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/aus...opic.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.