Hot or Not?

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

This sounds like a "duh!" question, but I have heard conflicting stories on their fur. Does their coat help keep them cool? I was trying to grow Thunder's hair out, and he is just so hot so he is going to have to go in for a short cut one more time before "winter" here. Thunder has a wool coat.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Anita, There have been lots of discussions about this. We recently moved to Hawaii and Kona (our black doodle) was panting a steam engine all of the time. I clipped him down to about 3/4 inch and the panting has stopped. He also swims almost daily so it has been a blessing to have a short coat for that reason too, but he is definitely cooler. There are many of the persuasion that their coats keep them cooler. I'm just giving you my experience with Kona.

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

Thank you Bonnie! He is panting so much and I feel bad. He is starting to make me sad because he is panting, and his hips hurt and then he hurt himself stealing hamburgers off of the counter :( He is too young for this! (8) 

[Cynthia, Elvis & Pink]

Elvis has a wool coat and he gets hot during the summer - he loves being sheared short.  However, we have to be careful so he doesn't get sunburned and don't trim it as short as he seems to like it (about 3/4" is what we did this year).

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

My perfect answer for my wool coats is a short coat about an inch long. That seems to be enough coat to protect them from the sun, but not long enough to hold the heat. My fleece coats are fine at about 2 inches for summer.

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

Thanks!

[Brenda Silva]

All Ive read and experienced is that the coat is an insulation.  If its too hot the heat hits the top of the coat and has a chance to cool a little before it hits the skin...same goes for winter.  Warren Eckstein, has a bit to say about this. (dog trainer, author, radio show on pets...I think he is on FB too.)  Having said that our dog loves to swim and a bit shorter coat is way easier to handle.

[Camilla and Darwin]

My evidence is completely anecdotal. Basically, when Darwin is shaved down he really is more energetic and seems to get tired out much less easily. This does seem to go against what I've read though.... so I'm still a bit baffled. :-)

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

I know he is much happier cut but like you, baffled!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We don't cut our doodles much shorter in the summer than the winter.  I don't know that they are hotter than they would be with short coats.  They like to lay on the tile floor - winter or summer.

[Gwyndolyn Morasko]

The only reason I cut Kona down to about 1.5 inches is because his new sister was wrestling so much with him that he was causing lots of mats.  I don't notice a big difference on his heat level, so the jury is out.  (I know that my boyfriend swears that he was too hot with the long 4 to 5 inch hair, but I didn't see a big difference.  And I do miss his long shaggy look!)

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

Thunder was about an inch, or a little over. I just took him down to 1/2 an inch and he is so much happier in our AZ heat. I think my situation is a bit different since it doesn't drop below 100 until well after 10 pm. He was panting so much and it was hard for him to get around. His hair is so dense. The other dogs can go longer, but not this boy right now. I love the shaggy look too, and since I learned about line brushing, I cannot wait to let it grow out. I am hoping that this was his last cut until March.