From Bear to Buffalo

[Boogfinder]

After noticing how miserable looked in the heat, the DH took Boog to the groomer and had him shaved, along with our plushcoat GSD, Rex. We shave Rex every summer to help him stay cool. This is our first summer with Boog as he joined the family in October.

The DIL to be, who seems to know more about heavy-coated dogs than we do...said that was a "no-no" that his triplecoat was meant to pull heat away from the skin and that it is also his protection against insects, etc.

For the newf experts...can I get a weighin on this issue? He looks like a Buffalo now..with fur on his head and feet and tail....

It's too late to unshave him....but it will grow back.

Does anyone else who lives in the 90 degree weather of the South shave their heavy-coated dogs.

Boog is a mix, A Newfie mother and GSD father....

 

[KodysGrandma]

We live in NW FL and never shave. I comb out the undercoat religiously and cut down the amount of fur on the tummy. I'm sure some of the other NNs who live in FL and show can give you much better guidance.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

I too am a beliver in keeping the undercoat thinned out, but leaving the guard coat alone.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

This topic has been discussed many times here, so if you look in the archives, you can read a lot about it. But to sum it up...never shave. Their coat is designed to protect them from the sun and other elements and is there for a reason. It is ok, however, to trim him down a little and keep his coat neat and shorted. You should find a groomer that is familiar with trimming a newf. You can ask for a "puppy cut" that will leave the coat about 3" long.

 

[jane]

I would never shave my newf's. That outer coat actually protects them from the heat and cold. My Merlin prove's that by basking in the sun in this hot weather. I consider his coat the best out of all my newfs. It's thick and heavy. Roger's has thin hair, a lot of it, and it's very floofy. He get's hot very quickly in the heat. Shannon has an extremely thin coat with not much at all. She never lays in the sun, but will stay out in the heat.

 

[Angela]

You are right, it will grow back, but one of the best "tools" to invest in for Newfs and other double coated breeds is the Mars Coat King, that removes much of the undercoat and dead fur, making the dog more comfortable in hot weather.

 

[HeidiPeterson]

I just remove Ben's undercoat with the Mars Coat King. He does very well here. We do spend alot of time in the pool though!

 

[R Taft]

we live in 100-110 in summer.....We strip our dogs and do a belly shave, which you cannot see.
But we have had seniors who were shaved, which we call clipped. It is a kinda sad look, but they loved it. So it was good for their comfort. but I found that one of the dogs never had the same coat after his first clip and our Abbey was very rough in patches afterwards. I hope it all grows back soft. It might have been our dogs ages. Ronnie