Do I have to do it?

[Rob haddix]

Well, my baby girl is almost 7 months old now and I just lover her beautiful coat and mullet on top of her head. I brush her 3 - 4 times a week and I never give her a chance to develop any mats. I trim her feet top & bottom, Clip her nails, Trim her private parts, and Clip around her eyes to make sure she can always see . The weather is finally starting to warm up and I notice she is starting to pant a lot and always wants to go outside where it is cooler. My sister says it's time to think about shaving her as short as I can. I, really don't want to do this ever. I figured maybe this summer I would trim her down and leave about 1 1/2 minimum but not shave her down to nothing.

I have read that it's not a good idea to shave a dog too short because of sunburn, is that true?

I have to wonder how long haired dogs have survived the heat for millions of years before humans came along with clippers and started cutting. I think when we look at our dogs and say to our self , " I wouldn't want to wear a fur coat in this hot weather" so, neither would my dog.

I love the way she looks with her long hair! Do I have to cut her down to cool her off? Am I being cruel if I don't.

Please help, I want to do the right thing for my little girl.

[BG and Gavin]

As long as you keep her coat in shape you can keep her long.  I would not shave her down too low as I think your concern about sunburn is warranted.  I think the coat probably works as an insulator from heat and cold.  Having said all that, I keep Gavin's coat shorter in the summer just because easier maintenance.  He dries quicker and does not bring as much dirt into the house when he is shorter.  He always seems to have an extra jump in his step after a good hair cut.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I agree completely. When you see shaved doodles it is usually because of mats. If you are maintaining her coat, you don't have to shave it. I keep my doodles at about 1 1/2 inches but that's for my convenience of care.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

You are heading into the coat change when there is a lot more matting going on. You could say you are in the honeymoon phase of puppy coat. I would suggest that within the next month, you cut her down to 2 inches so that the brushing and combing during the matting phase is something you can both handle. 2 inches is a length that is good for summer too.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Cutting or shaving a dog's coat doesn't make them cooler. In many cases, it can actually make them hotter, as the fur acts as insulation from the heat by trapping cooler air close to the skin's surface. Think about lawns and grass. The soil is cooler in shaded areas where the grass is longer.

 And yes, dogs can get sunburns when their fur is cut too short. Dogs don't sweat through their skin pores as people do to cool themselves, so removing their hair doesn't help them cool down. As others have said, most people cut or shave their dogs' coats because of matting, and to make it easier to keep them clean.

A good article on shaving pets for summer:  http://pets.webmd.com/features/shaving-dog-or-cat-during-summer

[F, Calla & Luca]

So true.

[kristine & Auggie]

I have seen a product called a "Cool vest" that long hair dogs wear that keeps them cool.  I plan on trying it this summer.  I will give Auggie a bit of a clip [unless he starts to mat] but I am hoping the cool vest will do the trick.  Has anyone used this?  I tend to buy a bunch of  useless stuff lol  The theory seems sound though.

[Willow and J]

I have one from Ruff Ware, and it works very well. Willow is always hot, and her stamina level shoots up when we put the cool vest on. It dries out quicker than we thought - after 10-15 min. or so -, so we carry a bottle of water and wet the vest as needed. 

[Camilla and Darwin]

I agree with everyone, you don't have to shave her if you have kept up with the mats! And it is true that if you shave a dog too short they can sunburn, at the grooming shop I used to work at we avoided going below 1/2" for that reason.

We shave Darwin because in the summer it's too much of a hassle to deal with keeping him clean when he's constantly in water or the dirt, but that is just us! We THINK he acts cooler when we shave him, but since he can't talk we really don't know that. :-) Sometimes I wonder if he's more bouncy and frisky because he can see without all the hair around his eyes, and it has nothing to do with being hot/cool. Who knows?

If you can keep on top of the maintenance I say keep that long doodle shag!

[Rob haddix]

Thank you everyone, I feel much better now that I know I don't have to shave her to the length of my Doberman, Whew! This may sound stupid (maybe not) but the 30 - 40 min I spend brushing and pampering her is probably  the best time of our day. It's almost like therapy for both of us we talk (well, I talk) and forget about all the troubles going on in life.

I'm a little worried about this "honeymoon phase of puppy coat" I'm twice divorced so I know what it's like when the honeymoon is over :-(  I'm hoping that after the change is over we will both still enjoy brushing her beautiful locks, being an old bald guy it's the only hair I've enjoyed for years, so I'd like to keep the honeymoon going for as long as possible. :-)

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yes, I totally understand your feelings.  I love grooming time also and my doodles will stand (sit, lie down) for as long as I want to work on them.  But the baths they don't seem to enjoy as much.  Since we live by the ocean and my younger doodle loves to roll in the sand, we have frequent baths and sometimes just leg baths.  Wait until you have a reason to shave her and it will come.  I shaved my first doodle (an absolute gentle giant) after we had been out hiking and a man can running down the hill and turned the corner to see this "hairy beast" in the center of the trail.  I was off to the side of the trail and had to reassure him that he was in no danger whatsoever.  Came home and gave him a haircut.  My other doodle got some kind of dermatitus when he had a minor surgery and teeth cleaning and had to be mostly shaved down.  So wait until you have a reason and enjoy her elegant coat until then.

[Jeanne Rose]

Ha! Totally get the not wanting the honeymoon over. Like they say," A dog is man's best friend ". Oh, bald is beautiful, for what it's worth. Keep loving that dog, it sounds like she is is a lucky dog! Your other dog is quite beautiful too!

[Cynthia, Elvis & Pink]

While I agree with everything everyone has said and logically, long hair shouldn't make a dog hotter.  That being said, Elvis seems getting rid of his coat.  But I don't have him shaved to the skin for summer because of the sun burn issue.  I try and keep it 3/4 of an inch.