Shaved dog!

[jmlv]

Saw the funiest dog today. The poor thing had been shaved by the gromers at petsmart down to almost his skin(sort of high and tight) the thing is he was an ALASKAN MALAMUTE! Even his owner was surprised! said he told them to trim him a bit for the summer and this is what they did! Poor dog look real funny and he seemed to know it.
I told the owner to keep himout of the sun for a couple of weeks at least to avoid a bad sunburn hope he does it.
So should you trim a newf for the summer? It can get up to and over 100* here sometimes would they be ok in the year for an hour and then in the airconditioned house the rest of the time? Does anybody trim their dogs down for the warmer weather(NOT shave just trip a bit) Just wondering.

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James L

 

[GAD]

I don't belive in ever shaving a dog or shortening their hair.

Keep them well brushed and keep that dead undercoat under control and they should be fine - ESPECIALLY if they are normally air conditioned. Newfs like Air conditioning.

GAD

 

[Lynne]

No, no, no, James!! Please don't shave your Newf! Their coat acts as protection from the sun and from bugs, as well as insulation, even from the heat. He'll drop most of his undercoat, so get a good rake and keep him well raked out. When you shave a Newf's double coat, the undercoat grows back much faster and thicker than before, so they're warmer than ever. It also grows back faster than the guard hairs, so they matt up much more quickly. And with some Newfs, it might take YEARS for that coat to come back in nicely, again!
The only ones I clip down are my ancient ones, usually 11 or 12 or more years old, and then it's only when grooming all their coat is just too stressful for the oldies. And I keep their hair short all year. In winter, they only go out for short periods to do their thing, and I scissor the coat down, rather than clipping it, so they have a bit more, for warmth.
Lynne

 

[CHsail]

The only trimming that I do is to the feet which is totally acceptable and since I don't show my 4yo female and she has been spayed and has a little bit different coat. I do tend to keep her trousers trimmed and her feathers on the front. It just helps to make it easer for me to keep her looking beautiful. Since she is in and out of the horse trough all the time it helps to decrease the amount of stuff that gets dragged into the house. I do mean trim. Not take them completely off!!

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Chuck (Charlotte)
Calypso, Hootie, & Koko
Newf angels Shasta & Haddie
Downers Grove, IL

 

[sarnewfie]

very respectfully i will say any newfs i own that are 9 years or older are clipped down with a #5 blade.
i have seen the comfort on the oldies and the coat grew back just as good as it was to begin with, i believe diet plays a big role in how coats grow back after being clipped, i also believe that this puts the "spring" back into the oldies steps they act like new puppies for weeks after having been clipped, but this is a no win subject, simply just as food and diet is. all personal choice and what works for you.
in the summer time the undercarriage is clipped on the no show dogs i own to keep the areas where major organs are located cooler.
i also am a big believer that samoyed and malamutes never be shaved becouse their coats are a bit different than our newfs coats.
i groom for a living, and i wont do samoyed that are matted to the skin, i dont want the responsibility of the ignorance of owners who only come in once a year and expect that mess "combed out" neither will i be the blame for having no choice but to shave it down, there are to many well cared for pets out there, so i choose my clients.
and i always make sure i have a phone number to call the day of the pets appt. so any questions i have or if the dog has fleas or what not i can prepare the owners.
it sometimes is a no win situation and sometimes you are dinged if you do and dinged if you dont.