# cut short?



## ksmith08

hello

It's real hot summer here so we are sending our boy for grooming. Even with daily brushing he sheds a lot. so we thought of cutting his fur/coat very short. 

see attachment (photo credit - google) something like that. 

But im worried if he's gonna be uncomfortable after that. stupid question - but he won't be depressed or something like that right :surprise:? by loosing quite a lot of hair?

Please share your thoughts

Thanks
Kev


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## Maggie'sVoice

You know that will make him hotter, right? The coat insulates from the heat as much as it insulates from the cold. Not to mention once you cut down into the undercoat, the undercoat never grows back correctly. It gets more dense each time you cut. I've seen a few different Golden's that were shaved down a few times and they eventually had a hard time even getting a brush through the coat. It was almost as dense as Chow's coat by the time the dog was 8 years old. Shaving a Golden down like this is cruel in my opinion. Also, a "groomer" that would do this is uneducated in their own profession and one that shouldn't be grooming. Such a lame excuse for a groomer to just say well that is what the owner wanted and ruin a coat for a buck instead of just educating the owner or refusing the do it.

What you CAN do to help with them cooling is what they call shelling the dog. They shave down only the belly and inside the thigh or groin area but not the chest and rib area. What this does and when a dog lays on a cool surface, it cools the body fairly quickly. It's similar to running cold water on your wrists to cool off fast. There are veins close to the skin surface around the nipple areas which is why this works so well. That's what you do in warm climate areas to help them out, NEVER shave down a Golden

Generally excess shedding is from a couple things. 1 could be if he lays near a heat vent in the house and even if it's A/C the blowing air can dry the skin out a bit, dry skin promotes excess shedding. But the real issue other then just blowing the coat out to get a seasonal coat is food. The quality of the food will make a huge difference. Lower quality, grocery brand foods tend to shortcut costs like not enough Omega 3's and without a correct Omega 6 to 3 ratio (4:1 or 5:1), then you get a dry skin and therefore a bit of excess shedding.


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## gdgli

I think that if you do a little research you might make a different decision next time. Anyway make sure he gets plenty of water in hot weather and really cut down on exercise for him. Air conditioning and fans are also helpful.


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## Casco

We shaved one of our goldens when she got to be around 13-14 years old because her undercoat got incredibly thick (before shaving), it was impossible to get a brush through it, and it took her days to dry when she went in the water. Our attempts to brush her at that age made her miserable, even though she was very used to being groomed. Our vet suggested it because she was worried about skin infections. We live in North Carolina where it is extremely hot and humid during the summer and at the time lived on a 30 acre farm on a river. She seemed more comfy after shaving. I wouldn't do it unless necessary, though.


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## CAROLINA MOM

It is not recommended to shave a Golden down, their hair protects them from the Sun, dirt and debris in their coat. As mentioned above, shaving them actually damages the coat. 

Shaving a Golden down does not make them cooler, they sweat through their paws/feet, not through their skin. Shaving them down only exposes their skin to health risks such as skin cancer. 

Here is a previous thread you may want to read through-

https://www.goldenretrieverforum.co...roomer-just-shaved-my-old-golden-mistake.html

Here are two articles to read-

Should I shave or clip my Golden - Absolutely Golden

https://www.grrmf.org/learn/grooming-your-golden/

You can help keep your dog cool by having the AC on, running fans, providing lots of fresh water. There are cooling mats you can purchase for them to lay on. I've also seen cooling bandanas used. 

Limit their time outside when it's hot. During the summer months I only walk my guy early in the morning and later in the evening after the temps have cooled down. You also want to keep in mind that surfaces such as sidewalks, streets, sand on the beach, gets very very hot and can burn your dog's paws.

Hopefully you will change your mind about shaving your Golden down....


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## Emmdenn

We bought a cooling mat for our old too, (he is 15 this year) because he does get very hot and uncomfortable. He loves it, lays on it all the time in the summer and it really seems to help. We found ours on amazon.


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## Prism Goldens

Anney- k9design- dk if this works to tag you?
Anyway- she has quite a library of thoughts/photos on this topic, knows exactly which blade/comb to use, and have enough hair to not risk the sun.

I'd never shave one down. But I would cut down on a dog whose coat is troublesome to them or me. Anney's trim jobs look fabulous.


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## Maggie'sVoice

Casco said:


> We shaved one of our goldens when she got to be around 13-14 years old because her undercoat got incredibly thick (before shaving), it was impossible to get a brush through it, and it took her days to dry when she went in the water. Our attempts to brush her at that age made her miserable, even though she was very used to being groomed. Our vet suggested it because she was worried about skin infections. We live in North Carolina where it is extremely hot and humid during the summer and at the time lived on a 30 acre farm on a river. She seemed more comfy after shaving. I wouldn't do it unless necessary, though.


Well I think everyone here would agree that if for health reasons, shaving is a no brainier. Plus at that age, if it's that hard to brush, I would likely shave as well since it's not going to be a major issue with coat regrowth. Is not like you saturated shaving at 2 years old and did till the dog was 13.


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## Maggie'sVoice

Prism Goldens said:


> Anney- k9design- dk if this works to tag you?
> Anyway- she has quite a library of thoughts/photos on this topic, knows exactly which blade/comb to use, and have enough hair to not risk the sun.
> 
> I'd never shave one down. But I would cut down on a dog whose coat is troublesome to them or me. Anney's trim jobs look fabulous.


Yeah trimming down the coat for maintenance is the way to do it. The only issue is shaving down through the undercoat. The to coat is no issue in trimming/clipping to maintain the cost for looks and overall hygiene. Shaving/shelling the belly though is the single best think you can do to help them stay cool


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## puddles everywhere

Think of the undercoat as a sort of "wet suit" for you pup. It protects the skin, keeps them both warm in winter and cool in summer. 

I had a client that not only kept her golden shaved but also the lab, go figure! After a few years their golden began to look like a pomeranian. No more flowing coat but a sort of poof that made it really hard to keep up with.

My girl has a seriously abundant coat and purchased a rake for about $5. and it removes so much undercoat it's something you want to do outside! But I have also learned that a good doggie dryer will remove a ton of loose hair. Of course it doesn't eliminate all the shedding but you did purchase a long hair dog and sure you expected some shedding.


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## Goldens&Friesians

I am a professional groomer and I agree with everyone else-don't shave unless medically necessary! I doesn't matter how hot it is where you live, it won't help the dog. It ruins the coat, makes the dog hotter (especially since the undercoat will grow back faster than the topcoat-both coats are necessary for cooling the dog-so when his undercoat grows in and is an inch or two long with no topcoat growing back yet, the dog will be baking to death in his hair.), increases shedding, and exposes the dog to skin issues. It also lowers the dog's critical temperature, meaning if something tragic happens, the dog will go into shock sooner-not good! The best way to keep your dog cool in the heat is by brushing at least a couple times a week to remove the dead/loose undercoat. Use an undercoat rake to do this. A dog dryer is an investment, but it will also be a major help in removing undercoat. Shelling the coat, as mentioned above, is also a good option. I really don't even like to trim up a golden's coat as I have actually seen a couple whose coats never grew back right even though the undercoat was never trimmed. So typically the most trimming I would ever do on a golden is shortening up the feathering a bit (but only if the owner requests it-and its sole purpose is to make the coat lower maintenance-it won't do a thing to cool the dog) and thinning out some of the thick mane neutered goldens can get.


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## Brodys Rockies

Prior to moving to Crested Butte, CO, we lived for most of River's life in the deep south in Huntsville, AL. Trust me, during those dog days of summer, it was hot and very humid. I researched the topic thoroughly about trimming River's coat before giving him a summer trim. From my perspective, I think the operative word here is trim vs shave. For reasons already stated, I feel shaving isn't the way the go. The Google photo you shared shows a dog that IMHO is what I would call a shaved cut. 

When we would get River a summer trim, we had his feathers, underbelly, ears and the fur sticking up between his toes and along his paw pads neatly trimmed. We also thinned the fur around the base of his tail for hygiene purposes. I used a fur rake to keep his body coat thinned out routinely. When we had him groomed with a summer trim, this also included having his full body coat* thinned out a bit as well.* *We never had him shaved. *

As for how River felt afterward, he always seemed refreshed to have his summer trim...In the end, I think it's a personal decision we all have to make. There are multiple thoughts on this topic expressed by many with different opinions. BTW, River's coat and feathers always grew back as beautiful as ever... 

On a side note, regardless of having a summer trim or leaving your dog with a full coat year round, in hot climates, I agree with the comments regarding walks and outdoor activities during the hottest times of the day. Before we started giving River a summer trim, I remember taking him for a hike in Huntsville one late morning. By 10:00 AM it was already in the high 70's and humid out. We hiked up a place called Green Mountain that climbs from approximately 600' to 2,000' elevation. I had plenty of water for River, and there were several running streams to keep him hydrated and cool when he waded into the streams. Regardless, at one point on the way back down from the hike, River stopped and laid down in the shade on the trail. He was panting heavily and wouldn't budge. I let him lay there as long as he needed to cool down. Later I learned from our vet about heat strokes in dogs. :surprise:

Our vet educated me on the concept that while a dogs coat helps to protect them from the sun and heat, there is a point where their fur coat still doesn't keep them from getting too hot. The vet felt I came as close as I ever wanted to be is causing River to have a heat stroke...From then on, we never took walks or hikes unless it was early morning or dusk. I never had another issue with River overheating by making this simple change in our walk, hike and play schedules. Hope this helps!


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## ksmith08

thanks a lot for these detailed replies guys. After reading them i'm NOT gonna shave my boy. It's a big NO. I had a doubt that they will go into shock seems like it's true. 

I will just ask the groomer to shave his belly,paw area and thats all. im also planning on getting a doggy hair dryer and a cooling mat 

Once again, thank you all


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