To Cut or Not to Cut.....

[Carol and Banjo]

Banjo's coat is really filling in and he's gotten quite "fluffy".  He is 6 months old and his coat is gradually changing.   We just love the way he looks and would prefer not to cut him at this time.  We've had an unusually hot summer here in NH  and on the really hot days we've limited his outdoor activity to morning/evening walks and some ball playing in the shaded areas.   So far he hasn't seemed to be too affected by the heat.   How do you decide if you should trim your dog?  Are we being selfish by not trimming him?

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

When Remington was 6 months old was the first time we really got him a hair cut. He was soooo miserable in the heat and I just couldn't stand knowing that he would probably feel so much better with short hair. However, just realize that once you cut Banjo's hair... he'll never have that puppy look again.... Good Luck!

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

This is a tough decision for sure. When Lucky was 6 months, I had her trimmed to 5/8" on her body and legs only so that the belly shave for the upcoming spaying wouldn't be quite so pronounced. I couldn't bear to have her head trimmed though. She sported a crown of spikes on the top that some days we called Miss Liberty.

6 weeks later she went along with Maple for the Summer haircut. The crown is gone and I miss it. I'm going to thin out her top to try to promote those spikes again in the Fall! I wonder if there's dog-safe mouse....hmmmm

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

the crown with body/leg trim:

[Carol and Banjo]

OMG!!!! I LOVE this dood!!!!!!! Lucky is absolutely adorable!!!!!

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

and she's as goofy as she is adorable! Hard for us to remember that just 3 months ago she was a difficult placement for the breeder (super shy and introverted). but her breeder did the right thing by waiting for the compatible placement - US! She is now out of her shell and a total goof. But that's another story...

[F, Calla & Luca]

Love your picture.

[Kathy]

I know how you feel about the beautiful coat, but we clipped Roxie (7 months old) all the way down and she is so much happier! I think of dog hair the same way I do about my kids' hair - it'll grow back - so I don't stress about it being too short (but comfortable) now and I also don't stress about bad cuts.

I disagree about never getting the puppy look back though. I clipped Casey (15 mos) all the way down and it's growing back beautifully - soft, fluffy and puppylike. The thing that changes is that their bodies are growing and maturing and they don't have the puppy body anymore. You can have that look back when you let the hair grow in if you want it by cutting so that the features look more rounded and immature. Personally, I keep my dogs' coats shorter because it's more comfortable for them and convenient for me - easier to clean wet paws, muddy paws, icy snowy paws etc. and easier to check for ticks. Even though we use Frontline, Roxie contracted Lyme and we are now extremely dedicated to making sure we check for passengers every time the dogs come in - much easier with a shorter coat.

[Betsy D.]

I looked on your page and Banjo doesn't look that long. When I had Cimmy cut at 11 months we had 5 - 6 inches cut off and left 2 inches. Though she looked beautiful, I really missed the longer hair. I can tell you that Cimmy is just as miserable now in the heat as she was when she was longer. The dog who could play outside for hours now only goes outside for 10 to 15 minutes then needs to rest in the shade or come inside. It is just hot out and if you are being careful with him, I wouldn't worry about the coat length!

[Carol and Banjo]

His coat isn't that long. And I'm inclined to think he wouldn't be significantly cooler if we cut him. I wouldn't say he's miserable in the heat...even last week in the 90's....he just took it easy and wasn't running about as much.

[Lynne B]

I scissor cut both my doodles to about 3/4" on their body and about 1 1/4- 1 1/2 on their legs. They seem comfortable and happy but never look shaved. It's not hard once you get the hang of it. One is very curly, the other very thick- wavy fleece- both coats are very forgiving of 'errors', but they are also very hard to get clippers through.

[Gay Lord]

Cut....they are so happy when it is hot and they don't have all that hair. I didn't take Bentley out in public for a while when I shaved me the last time :-)

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I have 3 six month old puppies and I am not planning to cut their coats yet. They are not too terribly thick, so I think they need the protection from the sun. They lie in the shade or inside during the day and I let them race around in the morning when it's cool. I usually wait until closer to a year to clip.