Shaving dogs

[Paige]

In the summer is it okay to shave your long haired dog? Obviously not down to the skin but a short clip. I've heard people say this doesn't cool the dog off but I am going to admit I shaved my sheltie every summer and she liked it. She'd always get all hyper and run around once her coat was gone. Seeing as she was just a pet I saw no harm in doing it.

I own two long haired dogs now and I was just curious if what I was doing was consitered bad.

Opinions?

[Zoom]

It's more of a personal preference, at least to some degree. I won't do it because it messes up the way the hair grows back in and many times the undercoat doesn't lay correctly afterwards. Also, some dogs (especially lighter colored ones) can sunburn with shaved coats, and some dogs are actually hotter when shaved since the original coats provided an insulating effect to keep the full effect of the sun's rays off of them.

[dogsarebetter]

i have heard that shaving sheltie only does harm. that they need that undercoat and all of that fur to actually keep COOL!

[ravennr]

Double coated breeds are not necessarily double coated to keep them warm. You shouldn't shave a dog down to keep them cool...it subjects them to sunburn, and their skin is now more open to general harm.

All you really need to do it groom the dog. Give it a good brushing to remove dirt and dead hair, and the dog will be fine. Give it water when it's outside, nice shade, there should be no problems.
I would stop shaving them, even if you do believe it is helping them, you could be doing more harm than you think. You can have their hair cut down to a certain point, but hitting the undercoat is usually asking for trouble.

[RD]

I wouldn't shave your Border Collies, Paige. Not because getting rid of that coat doesn't help them feel less "smothered" during the summer months, but because once you shave them, you ALWAYS have to shave them. Their coat grows back totally useless for insulation purposes, it's just dead weight.

Groom them with scissors, not clippers. When it gets hot, I trim the hair on Dakota's undercarriage very short, I thin some of his belly feathers and I shave the hair out of the pads of his feet so a nice soak in cool water will cool him down more quickly. I also strip out most of his undercoat with a "furminator" brush (or something similar). Having a lighter coat really does help him, but length doesn't seem to make a difference.

[Sweet72947]

I have to shave Benji in the summer because otherwise he just lays there and pants. And this is inside the air conditioned house! The poor boy just gets too hot it if the temp is over 70 degrees! Of course, he's a small breed with a different coat than BCs or Shelties.

[jupiter11600]

I shave down sierra, even keep her short in the winter... BUT.. She has thyroid issues and is sheltieXHusky so she's got LONG and THICK fur. She is much happier, But it does take more work (Suntan lotion in sun, Shirts in cold)

If you do do it, Be prepared for much more work and a coat that is never the same...

[Paige]

The last time the sheltie was shaved was four years ago and she has passed on since then so no worries about her coat. Never had a problem with her coat growing back in though. I don't plan on shaving either of my dogs I have now. Just a thought I had in the back of my mind for awhile. I've heard a lot of mixed opinions on it. Thanks guys! Now I know why it shouldn't be done.

[SummerRiot]

Its bad for you to shave a double coated breed or a "natural" coated breed!!

They use their coats as a way to regulate their body temperature.

They shed/blow their coats for a reason!!

i'm sorry, but because my job is grooming dogs as well as owning 3 natural coated breeds.. I just HATE HATE HATE seeing a natural coated breed shaved.


I personally believe its bad for them,.

[Maxy24]

what about shaving dogs such as shih-tzus? my uncle shaves his simply because he does not want to hassle with grooming that long coat and keeping it clean, is it OK to shave like that if the dog will always be shaved (not to the skin of course)