# Cutting GSD's hair



## TheWanderer (Feb 7, 2015)

Hey everyone!  so I've recently been debating on cutting Jaegers hair, or I guess shaving, something along those lines. It's 90 almost everyday where I am and he's miserable cooped up in the house but even more miserable when I take him outside. I've read some negative and some positive things about shaving a double coated dog. So what is the actual truth, do any of you have experience? I'm especially concerned because my bf and I would like to go camping in July at Palo Duro, it's a small version of the Grand Canyon and extremely hot mid day. We want to take Jaeger and obviously we'd go on hikes in the mornings and later in the afternoons, etc but I thinking shaving his coat might be beneficial especially when hiking. Thanks in advance. 

BTW he turned 6 months old 2 weeks ago, he's psychotic and thinks he's a tiny lap dog. Love him to death. :wub:


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

The undercoat protects them from heat and cold so shaving would just make him hotter and put him at a higher risk for heat stroke especially in AZ. Not to mention shaving can ruin their coats, I would not.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Definitely not.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Example: GSD's can tolerate the hot sun better than Italian Greyhounds as the GSD's coat insulates from the heat and cold. I have had both breeds at the same time at one point. DON"T SHAVE HIM. But keep him on a cool surface/room


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## TheWanderer (Feb 7, 2015)

So what do I do to keep him cool in the heat? Besides water


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## MacD (Feb 8, 2014)

You can purchase heat reflecting cloths to use on crates or even for shade. Fans that run off of batteries, safe for dogs, can also be purchased. Cooling vest for dogs as well are available. I haven't bought them but thought about it a few times. 

For me, it was a change in how I do things. In the heat of the day my dogs are in shade or inside. Lots of clean water and I make them popsicles out of bait water - chicken or beef boiled. They love to roll them around and when suitably dirty, eat them. 

I go out early in the day and late in the day once the sun has lost some of its heat - I take them for rides in my air conditioned car in the middle of the day - basically life is lived differently and planned out with the thought of keeping my dogs safe. It's worth the few things I had to give up. With planning and the right equipment very little has to be forfeited. 

Oh and I have a first aid manual and kit in the home and in the car even though I know most of it but fear the mind fart when something unexpected happens .. like the heat stroke my dog had last summer. 

People take their dogs camping and those who are more experienced will share their strategies I imagine. 

Hope you post lots of photos and strategies for camping with dogs in the heat.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Don't shave him, please!

Brush his coat often to rid him of excess dead undercoat and make sure he has plenty of water available to drink. 

Dog's can't sweat ( well maybe a bit from paws) so panting is sweating.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

don't shave and take away his protection from heat (and cold) -- and anyway if that is the pup you want to shave , I have to say , he does not have a lot of coat.

what causes dogs grief is that they are in a cool air conditioned house and then you pop them outside into the 90 degrees or what ever . The dog is never acclimated properly.

To keep dog cool , put his feet into a kids pool . Heat dissipates through feet, bridge of nose , inner leg where the veins are , and ears .


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

Please don't shave him. 

You can also look into cooling coats if you do need to be out the heat with him. I've heard good things about both the Chilly Buddy and the Saratoga coats. The aluminet shade cloths also work really well. 

Cooling Coats


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## Pioneer53 (May 5, 2006)

Yes you can, if you feel that is best decision for _your _dog. You are his caretaker and advocate.

The thermodynamics of coat, heat and humidity from an engineer and owner of an Old English Sheepdog, another breed with an undercoat. forum.oes.org ? View topic - Summer Heat Exposure and Bobtail Coats (the whole post is at the link)

_Quote_: "Now let's consider what happens when the surrounding temperature matches the dog's body temperature. At this point the dog cannot cool himself/herself by rejecting heat through the skin/coat, nor from "convective panting" as the air passing over the tongue is the same as the body temperature. The only cooling that can be accomplished is through the saliva evaporation described above. While this is becoming serious the evaporation of saliva removes a lot of heat and the dog can survive, albeit uncomfortably, for several hours without fatal distress as long as water is available to prevent dehydration. 

As the temperature continues to rise and exceeds the dog's body temperature things quickly become critical. Saliva evaporation due to panting is less effective in rejecting body heat and worse yet this is now accompanied by heat flow through the coat reversing. Heat from the environment is now flowing into the "relatively cooler" body of the dog causing it to rise above it's normal level. The coat's insulating properties are slowing how fast that heat flows into the dog but nevertheless the overall energy balance is that heat is flowing into the dog forcing it's body temperature up. 

The dog is now in a nasty, potentially fatal, escalating spiral; saliva evaporation is less effective - heat is flowing into the dog requiring more cooling - the dog has to pant more to cool but panting burns more fuel (food) which causes more internal heat driving the temperature up yet more - saliva evaporation is yet less effective...... As the surrounding temperature continues to rise there will come a point when the heat load entering the body exceeds that being rejected through panting-induced saliva evaporation and the dogs temperature then soars and can quickly become fatal."

Dogs and Heat Strokes | Cedar Breeze Holistic Pet Care Writer is Federally Certified for FEMA's Animals in Disaster program.

Should you shave dogs to keep them cool? _Quote:_"A Dog's Fur is Made to Protect the Dog from both Cold and Heat: TRUE. A dog's fur is made to insulate the dog from extreme temperatures, especially in heavy-coated breeds; however, that does not mean that shaving will not help keep your dog cool. If you live in a hot and humid climate and have a breed with a thick coat, it may be a good idea to shave them. The increased air flow across their back can cool them just as well (if not better) as the fur insulator, and they will feel much more comfortable without the extra fur.

Dogs Only Sweat through their Paws and by Panting: TRUE. Dogs do not sweat in the same way that humans do because the sweat would not normally be able to evaporate off of their skin through their fur. This DOES NOT, however, mean that shaving just the body of your dog will not help in their cooling off. As I mentioned before, the increased air blowing across their skin will help cool them and keep them comfortable."


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I would not shave the dog except perhaps for his belly. I lived in Wyoming for about 10 years and traveled to the coast often. In addition to crate fans and reflective sheets. What works in an arid climate is cooling matts and cooling collars. These get soaked in cold water for the start of the trip. They stay cool and keep the dog cool through evaporation. The cooling coats operate similarly but the coats can be very heavy when they are soaked (which they need to be to work.) Matts are heavy too but the dog lies on them rather than wearing them.

After one trip in July or August where the dog area at a rest stop in Southern Idaho was so hot that my dogs rocked back on their furry insulated butts to keep their back feet off the hot sand, I ruled out trips in July and August for trips through that area or any other that had similar conditions.

So beware that summer trips may have pavement that is too hot, sand that is too hot.

Regarding the quote posted by Pioneer - pay attention to the "hot humid climate" issue - you are talking dry desert conditions. Vastly different. (I've lived in both.)


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## davephx (Apr 21, 2012)

I am in Phoenix were it is often 110+ in the Summer.

Our GSD is outside all the time, just stays in the shade and doesn't seem to mind the heat. Has plenty of water and use a mister. Sometimes she lays in the mister spray but not to get too wet and sometimes she doesn't. 

I've brought her into the cool house a few times, let her roam around exploring but she winds up wanting to go back out in the heat! 

Mister used is cheap from many sources and Amazon: (rejects link since I don't have enough posts)


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

Thanks, Pioneer, for posting that.

I'm most definitely in the minority here.

All I can say is that I have clipped my dogs every summer for many, many years. I've had a lot of dogs, over more years than I care to count, and every single one of them has been very obviously more comfortable with a clipped coat. I've never had one dog have a single negative effect from being clipped. 

All I see is a positive result, so I have a hard time understanding why there is such an opposition to helping the dog feel better in a hot climate.

I don't clip them bald. No skin is exposed. They just have a much shorter coat, especially the long haired dogs.


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## Waldi (Jun 14, 2013)

One should never shave dogs, especially GS, as it was explained before, coat does function as insulator.


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## Pioneer53 (May 5, 2006)

You're welcome Pawsed, agreed, that is what we have seen. We first started this with a bitch that developed heat stress issues from her hypothyroidism. The difference it made for her quality of life was tremendous. And her coat grew back in full with no issues every fall, in time for winter... If a coat does not grow back in well, there are usually underlying adrenal or thyroid issues and bloodwork is indicated to check on this.

Thermodynamics are thermodynamics, the laws of evaporative cooling do not change, as noted in the linked post and articles. It's about the optimum physiological well-being and comfort of the individual dog, not tradition or fashion. Women used to wear bonnets, long skirts and sleeves and carry umbrellas in the summer as it was thought the sun was not good for women and their delicate skin, ha! And many fainted from the heat. What are you wearing outside in the heat today...?  Blanket statements of not clipping, just because, do not address the needs of an individual dog that reacts poorly to heat stress. 

Dogs are individuals and if prone to heat exhaustion, it does not matter if the heat index is calculated from just temperature or temperature & humidity, that individual dog will be at greater risk. Our holistic vet recommends clipping _any_ coated dog with heat regulating issues (heat exhaustion, hypothyroidism. etc.). And she indicates that dogs that have had an episode of heat exhaustion will be further prone to them, often at a lower temperature than the original episode. Doc clips several of her own shepherds and is very pleased with how they respond. It allows for the increase in the level of exercise tolerance and allows for faster (evaporative) cool down post exertion. YMMV, as always.

So to TheWanderer, clip your dog and see how he does. If his work, play and recovery issues improve, you have your answer. Time the last clip, if you continue to keep him clipped for the summers, in early to mid Fall, so he has time to grow his winter coat in. Find a good qualified groomer though and stay away from the Petsmart etc. groomers!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Good grief. 


No.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Just imagine how they look. Will they also leave his tail, ears and muzzle hair for the cuteness factor like they do in the doodles?
To the OP: if your dog is healthy, don't turn him into a poodle.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I'am not shaving my dog, it's embarrassing to us both.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

wolfy dog said:


> Just imagine how they look. Will they also leave his tail, ears and muzzle hair for the cuteness factor like they do in the doodles?
> To the OP: if your dog is healthy, don't turn him into a poodle.


Huh??? My groomer says this is a classic GSD cut...here's my GSD after she just got back from her 2 days ago. 

SuperG


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

SuperG said:


> wolfy dog said:
> 
> 
> > Just imagine how they look. Will they also leave his tail, ears and muzzle hair for the cuteness factor like they do in the doodles?
> ...


French Show Line?


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

dogma13 said:


> French Show Line?


OMG!! I am speechless!!


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

SuperG said:


> Huh??? My groomer says this is a classic GSD cut...here's my GSD after she just got back from her 2 days ago.
> 
> SuperG


 
OMG, you are such a clown
Where DID you get that pic. Can't stop smiling

OP. Listen to the NO people. Listen to Carmen, she IS a GSD guru (breeder) of 30+yrs (if I am correct, or close. Carmen can you correct if I am wrong)


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

dogma13 said:


> French Show Line?


 And Dogma, also too funny


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

TheWanderer said:


> Hey everyone!  so I've recently been debating on cutting Jaegers hair, or I guess shaving, something along those lines. It's 90 almost everyday where I am and he's miserable cooped up in the house but even more miserable when I take him outside. I've read some negative and some positive things about shaving a double coated dog. So what is the actual truth, do any of you have experience? I'm especially concerned because my bf and I would like to go camping in July at Palo Duro, it's a small version of the Grand Canyon and extremely hot mid day. We want to take Jaeger and obviously we'd go on hikes in the mornings and later in the afternoons, etc but I thinking shaving his coat might be beneficial especially when hiking. Thanks in advance.
> 
> BTW he turned 6 months old 2 weeks ago, he's psychotic and thinks he's a tiny lap dog. Love him to death. :wub:


Your dog doesn't have enough hair to matter if you shaved him. He is gorgeous like he is, why would you want to wreck the coat? Potentially forever?
Get him to a groomer and have them professionally bathe, brush and blow his coat out. You'll see a world of difference!
Use a good groomer, not a p-smart or p-co one...ask around! Make sure you specify they bathe, brush and blow - not clip!


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

GatorBytes said:


> OMG, you are such a clown
> Where DID you get that pic. Can't stop smiling



Google is amazing at times......


SuperG


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## januaryb (Dec 8, 2014)

I agree don't shave him. They are cooler with their coats than without. I had a lab with a small amount of chow in him and we used to shave his coat once a year to help with shedding and we though we were helping with the heat. After a few times of shaving his hair stopped growing back and it looked awful! Not sure if they cut him too short or if his hair follicles were damaged. It grew back very patchy. Long story short it took months to finally grow back in. I promised him I would never shave him again! He always looked so embarrassed when we shaved him too! Poor guy ?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

SuperG said:


> Google is amazing at times......
> 
> 
> SuperG



So you can see what an improved poodle looks like.


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## Zeusthegsd143 (Nov 24, 2014)

No no no no no.....


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## Lobo dog (Sep 19, 2014)

SuperG said:


> wolfy dog said:
> 
> 
> > Just imagine how they look. Will they also leave his tail, ears and muzzle hair for the cuteness factor like they do in the doodles?
> ...


I hate to break this to you....but your SHE is actually a HE. I am sorry your vet didn't inform you sooner...of coarse maybe before he got that wonderfully stylish trim, it was impossible to tell.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Lobo dog said:


> I hate to break this to you....but your SHE is actually a HE. I am sorry your vet didn't inform you sooner...of coarse maybe before he got that wonderfully stylish trim, it was impossible to tell.



WHOAAA !!!! The breeder told me my pup was a "she" ....well, just another reminder about the ethics of some members of the dog breeder community. I'm never buying from Caveat Emptor kennels again....great kennel name is the reason I went with them but I have no idea what the heck it means.

SuperG


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## WesS (Apr 10, 2015)

I always believed that the natural coat was an insulator and for gsds especially you don't shave.

To be honest I don't know the exact science or the exact reasoning.

I did however ask my groomer with a lot of courses/education and grooming dogs every day. She is very caring and not just in it for the 'easy cut' to get paid.

She says dogs get cuts often. Some owners want the dogs shaven and don't groom them properly etc. and want her to just shave.

She proceeded to say that clipping some breeds is always preferable and you should not shave. She in fact offered to cut a dog that was in terrible condition even though the owner wanted a shave. She charged no extra and sat for hours fixing and grooming a complete mess.

Long story short a 'cut' is better than a complete shave. 

Reason? A couple of important reasons I can't recall anymore.

A good groomer can help I believe (not that easy to find). I'm lucky to have such a great groomer.

Anyways just relaying what I heard. About dogs in general and not necessarily gsds.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

SuperG said:


> Lobo dog said:
> 
> 
> > I hate to break this to you....but your SHE is actually a HE. I am sorry your vet didn't inform you sooner...of coarse maybe before he got that wonderfully stylish trim, it was impossible to tell.
> ...


I've heard good things about PT Barnum kennels.He crosses french show lines with working lines.Supposedly the greatest dogs on earth!


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## Zeusthegsd143 (Nov 24, 2014)

If it's not for medical reasons done do it.


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