TO TRIM OR NOT TO TRIM...THAT IS THE QUESTION

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

Ginger is a 7 month puppy...wavy coat.  As the temps get hotter, several people have asked me if I am going to give her a summer cut.  One person went so far as to tell me I was being mean to my dog.  I explained that Ginger is an inside dog...and doesn't spend much time outside.

 

The look I was going for was a shaggy look...not  short.   I searched for a puppy that would have wavy hair and look like a muppet! Ginger is perfect!

But now I am wondering if I am being mean to Ginger.  She seems fine, but it is HOT and only going to get hotter as I travel this summer to Pensacola FL and New Orleans. 

 

How do most people handle this?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Pam - do not let others guilt you into anything.  This is your choice based on what you think is best.  I live in Ft. Myers and when Rooney was 7 months (April) he got a very short hair cut.  He was very hot outside and I wanted him to feel better - he is brown and white and I think the darker color adds to the heat.  He still looks adorable but I do miss his long flowing locks, we'll let it grow back out this fall.  If you like your puppy longer - than leave it.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Your money, your dog, your judgment, your choice.  Other people have no say in this, it is none of their business.

[Adina P]

Ditto! Dogs don't sweat through their body only their tongues and pawpads.  And some people say that dog fur provides some useful insulation.  If Ginger doesn't seem bothered and she doesn't spend a lot of time outside, don't worry about it.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Adina-I've been struggling with this for 2 weeks because that is exactly what she said about Myla, she brushes her out every 3 weeks and I do what I can in between then but she's not cooperative, I have a grooming table and as aoon as I get to her mid back or rear end/back legs I usually get bit. She said her hair won't matter because we were asking her to cut her. She has such THICK hair though, doesn't the thicker hair make her hotter than Chloe's thinner hair with the sun beating on it, we walk her a few blocks and she looks like death. It makes me feel bad then I remember what the groomer said about sweating. I should also say that she gets brushed, but I can still feel matting under her fur like she didn't get all the way down there (like I can't at home) so we were thinking of "starting over" and shaving her but she said that would go against what we are trying to every 3 weeks with brushing. Does the Les Pooches brush work for regular brushing or just for matting? Her brush out is for Monday and I just don't know!!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I've been debating having Luna trimmed (or doing it myself) - she seems VERY hot all the time... but then it was 40C (105F) yesterday, and she ASKED to go outside 2-3 times just to sit in the hot sun.  I guess maybe she likes being hot?  I have no idea.

 

I think it's your dog and you can cut (or not cut) them the way you want.  If she's getting too hot - how about a kiddie pool?  Luna has a little kiddie pool that she can cool her paws/face in that she likes very much.  Also - frozen treats (big ice cubes with cut fruit or veggie surprises frozen in there) can cool her inside, which is just as good (if not better) than cooling her by having short hair!

[Jennifer Tramell]

If she doesn't seem hot - don't worry about it.  Webster acts hot, Charlotte does not.  If people persist in bothering you, just tell them that Ginger does not have an undercoat so her long silky locks act as much of a protectant from the heat as a detriment.  Remind them of the people living in the Middle East who wear long-sleeved loose fitting clothing.  Then give them a look of slight superiority and pity that they just don't know these things.  NOW, I'm making most of this up, but it sounds good to me, especially if Ginger doesn't have an undercoat (my dogs don't, my sister's dog does).

[Carol Brand]

Just a note.  I know a couple of people who have lived in the Middle East and I think they would tell you that an abaya is hotter'n Hades in the summer time.  I have heard more than once that the abaya is yet another way to force women to stay inside and out of view.  It is simply too hot to go outside covered from head to toe.

[Jennifer Tramell]

Very interesting!  I was actually thinking about the men who wear long, loose clothes.  My father-in-law and a friend from Mexico both wear light, long sleeved shirts in the summer.  Puzzles me but I assumed it worked - at least for them.

[Sue, Lola, Pongo & Hubby]

Agreed, it's definitely your choice. Lola's quite heat-sensitive (she's a bit of a diva, LOL. Seriously, our dermatologist once "you're just a little diva, aren't you?") Anyway, we keep her hair pretty short in the summer. We also spend most of our time outdoors in the summer though, so keeping it short means she can spend more time with us outside. I think you'll know if Ginger wants a haircut, she'll show some signs of discomfort in the heat...we can usually tell when Lola's getting too hot, and it's time for a new cut.

[Devin and Indy]

I work at a groomer's and what they have told me echoes what everyone else has said. Shaving a dog down for summer is mostly for the comfort of the owner. The hair actually provides insulation from the sun and they don't sweat like we do. I keep my guy short in the summer but it's really because it makes ME feel better and because he spends A LOT of time outdoors and gets really dirty with long hair. 

 

If Ginger spends most of her time indoors and you keep up with the brushing, there is absolutely nothing wrong or odd about keeping her long in the summer!

[Carol Brand]

Your dog may be an indoor dog, but do you walk her?  Do you take her to dog parks?  Poodle coat (and most Doodles have some sort of variation on Poodle coat)  is incredibly dense and warm.  Consider this... my Poodles are pretty comfortable in only a couple of inches of hair when the temperatures dip down around zero in the wintertime in Colorado.  

 

There is an old wives tale floating around that long coats actually keep dogs cooler by trapping air blah blah blah.  I show dogs and I see a lot of different breeds at the shows.  My experience...long coats in all breeds = hot dogs in the summer months.  We have to keep our Poodles in long coats to show them, but the minute they are done, we cut them down. This is not only for ease of maintenance, but also for the comfort of the dog.   Try this experiment.  Next time you walk Ginger, put on a heavy wool sweater and see if you are comfortable during your walk. 

 

Another thing to consider.  You are just getting ready to come into the coat change time of life.  Cutting your girl short will help you manage the coat change and may keep you from having to shave her down with a #7 blade later if she gets matted.

 

 

 

 

[Taylor & Huff]

We never got Huff's hair cut as a puppy. He didn't have very long hair until he was about 9 months old. This year we are cutting him down (not shaved) but his hair is actually about 8 inches long now. I hope that once we cut his hair down more, he will play more and not be as hot. I actually believe that dogs do sweat. They may not sweat as much as us but i think they do sweat. I have felt quite a few sweaty paws but the other day I noticed that a schnauzer that was being groomed at our shop's armpit was sweaty. One of our groomers also says that her pitbull likes to get under the covers in her bed but she doesn't like it when he does that because he gets sweaty and smelly. Anyways sorry for kind of changing the subject there but as long as Ginger is not getting hot and panting constantly she should be fine. You don't have to cut her hair as long as you can keep her cool. Good luck!:)