# Lion cut



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

That must have been a sight to see. Take your camera next time. :


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I always told my groomers that they would be fired if they ever sent a Golden out in that clip!!!

It's actually quite popular with the lazy transient boaters...:doh:

L


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## cinnamonteal (May 16, 2008)

Hehehe! I just did a google image search for "lion cut". I've never seen so many pissed off kitties in my life!


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Oaklys Dad said:


> That must have been a sight to see. Take your camera next time. :


I'll try. I don't work there on a normal basis as of yesterday since I will be starting my internship for the summer. I will only work on an "as-needed" basis until the Fall.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I found this picture on the web of a golden with a lion cut. That poor dog.


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## GoToLeep (Oct 21, 2008)

WHY in the world??


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

OH MY GOD that is awful!!!


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## BearValley (Nov 30, 2008)

That just ain't right. 

Their coat actually _insulates_ them from the heat (heard it from a vet just today) and keeps them from looking like @$$. LOL


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

IMO, it's just plain LAZY. Get a Golden - plan on brushing, bathing, and drying. The excuse is always "Oh, he gets too hot"... BS. He gets HOTTER when shaved down and his skin is exposed to the sun. That double coat was put there for a reason. It insulates and protects.
Drives me nuts when people do this.:doh:


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## JBAMM (Oct 2, 2008)

If a groomer did that to my dog, I'd bite him myself. :yuck:


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## Alohaimee (Feb 15, 2009)

Yikes! That just doesn't sit right. I can't get rid of the image now. It has been burned into my memory forever. Why the heck would anyone think THAT is cute?? It's scary!


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

You're right PG, reasoning was too keep the dog cooler.


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## bizzy (Mar 30, 2007)

As a groomer I have been asked to do it many times. Often it is because of lazy owners who think it will stop them shedding or they will be "cooler". I do my best to educate them other wise but not everyone wants to hear it. So don't assume that the groomer just dicided to shave the dog becase they felt like it but most likely the owners asked for it. 

I guess it just bugged me tonight that everyone jumps on the groomer. Yes there are some groomer who have done some bad none breed correct cuts on goldens. But don't just assume when you see a shave golden that it was the groomers fault. We get asked to do it and we have a choice of making our customer happy or making them mad and refusing to do what THEY want bucause we think its stupid. I fully agree in most circomstances shaving a golden looks dumb.


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## ReleaseTheHounds (Feb 12, 2009)

Beleive it or not, did you guys know that Osama Bin Laden used to be a groomer? That's a true story look it up.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Oh my god that is awful!!!


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## rictic (Feb 16, 2009)

ya know what, nature and natural selection works for a reason. usually tried and tested over millennia.
yet us puny humans assume we know better than evolution too often really.

if any dog was meant to look like a lion it would be a big cat.
goes for poodles and yorkies and all the stupid cuts that people do to their "loved pets"

do they think the dog gives a rats a$$ if it looks like a lion?
no it dont, but it does when it feels like crap cos it is hot, wet, itchy............(insert as needed)

dogs were given a certain coat for a reason and protection. same reason we have hairs, although our reasons are mostly redundant now, but dogs need theirs.

human vanity not canine practicality dictates that these fools make a beautiful animal look like a dork.

a statement on the owners in my mind.


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## acquila (Dec 24, 2008)

I thought it would be cool if someone gave a chow mix a lion cut, cause then they would have the round ears like a lion, cane you imagine seeing a small lion walking next to someone?


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## oktay (Feb 14, 2009)

There's a lady around here that has his golden shaved except for the end of the tail. She said they leave the tail because the end of the tail is fragile and needs to be protected.

A lot of people around here completely shave their goldens. They do it to get rid of the hair. I know they are supposed to shed more that way, yet they keep doing it. They must know better from experience.


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## bpatters69 (Apr 25, 2009)

To each their own.... but Why? I don't get it.


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## honeysmum (Dec 4, 2007)

Good grief I just saw that picture I am shocked,I have never seen a Lion cut before I don't think here in the UK there is such a thing.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

bizzy said:


> As a groomer I have been asked to do it many times. Often it is because of lazy owners who think it will stop them shedding or they will be "cooler". I do my best to educate them other wise but not everyone wants to hear it. So don't assume that the groomer just dicided to shave the dog becase they felt like it but most likely the owners asked for it.
> 
> I guess it just bugged me tonight that everyone jumps on the groomer. Yes there are some groomer who have done some bad none breed correct cuts on goldens. But don't just assume when you see a shave golden that it was the groomers fault. We get asked to do it and we have a choice of making our customer happy or making them mad and refusing to do what THEY want bucause we think its stupid. I fully agree in most circomstances shaving a golden looks dumb.


 
I agree that the groomer is not to be faulted, if the client has asked that it be done. When I managed the board/groom/train facility, as a rule, our regular clients did not shave their Goldens. I did what I could to educate them as to why they should not, and usually they accepted that and simply went with regular bath/brush outs, and maybe a "field trim". There were a couple who absolutely_ insisted_ on shaving their dogs, and of course, we did (I still told the groomers that they'd be fired for doing it ). Amazingly, 1 of them was a Labrador. Labs do shed a million times more than Goldens, but taking their coat off is every bit as ridiculous to me as shaving a Golden. A Shedding Blade and regular baths make living with them much easier.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

honeysmum said:


> Good grief I just saw that picture I am shocked,I have never seen a Lion cut before I don't think here in the UK there is such a thing.


 
Don't let anyone in the UK see it. If there are lazy people there, they might just jump on it.


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## RummysMum (Jan 9, 2009)

omg YUCK :no:


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## heartofgold (Oct 27, 2007)

I think the reason some people ask for a lion cut on their dogs is the same reason some people ask their barbers for a purple mohawk. IMO it's not because they are lazy at all, afterall they are taking their dog to a groomer. They are attention seekers plain and simple and it works. I mean, why not shave the dogs entire tail?


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

It could also be a cheaper, quicker way of getting rid of a matted coat. That would be the only acceptable reason I could think of for any breed, cat or dog.


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## Hiker (Mar 29, 2009)

Irresponsible and disrespectful. If I was the groomer I'd throw the guy, or the woman, out. You want a circus act, go get a monkey.


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## vrmueller (Jun 14, 2008)

That tail gave me such a good laugh this morning. I think Ruby would be so humiliated with that hair cut she wouldn't come out of the house.

Vicky, mom to Ruby-20 months


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I agree, Goldens should not be shaved. However, when we adopted Robbie (he was just about 12 months old) he was SOOOOO matted he could not be brushed out and cutting out each mat would have left him almost shaved anyway there were so many. So the groomer suggested shaving him. 

We discovered after his coat was off that his entire body was covered with sores we didn't know about. Shaving him helped his skin heal.

And he looked like a big puppy, so cute. Having said that, I will NEVER do it again, and I tell everyone who suggests doing it, not to.


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## sasha's mum (Nov 24, 2008)

omg that is so terrible, whoever made the decision, owner or groomer its the wrong one and looks terrible


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## grcharlie (Nov 10, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> IMO, it's just plain LAZY. Get a Golden - plan on brushing, bathing, and drying. The excuse is always "Oh, he gets too hot"... BS. He gets HOTTER when shaved down and his skin is exposed to the sun. That double coat was put there for a reason. It insulates and protects.
> Drives me nuts when people do this.:doh:


We had a few people around her that did that. Believe my I did not hold back and told them of why this should not be done. One did listen the other nope! That cut on a Golden drives me nuts!:yuck:


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## GRZ (Dec 4, 2008)

There's an adorable kitty that comes and visits my back door and she walks along the top of my back fence. Ziggy is always so excited to see her. She is one huge fluff of fur in the winter and she gets a lion cut every summer. It's adorable! Totally befitting and appropriate for this particular kitty. It's not stubble short but it sure takes away most of the fluff. She goes from looking like she's a big fat cat to a sleek little tigress. I really appreciate that her owner takes care of her (except the outside thing of course). I love it (on this particular kitty), but NO WAY would I EVER do this to my dog.


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## zippybossrock (Jan 12, 2008)

Poor thing....looks ridiculous!!!! But then again....I think the extreme poodle cuts are too!! (Sorry...hope I haven't offended any poodle people!!! )


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## Wilson's REAL Mom (Nov 10, 2006)

zippybossrock said:


> Poor thing....looks ridiculous!!!! But then again....I think the extreme poodle cuts are too!! (Sorry...hope I haven't offended any poodle people!!! )


My daughter and I were just joking that we could get our dogs lion cuts and our friends could do their standard poodle in one of those "my little pony" cuts, and we could take them all downtown and...

just kidding...just kidding...


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

C'mon, didn't anyone else see Born Free? It's the next best thing to being a zookeeper.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

mylissyk said:


> I agree, Goldens should not be shaved. However, when we adopted Robbie (he was just about 12 months old) he was SOOOOO matted he could not be brushed out and cutting out each mat would have left him almost shaved anyway there were so many. So the groomer suggested shaving him.
> 
> We discovered after his coat was off that his entire body was covered with sores we didn't know about. Shaving him helped his skin heal.
> 
> And he looked like a big puppy, so cute. Having said that, I will NEVER do it again, and I tell everyone who suggests doing it, not to.


 
In a situation like this, it is medically necessary. We had a few dogs come in that were so neglected that it had to be done - one I will NEVER forget. I knew immediately what was up - there is a particular odor that once you have smelled it you will NEVER forget - fly strike. This poor dog (a Golden mix) came in and was infested with maggots. We had to shave him down and in addition to the sores, he was literally mildewed. It was a nightmare. We also did a couple of Shih Tzu type dogs and the coat came of in essentially a single piece - like a jacket. The poor things were so relieved. All were rescues and their new owners were religious about having them groomed regularly after the initial shavings and kept their coats immaculately clean and beautifully brushed. I am sure those dogs thought they'd ended up in heaven.


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## jennyclerk2000 (Jan 28, 2010)

*Open Mind*

I can not believe how judgmental all of you are. My golden, Simba, named after the cub in the Lion King, which he resembles completely, happens to have his long locks in tact but my mothers, Simba's brother Bear, does not. She shaves him regularly and I don't see the harm. In fact, she called me today to help her shave him and I accepted. I was actually thinking of giving him the "lion cut", which is how I came across this blog in the first place, and not out of laziness because that cut is anything but. It takes a lot of work to complete that cut especially for the inexperienced like myself. I love lions and think they are one of the most interesting and beautiful creatures in this world that can not be domesticated. I think the lion cut is a cute cut to pass along to the Golden and in my opinion, they pull off quite well. The dogs in the pictures looked more cute than they did ridiculous. My only fear is messing up the cut.


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## pburchins (Mar 11, 2009)

I would never do it to my Golden because I think they are beautiful just the way they are. That is my opinion. I did laugh at the photos because they look like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz. The first photo I expected the golden to say "put em up, Put em up" But....If he had courage he would have bit the hand that groomed him.


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## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

jennyclerk2000 said:


> I love lions and think they are one of the most interesting and beautiful creatures in this world that can not be domesticated.


Thats nice. I like tigers but I don't intend to paint stripes on my dog.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Yup, we had a few people who insisted on getting their dogs shaved, hated doing it but other than telling them how bad it is for the dog, it's either do it or they'll go elsewhere to do it. But not the normal groom job for a golden for sure, they are not intended to be shaved down like a poodle! And yes, there were a few dogs that we really had no choice on because of neglect by the owner, one was a giant mix breed dog who had not been brushed or combed for two years.... poor dog! His kennel mate was a shepherd mix who had soooo much dead hair in her coat, I had to comb her out, then bath, then more combing - the comb would be full after a few inches there was so much dead hair almost matted into her too. No good things to say about those people!

Lana


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

jennyclerk2000 said:


> I love lions and think they are one of the most interesting and beautiful creatures in this world that can not be domesticated.


I agree, but what on earth does that have to do with grooming a golden? It's a natural "cut" for a lion, but it's far from natural for a golden. 

You think it's cute, I think it's ridiculous. I guess that makes me judgmental too. :gotme:


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I considered shaving my dog one summer because he has allergies and hot spots and the humidity was just making it worse.
My friend told me don't because the fur grows back twice as thick. Also he needs it for protection from the sun. So I didn't.
Instead when he gets a hot spot I just shave the area, so he looks kind of patchy sometimes.
Right now his tail fur is short at the base with a kind of long curtain on the end. 
The rest of him isn't too bad off because it's not really hotspot season right now.
At hunting season when he used to get all full of burdocks I used to just cut them out. I called it his "Frankenstein haircut" because he looked kind of patchy - one ear would be short and one long, etc.
But I could see the case for doing it if there is some medical necessity like some skin condition.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Here is Jasper with his lion cut. He had to be shaved because he had demodex and it's easier to get the medication to the spots if you shave them down. 









It broke my heart because his coat was finally coming in beautifully, just before we had to shave him.









Of course, he is a big old fluff butt now, so it didn't cause any long term damage. And you can see that sometimes people need to do it because of medical reason rather than laziness.


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## Hershey (Oct 31, 2009)

I know of someone that got their Labrador shaved


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Poor baby, I would never, ever get a golden of mine shaved again..Spice had a lion cut and I feelt so bad for her, thankfully it grew back nicely!


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## BearValley (Nov 30, 2008)

*THIS takes the cake...*

Just, like, OMG, or something. A lion AND giraffe cut? At the same time? On purpose?

FREEZE...PUT THE SPRAY PAINT DOWN AND BACK AWAY FROM THE, uh what IS that? Is that a dog?


.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

Jeepers... and I always felt sorry for Poodles. :no: That's just wrong.


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## Macretriever (Sep 9, 2009)

That same thing happened to BOTH of my goldens a week ago. Took them to our usual groomer for a bath and a trim and came back to find them both bald except their heads! See the thread "nightmare at the groomers"

Poor doggies!
D


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## Macretriever (Sep 9, 2009)

BeauShel said:


> I found this picture on the web of a golden with a lion cut. That poor dog.


 
OMG I thought my poor bald goldens looked silly, this is just embarassing!


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

Macretriever said:


> That same thing happened to BOTH of my goldens a week ago. Took them to our usual groomer for a bath and a trim and came back to find them both bald except their heads! See the thread "nightmare at the groomers"


that thread is going down in history on GRF -- told my DH about it & heard him telling someone about it, they'll tell someone else...... 

I can sorta understand (it's hard) shaving a goldie ---- but the tail! that fluff ball at the end...


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## Macretriever (Sep 9, 2009)

spruce said:


> that thread is going down in history on GRF -- told my DH about it & heard him telling someone about it, they'll tell someone else......
> 
> I can sorta understand (it's hard) shaving a goldie ---- but the tail! that fluff ball at the end...


 
LOL that's too funny. We've been having people up almost every day this week picking up puppies. Everyone of them has been speechless when they saw the parents...bald...lol. Darn it if we didn't try to get them all cleaned up and pretty before strangers came to see them and this is what happened  Oh well, the hair will grow back eventually!


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

Macretriever said:


> That same thing happened to BOTH of my goldens a week ago. Took them to our usual groomer for a bath and a trim and came back to find them both bald except their heads! See the thread "nightmare at the groomers"
> 
> Poor doggies!
> D


Ok... I agree that what happened to your dogs at the groomers was awful... but I'd honestly take even THAT over a "lion cut" any day. The lion cut is as bad as those poor dogs whose owners dye them all kinds of weird colors. It's just WRONG!


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