Their coats insulate against the heat and the cold. As long as you keep her brushed out well so her skin can breathe, she'll be fine with her long coat. I have three siberian huskies and they survive fine in the summer with their full coats, I would never shave them. Of course they are allowed indoors so they have access to air conditioning, always have cold water, etc. but I'm sure Koko does too. Even if they were outdoor dogs I would not shave them, shaving just exposes the skin to sunburn. Generally they tolerate heat better than our schnauzer who is always shaved short...the sun beats directly down on her skin, with them I can feel their skin underneath the fur and its much cooler.
I'm a groomer and we shave a LOT of dogs like that in the spring/summer months. Many people say it helps keep their dogs cool, and I'm sure for some that is really the case; but I think a lot of the reason people do it is to cut down on the spring/summer shedding. If the dog has a thick coat and the owners aren't going to brush it, or the dog doesn't tolerate brushing, really the dog is better off being shaved then being stuck with a thick coat full of dead undercoat that's going to keep them hot and get filled with fox tails, etc....so we get a lot of "once a year shavedowns" in the spring. (Not saying you are one who wouldn't brush her, I'm sure you do!)
If she were my dog I would trim her, but not a "lab cut." I would just trim up her feathers, feet, belly, tail, etc. to keep her cleaner so when she goes swimming, running in the fields, etc. she doesn't come back with a bunch of stickers and things stuck in her fur. But that is just my personal preference. Do you have any photos of Koko with her long coat and with her summer haircut?
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