Grooming for a golden?

[AGonzalez]

So, I'm not all on the up and up with grooming, I actually said I'd never have a long haired dog because of all the work it entails...then I got Lacey. While her coat stays fairly short and only needs a quick brushing out every now and then, I'm still at a loss what to do with Boris/Jaspers long hair.

Can I clip him? Or is it like a Shepherd where it will grow back all wonky? He seems so incredibly hot with all that hair (and I don't have air conditioning in my house) and he's not a fan of me combing him out when it gets matted, though he's not bad for it.

I looked at some websites that suggest using thinning shears and such to scissor it, but I"m not exactly good at that kind of thing, and he'd probably look moth-eaten if I did it.

[Dekka]

Something like the Furminator is good... like a GSD if you can get a lot of the pesky undercoat out they are much much cooler.

[bubbatd]

Agree...... plus minor trimming .

[AGonzalez]

I have a furminator (Lacey's) and I've stripped him down pretty good, but that hair is still long and looks hot!
What kind of minor trimming can I get away with? Maybe I'll take him to a groomer and see what they can do to help him cool down. It's not usually as hot as it was yesterday but poor guy was cooking in the house, I ended up putting them all outside so they could lay under the deck where it was cooler.

[MicksMom]

I used to trim the hair under the belly of our friend's Golden. Basicaly just shortening the length of the top coat a little. Whatever you do, don't shave him down. That "hot looking" top coat actually helps keep him cool by trapping cool air between it and the undercoat. You can always fill a plastic kiddie pool to help Boris stay cool. If he's anything like our friend's Golden, and our Caleb, he'll practically live in it when he's outside, even if it's empty. LOL Oh, trimming, you can also trim the hair on the underside of his ears (that's easier to do with clippers, tho)

[4dogs3cats]

my ex took his golden to be shaved in the summer. she was a lot happier, (here in AZ) and her hair grew back fine.

[4dogs3cats]

Originally Posted by MicksMom

I used to trim the hair under the belly of our friend's Golden. Basicaly just shortening the length of the top coat a little. Whatever you do, don't shave him down. That "hot looking" top coat actually helps keep him cool by trapping cool air between it and the undercoat. You can always fill a plastic kiddie pool to help Boris stay cool. If he's anything like our friend's Golden, and our Caleb, he'll practically live in it when he's outside, even if it's empty. LOL Oh, trimming, you can also trim the hair on the underside of his ears (that's easier to do with clippers, tho)

interesting, I didnt know this.

[Tankstar]

Does he have alot of coat blowing out? I would take him in to a groomer, ask them for a good bathg, blow out and brush, and makybe a trim of his belly. The blowout will get all that dead undercoat out, which will keep him alot cooler, dead udnercoat just maks a big blockage and the hair cant do what it does nautrally. dont shave him, it will ruin the coat. When i went away for a week vacation just after I got blazle (he was about a year and a bit old), my grandma took him in and got him shaved, his hair has never been the same, its think, corse in the back, wavy ect. just looks terrible IMO, no as full as it once was ect. She thought I would be excitied and happy, I was so upset I cried.

[Dekka]

Having a loose overcoat only is like wearing filmy clothes. It shades the skin from the sun but still allows lots of ventilation. If you clip you actually remove the outer coat and leave the undercoat (though shorter) which is then like wearing skin tight all over clothes. Now that is better than wearing both (which is what 'natural' is like). So dogs are cooler when clipped, but not as cool as if they have no undercoat.

Some heavily coated breeds don't have overcoat/undercoats really and should be clipped to be kept cool. And some dogs just like having less coat weighting them down.

[kms1167]

we just gave our golden a trim and it ended up great. we were nervous as to where to start but we just trimmed up his belly, behind the ears, his fan a bit etc. We didn't go short but just a light trim and i think he has been more comfortable since.