Shaving my dog??

[oakash]

So, I was wondering if it was possible to shave Suzie down for the summer. She is a long haired black dog, and in FL. It was 80 in the house and she was panting just lying on a chair. She has a single coat, I guess like a cocker spaniels.... she is a mix.

I was wondering how much should I ask to shave off? Would her fur grow back weird? It already is wacky, her hair goes everywhere. And about how much would that cost?

My mom is still iffy on it because she likes long haired dogs, but it should grown back within 6 months right?

Here is a pic of her....

 

[puppydog]

I shave Lilly once a year and her hair grows back fine in around 4 months. My mother shaves her border collie and she looks hilarious but is much happier. He hair also grows back perfectly.

 

[Brattina88]

You could ask for a modified cocker cut. They could have her back completely dog, and leave a little skirt, neaten up her legs. I bet she'll look really cute

 

[oakash]

Yeah, she really does need at least a trim, I tried.... didn't look so good. If I ask for a modified cocker cut, will it look really extreme? I don't know how to say it...

 

[FoxyWench]

id agree i think shed look absolutly adorable in a moded cocker cut.

all i wouls say to the groomer is youd like her in a cocker cut, but leave the ears, head and tail and tidy up the fringe and legs. the groomer should have a general idea of what youd like from that.

shes very cute!

 

[MPP]

I had a sheltie with a ridiculous amount of undercoat--you could literally sink your hand in his fur almost up to your wrist. In the summer, he couldn't walk half a block without lying down in the shade and panting. I finally wised up and put him into a puppy cut in April. No more overheating problems. By the time cooler weather arrived, his fur was as glorious as ever.

 

[Saeleofu]

Hair may or may not grow back in time. You might shave her just to find out there's a metabolic problem preventing hair regrowth

I would give her a trim, tidy her up, but NOT shave her down. Hair like that has a tendency to grow in funky. I would NOT shave a double coated dog. Shelties, GSDs, huskies, etc all have double coats and their hair will not grow back properly if shaved down. A trim to tidy them up and a shave down are two different things. IT can take years for a double coat to grow back properly, if it ever does.

 

[Brattina88]

Wow I just read my post and it sounds pretty stupid lol! I have a new program and it tries to "fix" my spelling as I go and it's really messing me up! Lol!
What I meant was they could shave the back down and leave a skirt ... ...
What Foxy said

Sorry about that!!

oh, I just popped in to say I really hope we get pics!

 

[Dog Connections]

keep in mind that dog's fur also protect them from mosquitoes bites and other insects, sunburn (yes dogs can have sunburn when their skin is exposed) and heat. Their skin is very sensitive. A trim is good, shaving on the other hand will expose the skin and that can do more damage than good

 

[Brattina88]

Mosquitoes bite right through hair, and shirts

 

[oakash]

Oops! I didn't mean actually shave shave, just shortened, like a cocker spaniel puppy cut. And she is a single coat I think, because the only fur she sheds is long hairs, not fuzzy fur. Will her coat grow back the same, wacky? It doesn't really matter, you can see how unruly her hair is in the picture, I was just wondering.

And yes. There willl be pictures, maybe even before she gets cut, my mom is still iffy about it.

 

[Saintgirl]

I had a sheltie with a ridiculous amount of undercoat--you could literally sink your hand in his fur almost up to your wrist. In the summer, he couldn't walk half a block without lying down in the shade and panting. I finally wised up and put him into a puppy cut in April. No more overheating problems. By the time cooler weather arrived, his fur was as glorious as ever.

I'm glad that your sheltie felt better after a shave down, but it wasn't necessarily the short puppy cut that did the trick. When the groomer gave the puppy cut they had to remove the undercoat. THIS is what cooled your sheltie down. I LOVE grooming shelties, the thickest most dense coat can be brushed and have the undercoat removed to leave a beautiful cooler sheltie in the summer months. The top coat will protect the skin from the elements and you don't have to worry about regrowth. Shelties are the one breed that can leave the grooming salon looking like a different dog without clipping the coat.

 

[darkchild16]

Oops! I didn't mean actually shave shave, just shortened, like a cocker spaniel puppy cut. And she is a single coat I think, because the only fur she sheds is long hairs, not fuzzy fur. Will her coat grow back the same, wacky? It doesn't really matter, you can see how unruly her hair is in the picture, I was just wondering.

And yes. There willl be pictures, maybe even before she gets cut, my mom is still iffy about it.

We have a Saint in florida (well my mom does) and she doesnt go out muchin the summer and goes to the water every weekend usually so that is a idea if you dont want to trim her.

BUT I know a really close family friend that has ALWAYS had black cockers in florida and did the modified cut or whatever its called in the summer (back shaved with a skirt) and as Brittany especially got older they would also trim her stomach to keep her cooler. She always kept a GORGEOUS coat too when it would grow out.

 

[angelzeus]

yes you can shave this dog down she would really look like a cocker if you do and i would not take her to the skin but i would take her to like a puppy cut i think she should grow back to look the same and yes it should not even take 6 months to grow back i am not sure what it would cost because i live in pa so it might be different good luck

 

[Giny]

I'm glad that your sheltie felt better after a shave down, but it wasn't necessarily the short puppy cut that did the trick. When the groomer gave the puppy cut they had to remove the undercoat. THIS is what cooled your sheltie down. I LOVE grooming shelties, the thickest most dense coat can be brushed and have the undercoat removed to leave a beautiful cooler sheltie in the summer months. The top coat will protect the skin from the elements and you don't have to worry about regrowth. Shelties are the one breed that can leave the grooming salon looking like a different dog without clipping the coat.

This

Just going in and getting her undercoat blown out, and just tidying her up a bit by thinning out around bum, neck and touching up feet would probably relieve the heat a lot more then clipping her down.

You can get someone to thin the fur on her back going down the sides leaving a skirt so she'd have a sleeker look by using thinning shears. Maybe this is what you mean? Be sure to explain exactly what you want done. Many time an owner might say they want their dogs shaved, like you said in your first post, but all they wanted was a bit shorter and are completely shocked when picking up the dog all shaved down.

Plus their is a possibility that it might not grow back properly, with only the down hair growing out first and guard hair taking a long time to grow back if she's shaved down.

The texture of a cocker's hair and a shelties, which is what you dog seems to have, it totally different. Cocker's don't have much undercoat, so when clipped down it grows back naturally.