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Full-Body Shave in the Winter

Good grooming practices are essential for maintaining health and happiness for you and your dog. This is a forum to exchange tips and advice for proper care of your dog's hygiene needs.

  
Maxwell Smart

The dog park toy- thief!		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 13, '11 9:43pm PST 
Does anyone here have their dog shaved in the winter as well? I tried letting Max's coat grow in from about September up until now, but he is really finicky about brushing. He doesn't mind his back and head being brushed, but he hates his stomach and legs being brushed, and he was starting to get some mats there, so we had him shaved today. I think he is mad at us, LOL! I have some sweaters, but I am still worried that he won't be warm enough, even though I see shaved dogs at the dog park all the time. What are the benefits to shaving in the winter as opposed to the summer?
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Haunter

Ch. BIS- Wandering Spirit- Vom Wildweg CGC		 
 
Barked: Mon Feb 14, '11 4:51am PST 
There aren't many benefits. Less work for the owner, that's about it.

I try to tell my clients who want their dogs long in the winter but don't want to/know how to brush to start growing out in december, that way the dog has hair through the coldest months of jan/feb/ and usually by march we are ready to clip down again.
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Samoa- SunnyBear- Bell

Happy Boy!
 
 
Barked: Mon Feb 14, '11 6:49am PST 
I probably started Samoa growing his coat in Sept. (Aussie Mix with Aussie coat.)

He has happily spent the winter running into burr patches and other grooming disasters. And now he and his sister Savvy are already starting to shed. I gave him a trim the other day and he looks like a new dog.

So, I think maintaining a shorter coat can be good in some cases...but not sure about a full shaving.

Of course, it depends on the dog, owner, climate and living conditions...
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Stella

Teacup- chupacabra		 
 
Barked: Mon Feb 14, '11 5:07pm PST 
There are PLENTY of dogs who get #7 strips all through the winter, mostly because the owners cannot or will not do any maintenance at home. If your dog gets matted on the belly/pits/groin only, you could always ask your groomer to 'shell out' those areas and leave the top layers longer, we have plenty of clients who ask for this and if the groomer is careful you can't even tell the whole underside of the dog is nekkid when you are done.
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Zoey

Better than I- was		 
 
Barked: Tue Feb 15, '11 7:57am PST 
My dog has hair, not fur. Hair in the winter doesn't keep her warm, she has a variety of jackets. I keep her cut as close as possible, as she always gets gunk in her face hair (food and water) and she has 'cotton candy' hair on her belly which grows and clumps.
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Jewel, PCD

8.6lbs of fury- in a bow!		 
 
Barked: Tue Feb 15, '11 9:10am PST 
The last real cut Jewel had was August and now she has such a coat on her that she won't wear one of her jackets unless the windchill is in the -40s. She'll spend the whole walk trying to shake the jacket off if it's any warmer. laugh out loud She goes every 7 weeks for a bath and to get her face, feet, pits and sani areas trimmed. I love love love her with a long coat. cloud 9 I love grooming her, petting her, putting in topknots so much so that I told my groomer I was going to cry when we have to cut her in the summer. laugh out loud
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Miss Lola- Luftnagle

Solid Gold- Dancer		 
 
Barked: Tue Feb 15, '11 10:20am PST 
Yes, we do alot of full body shaves in the winter, # 7 with tight feet is very popular. I live in NW Indiana, and we got hit with about 20" of snow a few weeks back. It is now melting, which to my mind = a hot mess LOL
If the owners won't take/or the dogs fights, comb outs, go short. A matted dog can't regulate his body temp properly. I myself cut down my standard poodle yesterday. Makes my life easier! smile
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Maxwell Smart

The dog park toy- thief!		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 16, '11 8:31pm PST 
Max is a mixed breed and I don't know 100% what he is...so how can I tell if he has fur or hair?
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Jewel, PCD

8.6lbs of fury- in a bow!		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 18, '11 7:55am PST 
Hair is generally the dogs that are thought of as "non-shedding" like poodles, shih-tzu etc.
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Jade- Alexandria

Dont mess with- me, I'm- chihuahua!		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 20, '11 11:20am PST 
Hair and fur are the same thing. All dogs have fur. But we give them a haircut. Doesnt matted if the dog sheds or not. Its the same thing. So saying my dog has hair, not fur, is a contradiction.
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