Shaving Your Dog

[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.

[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.

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