# To shave or not to shave?



## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

I was thinking about shaving my dog for the summer. Is this a bad idea? I read that their coats help them regulate body temperature -- both hot and cold. Is this really true? It seems like a load of crap to be, but I've never had a dog shaved before so I honestly have no idea.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

I worked as a groomer under a professional groomer and handler. She always refused to shave dogs. People would want their husky or St. bernard shaved and she always said no because their hair is there to regulate the temperature. I've also read in grooming magizines about that and never heard any different. I will never shave a dog, unless they have hair, not fur. Hair keeps growing and is intended to be trimmed/shaved, but dogs with fur, are not meant to be shaved (at least this is what I've always believed and been told and learned)

I would imagine that the undercoat/dead coat would be of no good use to keep them cool in the hot weather. For that I would recommend a furminator. They are a god send for any dog with a coat when used correctly.

Shedding, Hairballs, Dog Hair, Grooming Tools | FURminator®


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## creek817 (Feb 18, 2012)

I will second the FURminator plug. I just got one, and it gets SO much undercoat out from Dobby it's not even funny. Every time I do it, there is at least one big handful of hair, and he's only a little dog (22 pounds).

I wouldn't shave a dog I don't think. Their hair doesn't tend to grow back in properly, from what I've read anyway. But, I've never had a breed that needed to be shaved either. Longest coats I've had are corgis!


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I have collies and shelties and though we are in Washington now we lived in Southern California for a long time. We never have and never would shave our dogs. Shade, water and maybe some cold pads are all they have ever needed. I would never shave a dog with skin issues as this could make it worse.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Double coated dogs, no shaving. They grow back very strangely and might never fully recover. 

Dogs like my chi... I shave him a few times every summer. His coat (I don't care what the experts say) does not do him any regulating favors. He suffers during the summer with a full coat. He doesn't want to go outside, he pants like crazy after doing nothing, he has no energy, he over heats and he is just unhappy.

Give him a shave and he jumps around and runs all day without wearing out. I think it depends on the dog and their individual needs.

I have seen dogs with skin problems be saved by shaving the coat. My friends corgi would chew himself bloody so his groomer owner shaved him and he stopped chewing. It allowed his skin to air out and the bacteria stopped growing because the moist environment was gone.


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

Thanks guys, I really have no idea about grooming, other than brushing and clipping nails. Never have had a need to learn more about it. I've never had a dog with as long fur as this one so I wasn't sure what to do about it. I also never thought about it making her skin allergies worse, I don't exactly know what to do about those just yet.. I am going to get in touch with my vet soon to see what she thinks about it. I think I will just cut her fur down to around 2 inches.. right now it it around 7! I don't see how that can be comfortable at all


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I refuse to shave any of my dogs whether they have long hair or short hair. My parents made me shave my brittany down twice a year in order for him to be inside and he had a thick coat but it was the ugliest coat I have ever seen on a brittany. It didn't grow back in right and he ALWAYS looked ragged no matter how recently he had been bathed and/or brushed out. 

I am a firm believer in maintaining the coat they have not just shaving it all off. My mom tried to get me to shave my smooth collie down for years.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I would definitely say don't do it!

My neighbors did it to their dog that has an absolutely gorgeous double coat, he went from this:



















To this (sorry I only have a video comparison):
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj278/liltk43/2011-05-09_15-29-44_857.mp4

In my honest opinion he looked awful. His fur took nearly 9-11 months to come back. He didn't shed properly in the seasons he was supposed to...it just royally messed up his fur for quite some time. And of course now that his fur is finally back and looking the way it should they are taking about shaving him again!!! I've made it clear I hate it when they do it but he's not my dog so all I can do is complain. Not toention the fact that he's probably close to 20lbs overweight, so that adds surface area for hair to grow..

But I do believe a good grooming can do wonders for a long haired dog.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I guess it depends on what you mean by "shave." Snorkels gets her hair cut very, very short but she's not bald. 

We could not survive out here otherwise. There are little flat stickers that get between her toes, on her legs - and they are so tiny they are hard to find, get right next to her skin, and are very irritating. Plus the foxtails which poke directly into their skin and stay there. Cockleburs - if it pokes or sticks, we probably have it.

she grows these funky tufts of very thick hair on her legs that attract everything.

I've had long haired dogs out before and it was hell. Namely a chow. I didn't shave him but I had to cut so many cockleburs out he looked half bald. 

I am glad Rebel has so little hair. He has only gotten one foxtail stuck in him and I saw it immediately. Of course, he has a natural shave.


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

I would strip instead of shaving. I can even strip down Duke and get at least two handfuls of fur. I use a stripping block made for horses on a short coated Boxer and would probably use that on any non double coated dog or fur that's not more than two inches long. I don't think I would use it on a plush coat depending though. I've seen it used on Pugs though. I would probably use a good stripping knife/comb or furminator for double coated breeds.


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## Janet At Nutro (Mar 11, 2011)

I also agree that the Furminator is awesome, and is well worth the money.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Furminator is a good one to try, I get so much hair of my parents cats, its insane. Although skip the petstores if you dont want to shell out $60, I bought 2 on amazon for $12-15 a piece

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...2230&sr=8-1&keywords=furminator&condition=new


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

We had our old golden shaved down starting at about 11 yrs old, furminator just wasn't helping him much. Shaving him down did make him much more comfortable than not and his coat grew in just as lush, and feathery up until he got to be 16. It didn't come in as thick or as long after that. My niece shaves down her pomeranians. It's so dang hot that even shaved they only go out to potty most days and are panting when they come in. All of their coats have come back as full and fluffy every time (knock on wood) to date


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

I would never shave a double coated dog, it ruins their fur so badly.

I personally don't like the Furminator at all.
Much, much prefer my double row undercoat rake: http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-W6110-Grooming-Undercoat-Rotating/dp/B0002DIRYG


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

This is a nice illustration why not to shave: Why you shouldn't shave your Husky


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

I started brushing Tucker with a regular little plastic comb and it gets more undercoat out than anything I've ever used. Though I suppose that might be harder on a larger dog.


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

I am not thinking about shaving her because she is shedding.. She is going to shed regardless, I am aware of that. We use the furminator already.

And really, shave was the wrong word, I was just going to cut it shorter.. Much shorter than it is now, but it still wouldn't really be short. You wouldn't be able to see skin and it wouldn't affect her undercoat because it is not going that short. 

I was really just wondering if cutting her fur would affect her being able to self-regulate her temperature. I personally feel like she would be more comfortable with it. And to tell you the truth, if I leave it this long anyways I feel like I would probably have to cut a lot of it out due to burs and tangles because we go into the bush and woods a lot with her.. Lots of things to get stuck in there too.


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

Many people clip down setters. Your's is a English Setter/Irish Setter mix right? I see no problem with it. Many trainers and kennels of those breeds clip them down, if not all over then just their feathers (legs, hind quarters, stomach and tail). You don't have to clip them down right to the skin, you could just get a kennel clip or like I said just do the featherings. Clipping a breed like a Setter down is different then clipping a breed like a Husky.


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## Kwpgrooming (May 20, 2012)

As a groomer I will not shave double coated dogs. The furminator, stripping or carding works great. You might get away for years shaving him with no problem but all of them eventually end up with the hair not growing back properly. A dogs coat is made to insulate from heat and cold. Keep the excess undercoat removed and the dog will be fine. If you just have to cut the hair don't have it shaved. Have them do a comb cut and leave an inch of hair. If you do this the hair will not be super shiny. Trimming cuts off the guard hairs which are the shiny hair leaving undercoat.


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## leilaquinn (Sep 7, 2011)

I used to hate shaving dogs with coats that were....complex.... i guess, they never grow back quite right.


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