Some dog breeds just don't need to be shaved...

why not...I have NO FAT BEAGLES in mine LOL.

You are so tempting me. If only your litter was next year. I was thinking sheltie for the next dog, but eh... collie isn't much different.

She's tempting everybody, I think she needs to be banned :lol-sign:

I used to have a client down in Phoenix who brought in her SHORT HAIRED CHIHUAHUA every six weeks like clockwork to be shaved.

Than we have to remember how some breeds should not be shaved.

I cringe everytime I see someone with a shaved BC or Husky, poor dog.

*giggles Brattinna, the pic of the shave collie and the other dog...the other dog is a natrually hairless breed lol. probably an inca or xo from the wirey look of the coat but it could be any of the hairless breeds, some of em look quite...funky...lol. (and thats comming from a person INLOVE with cresties.

personally i dont mind a shave down IF it looks ok on the dog...
that first pap looks like a chihuahua gone horribly wrong, lol, (paps have a very similar head shape when shaved to a mid bred chi lol but those supermodel legs on that itty bitty nekkid head...yup, not working.

shitzus ect look cute shaved down IF the face and tail are left tidied but still kinda long...

My neighbor had a pekingese when I was a kid. He was shaved down in the summer with the head and tail left alone. It did look really cute. I can see why some might do it in the hot summer months. On the other hand, a papillon does not have a very thick and heavy coat like some breeds do.

My parents always shaved their golden retrievers for the summer months. And the dogs loved it, they would look like puppies and act like puppies, lol, they felt good.

I shave Lilly in summer. Her coat is so thick and heavy. When she is back from the groomer she is so happy and loves her streamlined coat.


I think she looks gorgeous shaved.

What about a shaved (mohawked) Border Collie?







Lawl! Yes, Gonzo didn't exactly look dapper shaved. But he's Gonzo... he looks silly regardless. ; D

I would not shave Gonzo again. But, when I did, I lived at my Dad's with my anal-retentive-about-dog-hair Stepmother. He got shaved every summer/fall I lived with them. To her, tiny little hairs around the house were much better than long hairs... and because that meant Gonzo could have free reign of the house, that was fine with me! He loves going to his groomers, and an extra plus was that he could cool down much faster when doing Flyball/Agility/Herding. I got snarky comments, but it never bothered me. There are FAR worse things one can do to their dogs... like make them morbidly obese, such as some of the dogs posted here. I have seen some shaved Labs who looked pretty ridiculous, but they were also pretty chunky.

I clip Perle every summer without fail.. Not down to the skin, but down to about a number 4 or so.. She gets so awfully hot and miserable, and she actually LOVES being clipped, it's all about the attention she gets But I wouldn't clip her all year round, she needs her fluffyness for winter..

People give me a WTF look when I say I don't like a hard coated terrier shaved, even for pets. Health aside, most of the groomers out there groom them like a Scottie or Schnauzer... eeww. But alas it's their dog, and I rather see a shaved dog then a matted dog. I'm debating clipping Sofie's skirt (not all the way, just shorter) once she's finished. Ugly, but functional.

I know of a handler who shaves her pet shire. Cutest thing alive, and I don't blame her. When you have several others in show coat you have to care for, I wouldn't want to deal with an extra dog.

Shaved, mohawked Gonzo? Awesome!

I shave my collie every summer. not down to the skin, I leave about an inch of fur on him. But he definatly changes his personality when I shave him. Before I shave him, he's slow and sluggish... afterwards he seems to have gotten 5 yrs younger. You can tell he feels great.

A few summers ago I thought I would not shave him... and that was HORRIBLE! I brushed him like mad every day to get all the undercoat out, and it just didn't work. He would cram himself in the lower corner of my house and wine and wine and wine while panting away like mad. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I called the groomer to set up an appointment, then I shaved him myself so he could have some relife.

If I didn't see how much he changed after shaving, I wouldn't do it. But he IS miserable with a full coat in the summer.

Lily looks cute and clipped, though, not denuded.

I know a guy who has a gorgeous German Shepherd. But his wife can't stand even the smallest amount of hair anywhere, so they keep the dog shaved to the skin. He looks ridiculous.

I also knew people who kept their Collie shaved. Left it's mane alone and shaved the rest to the skin (including the feet and tail). The dog looked so silly.

Except for them looking silly in some cases or the wire coat dogs that can get skin problems, I don't see why people get upset with shaved dogs.

Seriously? with everything that people are doing wrong with animals, you would get upset over a shaved dog? So what if someone buys a yorkie or shih zu and keeps him shaved all year. If they live in a colder climate, then they need to get the dog a jacket or something for the winter. But if they feed him/her good food, exercise the dog daily, give it love and attention, give it vet care when needed, keep the dog 'under control' (not running around off leash, unfenced, etc), and keep the dog till he dies. Who cares what the hair looks like?

Like I already said. It doesnt matter what their hair LOOKS like... its a matter of the hair serving a purpose. Shaving a dog can cause them problems.

I know shaving wire hair dogs can cause skin issues, which I mentioned. They need to be hand stripped.

but shaving a regular dog.. what problems will it cause? Most dogs don't live out side, so the hair "protecting them from the elements" isn't really a big deal. As far a sun goes, when I shave my collie, I leave about an inch of hair. That leaves enough to keep the sun off his skin directly. In terms of temp, depending on where they live, They may need to put a jacket on the dog in the winter.

I shave my dog every summer. He's miserable otherwise. But, he gets vet care, he eats raw, on his good days when he's up to it he goes for nice long walks, he lives inside the house with free roam, he goes to the groomer every month-month and half, he'll never have to worry about ending up in the pound again. I wouldn't be so quick to jump on people bc they shave their dogs. Shaving them is not going to kill them, and in Bailey's case, he needs to be shaved every summer.

Just bc you prefer your dog shaved, does not mean that you love him any less, and/or care for him any less.

First of all, like I stated before, there is a difference between shaving and having a dog in a short cut.

Now...
Shaving exposes the skin to the sun which unless precautions are taken can cause skin damage.

Shaving leaves the dog exposed to the cold... they have their hair for warmth.

Some dogs actually use their hair to cool down... so shaving them can actually leave them more overheated in the summer.

Im sure people can add even more things.

I dont care what peoples dogs look like... I dont even care if they want to shave them... but people should understand the risks they are taking when they shave their dogs so that they may take precautions against them.

how do you know that people don't understand the risks of shaving? And as I said before, most dogs live in the home, so "the elements" are really as big a deal. The precaution needs to be taken when they're outside.

I just think if you're going to get upset about something. shaving should be the least of your concerns.