Haven't you ever wondered how your dood looks under all that fur? I have and now I know....

[Ann Kendig]

I finally did it.  I took the plunge.  I'm not sure if I would ever do it again but thankfully it grows back.  I got tired of grooming and needed a break.  Because of all of the burrs, ticks, swimming and their allergies I just felt it would be a lot easier for the summer. Recently Camilla had Darwin shaved down and it gave me the courage to do the same.  

Here's an old photo of Duke and his brother.  : )  

Isn't it amazing how much fur they have on their bodies??  When this photo was taken a year or so ago he wasn't even at his longest length and still I got a big pile of fur and he got a bad haircut.

This is my favorite look for my dogs but pretty hard to manage on a daily basis.

This photo was taken the morning of the "Shave Down".

And now....

Notice the stripes in Sheba's fur and her panda bear eyes?  I am amazed at how beautiful her coat is.  When her fur is long you would never guess she looks like this underneath.

Duke....

I really thought they would love being shaved down but actually I think they were a little depressed. My husband thought so too.  When they were shaved the weather was warmer and then it got cold again. Instead of seeing them comfortably lying on the cold tile floor when they were hairy they sometimes curl up on the carpet in a little ball.  Poor babies, I feel bad.  I've noticed that when I give them attention now I pat them instead stroking them like I did when their fur was longer.  

Like I said, I don't know if I would do it again but if I did I would wait till maybe the end of May.

That being said, last Sunday was a beautiful, warm day.  Sheba is now obsessed with her version of fishing,  standing on the dock, barking at the fish, pawing at the water and then occasionally falling in.  Duke follows suit.  Sheba finally learned how to dock dive (after I pushed her in a couple of times, bad mom) and she now knows how to land in the water without her head going under.  (She will never be as good as Spud though...he is awesome!!)  Duke spent part of the day in his life jacket.  The jacket  has handles on it so a few times I lowered him into the water on the end of the dock.  As the day progressed he finally took his maiden voyage and did a long distance swim without his jacket.  Yay Sheba and Duke!!   (I was thankful that their fur was short that day.  It dries so much quicker and I didn't have to spend time taking the matts out of Sheba's fur and brushing them both out.   At the end of summer I'll let their fur grow back and have my furry doods back again.  : )

Look at Spud dock dive, amazing height!  (This photo was taken last year and not at our house).  Sheba wants to be just like him! 

Sheba likes to stay low and close to the water right now.

Duke swimming on his own for the first time....

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

you did a great job, they both look fantastic! You have more courage than I do, I could only cut Cooper down to 1 1/2 inches

[Ann Kendig]

The great thing is it grows back so fast but the bad thing is they loose their doodley look that we all love.  Even at 1 1/2 inches Sheba still mats after swimming and takes forever to dry.  If we lived where we lived last year I wouldn't have had them shaved.  BTW, Cooper is adorable!!!

[Lynda Kamrath]

That low dive looks more like a retriever.  You have a beautiful area for the dogs to experience the water.  How lucky you all are!  The dogs look great.  You did a great job on them and they do look a lot better for summer water dogs.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Ann, I think they look awesome!  I love those sleek, athletic looking bodies.  I keep my guys pretty short through tick season...otherwise I can't spot them.

[Carol and Banjo]

Your dogs are so beautiful long or short!   I do prefer the long as well....but with summer and swimming I think short is the only way to go.    I was very stingy with Banjo last summer and didn't allow him to swim as often as I should have because we didn't go for the shorter cut....then I felt guilty everytime I'd see beautiful fun swimming and diving shots like the ones you've posted here.   Great pics Ann!

[Pat and Traveler]

Ann, your dogs are gorgeous, shaved and long!  The pictures are wonderful.  "...and his brother,"  LOL  You did the right thing--you'll be able to enjoy your summer a lot more since you'll have to fiddle less with the kids.  Trav acted funny too after he got shaved down, and it was hard for me to get used to that look.  It does grow, as you noted, and I'm tempted to go that route again.  Thanks for showing us!

[Camilla and Darwin]

Wow, I think they both look so athletic and beautiful! Sheba's coat is SO interesting. Love it.

[Rose Ann and Amante]

Beautiful either way!!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

your doodles are beautiful either way. I'm impressed you can keep it so long on a regular basis. I'm always surprised with how Sophie looks with her fur shaved. Winston is due for a cut but I love him with long fur. He's a big teddy bear!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

They look good.  And like they are having a total blast. I always keep Peri at a 1 1/2".  Sometimes shorter - probably will get her almost shaved down next month. It's too hot here for her to have all of that doodly fur during the summer!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I have to say that you must have prepared me because I wasn't as shocked when I saw the short cuts as I thought I was going to be.  My favorite is still the way they were right before they were shaved down.  However, if I had a lake to mine to swim in I'm not sure I would want them long either.  The pond looks beautiful.  you should post some pics of the whole thing!

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

It is hard to take that first step and shave them down but they are both beautiful no matter what.  What fun they seem to be having and it will be much less of a chore to keep them looking good so enjoy your vacation this summer from brushing and de-matting:)