True or False?

[Lovemydoodle]

I was at my Dad's last summer and a friend of mine's long haired dog was panting heavily.  I asked her why she didn't shave her and she said it would make her dog's hair grow differently if she did.

I had never heard of this before and thought it was a Northern thing to say, UNTIL a doodle owner mentioned she wasn't cutting her puppies fur for the first year because she didn't want to alter her dogs in case the coat didn't grow in "as nice" . 

Is there truth to this?  Does cutting your puppies coat too early alter the way it grows back?

I don't see how this is possible and it seems to me like when people say that if you trim your hair it will grow faster which is impossible because it grows from the scalp.

Please help...

Again I apologize is this has been asked before, I'd love to be redirected if it is :)

thanks !!

[Teresa Joyce]

Basically, there are dogs that have fur and dogs that have hair.  With dogs that have hair, the coat is similar to our hair which will continue to grow until is cut with little hair loss.  Then there are dogs with fur and the fur will grow to a certain length then die and be replaced with new fur - hence shedding.  There are many people who believe that shaving a dog with fur will damage the guard hairs (pretty outside hair).  I personally, am in this arena.  Close shaving dogs with fur such as a lab can result in permanent follicle damage.  These breeds are better served by deshedding the undercoat through use of a HV drier and carding. Dogs with hair should not result in damage from cutting it.  I hope that this helps.

[Lovemydoodle]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your expertise on the subject.  

The way you explained it makes perfect sense.  It has nothing to do about the fur itself but the follicle being damaged that contributes to the permanent damage!!

Thank you so much!  

 

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

I used to groom professionally and I've had many, many dogs throughout my life, so I'm not just making anything up.  What I have come to know is that some breeds, for instance golden retrievers and rough collies (Lassie), can have slight trims just to tidy them up, but if you were to shave them their coats would be ruined for years.  My daughter-in-law had a Pomeranian named Charlie who she insisted on shaving down.  My eldest daughter has now owned Charlie for almost two years and his coat has grown in patchy and unevenly.  It may never be as beautiful as a Pomeranian's coat should be.

A big hairy dog like an Alaskan Malamute, Leonberger or St.Bernard will shed like mad a couple of times a year, but again, if shaved down their coats could be ruined.  Also, in shaving them, their natural insulation is removed, it's not just for warmth in the winter... think Styrofoam cooler.

Yarrow is my first non-shedding dog and her hair grows really fast.  She's had two scissor trims in 9 months and I don't know what I'm going to do for the hot weather yet.  I'm going to play it by ear.  Mainly I'll keep her out of the sun, walk her early and late in the day, buy her a swimming pool and offer her a cool place to hang out.

That's from my personal experience. Hope it helps with some of your questions. :)

By the way, people automatically assume that long haired dogs shed more than short haired dogs.  False. Long haired dogs shed longer hairs but, generally speaking, short haired dogs (Basset hounds, pointers...) shed more often.

[Lovemydoodle]

YES!!  I appreciate the time you spent sharing this with me...  it makes perfect sense now :)

My neighbor has a Pomeranian that she shaves and the coat feels very coarse, I bet you that's why!!

Super cool learning, I appreciate your experience

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I'm curious what kind if long haired dog your friend had. If it had hair or fur. If hair, and a doodle, she may have been thinking of the coat change puppies go through by a year or so old. The hair that eventually grows in is usually (but not always) curlier and often a courser texture. Until the puppy coat is cut it will more or less have it's original appearance, only with longer hair.

[Lovemydoodle]

She rescued it from an Native American Reservation, she almost looks like a Pyranese but much smaller.  

I have attached a pic, she's the white dog.