shorter coat in summer??

[Marion]

I'm wondering if doodles need to be groomed in the summer due to the heat?
I would rather not have her groomed, because I love the shaggy look.
Is the coat to warm or is the coat protecting the sensitive skin from the sun???

[Melissa & Porter]

From what I have read, you don't want to shave too close to the skin because the hair does protect the dog's skin from heat/cold/sunburn. Porter's skin is so white it is almost blue...I do not want him getting a burn.

However, I think a trim is a nice idea for airflow. And it allows your dog to press himself/herself against cold surfaces to cool off. Porter loves to lie in shower stalls, and on tile and wood floors. Since getting a trim, he has more skin contact with these surfaces. The flip side is the he also has had a few ingrown hairs on his bikini line where they did a close hygiene shave---poor guy.

I love the bear look, but my dog is black and it has been in the 90s in NJ for the past couple days, so there was no question about getting him trimmed.

[Jackie L'Heureux]

Is it really bad to leave them looking like a bear--do we have to shave them?

[nonnie browne]

Buddy is six months and I havent want to trim him because I love the look. However, the humidity and heat has arrived here and the poor thing is really panting a lot more inside and out, so I made an appointment for next week. He deserves to be more comfortable. My initial plan is to cut his hair down by half, which will still leave him with a coat of about two or so inches and he will still be fluffy. That was about the lenght of his coat when I got him.

[Jackie L'Heureux]

I am giving in next grooming--spencer goes once a month. I'll have him taken down to two inches or so and then let it start growing out for Fall--his undercoat should start coming in soon. He's 8 months and no sign yet. He may not be bothered in the heat--and he looks adorable--but I feel like a bad mother keeping his hair so long when it is so hot.

[2da7eiv7vjvht]

I was wandering the same thing, so I went the the groomer and was told that the puppy coat is not as dense as the adult one and they shuld not get too hot (of course I live in Calgary, Alberta and our summers are neither humid nor super hot). I do trim his eyes and brow myself every couple of weeks.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Here is aprevious discussion on this topic: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/australianlabradoodles/forum/topi...

[Debbie & Cotton Clegg]

Cotton is 18months and has very tight curls on her neck and loose on the rest of her body. We are keeping her about 1 in long for the summer. Even with that when it hit the triple digits this past weekend she was hot. Not even getting in the pool cooled her off, so a bath of cool well water was the ticket. That said, you may want to make you decision based on you climate. I sure gets hot here in the South. Oh, a lady in our training class suggested a close cut of the belly to help keep them cool, just a few strips with the clippers.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I keep my two doodles short in the summer because of the pool and them being wet a lot. I am pretty sure it is not necessary. We live in So CA and for forty years had Siberian Huskies. Lots and lots and lots of coat. They were always fine. Just provide shade, lots of water and a cool surface to lay on. Regardless of coat, be very careful of exercise in the heat as dogs cannot sweat and cool off only by panting and through the pads of their feet on a cool surface.