Summer Cut-downs ~ Do they work?

[shelly]

I know I'm probably the odd-man (well, woman) out on this, but was just wondering....  I love to keep Tori's hair long... that is her 'trade-mark' (plus I like to keep the poodle under cover (LOL- sorry poodles). However with the recent heat wave here over over 95 - 100 degree temperatures (today it was a cooler 90), do you think doodles really feel cooler with their hair shorter? I know I feel better with my hair off my neck in the heat, but my body temperature doesn't necessarily feel cooler.  Am I just being vane and making my poor puppy-girl suffer?  After all she knows no difference in her looks (I think)....

[Ali & Sonny D.]

Ro, you know how I felt about Sonny's short cut at first but I have to say.. so glad it is short right now. He LOVES to be in water and his long hair would just be a matted mess. Plus holding him dowm to comb him everyday would be a nightmare in this heat! Plus I think it keeps him cooler too. (and you know how I feel about the short hair look!)

[shelly]

Allllliiiiiii! Hello, friend! Can you hear the 'torment' in my fingers?! LOL If Tori swam, that too would be a no brainer... don't even thinks she likes the water.. well she's going back this week or next for at least 'a trim' LOL Thanks for answering!!!

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

yea, short summer haircuts work for us. Swimming every day with long hair = major matting and too much work for me! I seriously doubt the dogs care how they look. Just make sure the groomer doesn't shave all the way down, or the dog may get sunburned!!!

[Pat & "Tucker"]

I SAY- JUST ASK THE DOODLES! DOODLES - DO YOU FEEL COOLER WITH YOUR HAIR CUT SHORT???

[Pat & "Tucker"]

Yea ok- so I'm tired and losing it- but you watch, the doodles will answer.

[shelly]

"If you ask it... they will answer"! LOL

[Lorraine Bromley]

Well I am the same way with Neely. I did feel like I maybe should trim alittle and I am not that happy that I did. I just trimmed under his belly area and back to the groin to get the hanging fur that no one would miss. Yet I find that now that it is short I have more problems with the short stuff matting than I do with the long top coat. So we have air. He gets taken everywhere. He enjoys being outside in the shade and loves the breeze he gets. He just doesn't keep up with the dogs at the dog park on runnung trips during hot days.

[Meridith and Lola]

I thought I was getting Lola her summer cut in May but it wasn't quite that short, grew a little faster and is much hotter than last summer so she got groomed on Saturday and we went much shorter. A little shocking when I saw her but on Sunday she kept wanting to go outside (and it wasn't that much cooler out). It almost felt the same way it did when it was snowing out as she kept going to the door to go outside. Definitely makes a difference. Tori will love it and it will grow back by fall.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I think short hair is a must if they are in the water a lot in the heat. Otherwise I think it is up to you. Before I had doodles, I had Siberian Huskies for 40 years. They obviously have huge amounts of fur, an actual double coat. They do not necessarily blow their coats in the heat. It is dead hair build up which causes a coat to blow ( shed lots and lots) and with diligence it is possible to keep a show husky in coat for two years or more. Actually to some extent, the coat insulates them from the exterior heat. Poodles, labs and goldens are all water retreivers and the hair is meant to insulate them from cold water. Insulation keeps out both heat and cold. That is how the "poodle trim" evolved. Hunters found it too much work to keep all that hair combed and so left it only on the joints to provide insulation. In addition their tummies have little or thin hair and so they can lie on a cooler surface like tile or the gel mat and it will pull some heat away from them.

If Tori doesn't swim, or play in the water much, lives inside and its reasonably cool inside, say 80 degrees, she is not anymore uncomforable than you are. Obviously beware of hot pavement, and walking in the heat as long haired or short haired Tori does not have the temperature control you have and will overheat more easily. You can buy her a gel mat and/or a gel vest. You soak either in water, the polymer inside aborbs the water and as the water evaporates the mat cools and it cools the dog, much like sweat evaporating from our skin does.

On the other hand I keep my dogs pretty short all the time for swimming and I can vouch for the fact that they don't know they look differently. They also stay inside during the heat, just as if they had long hair.

[Frannie & Callie]

I can't get remotely scientific about it, but I know that Callie is way more comfortable with shorter hair in the summer. I let her coat grow shaggy, full, and adorable in the fall and winter, but in summer a close cut is the way to go (for her...and she's still too hot because summer here is RIDICULOUS).

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

As I type this, Penny is getting her summer cut. After 5 years in Arizona with her, my totally unscientific theory is that she is much more active, pants less, and seems happier with shorter hair. Mind you, NOT shaved... my groomer says that all dogs need to have some hair on them to protect their delicate skin from the sun.

[Susan]

And Penny will look wonderful, I know :)
Marlow got his summer cut last week and felt much better!