Long or Short during warmer months

[Buxton]

With Spring just around the corner-I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are about keeping My 8 month old Doodle Buxton's coat long or trimming it back for the warmer temps-I have read that the coat acts as an insulator?  I am sure there are several schools of thought on this-  I love the longer coat but I want him to to be comfortable-thoughts??

[Stella]

As an insulator, a longer coat can help keep them cool too, they can actually be hotter when they are shaved down.  Having said that we take our multi-gens coat shorter in the summer because he still mats and he swims a lot.  I wouldn't be able to keep on top of the mats if he was longer.  Our F1 sheds so he grows in a winter coat and sheds for the summer - no clipping needed!!

[2SCdoodles]

I do short.  Living in coastal South Carolina it gets really hot in the summer.  Our two doodles seem to prefer the short hair in the summer.  I can tell they feel great after grooming and a short cut.  Ours swim, too, so the shorter hair is easy to dry and easy to keep mat free.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I would say it depends on the climate where you live and how much your dog loves to get in water.  I also have an 8-mo-old and we are going to keep it a little shorter in the summer because he loves to get in water.  We live near the coast and the dogs love to go beach combing.  I am thinking about cording the puppy's hair so that may be hard to start during the summer months and I would guess that the salty water may be difficult to deal with, but we will see.  So...really depends on your situation.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

How long is long? How short is short.  We live in So. Cal where it is hot and still Ned's coat is not short-short.  Here is his last summer's cut

[Cynthia and Magic]

ok....off topic - but Ned looks so much like my Magic!!

...question...can I grow the hair on the top of his snout - and will it hang down or just go straight up? I know I have to trim between his eyes. They have the same coat - so I was wondering if you ever let it grow out.