur is NOT thick around his nose/mouth area at all so I put sunscreen around that area) and Jamie has a pink spotted nose, so I put sunscreen on her nose because they ARE prone to being sunburned!

[dab_20]

Yeah, my aunt's 16 year old dog, Teddy, has really thin hair now that he's older and he fell asleep in the sun and got sunburned. :(

[dab_20]

Gosh, who knew this was such a hot topic with people? Not I. :eek:

I don't think it's a hot topic. People have different opinions. :)

[VTJess03]

It seems to me that if you're concerned with heat stroke, you should first and foremost be concerned with hydration, then providing shade/shelter while they're outside, and thirdly be concerned with their coat. Of course, it does matter where you are with regard to climate...humidity levels, shade availability, etc. will all play into the risk for heat stroke too, right?

If your pup is not well hydrated, it will get heat stroke much sooner than one that has had plenty of water, regardless of coat length. Providing plenty of shade and fresh, cool water should minimize your risk of heat stroke. I personally think close trims are not very cosmetically appealing on normally long-haired or thick-haired breeds, but can definitely sympathize with lower maintenance (I've cut my own hair shorter and have it thinned for summer maintenance :) ). Thankfully, my dogs don't require much coat maintenance anyway; Maggie has a very short, fine coat (coonhounds are bred for very hot, humid climate is my understanding) and Belle sheds her medium length undercoat very easily with some brushing.

I would suggest that when you are looking for a new dog, choose one that is suitable for your climate, if at all possible (I know how easy it is to absolutely fall in love with a particular breed though). This would also help avoid issues like heat stroke (or hypothermia in winter, I suppose).