# Shaving my White German Shepard



## Drewesdr (May 18, 2013)

I have been thinking about shaving my dog for a little while now, any ideas on if its bad or good?

I live in the Florida Keys and it gets very hot down here. My dog spends most of her time laying on the cold tile floor in my house to keep cool. I have also found that the ticks down here flock to her coat. I am constantly picking them off of her. I use tick shampoo, advantix, tick collars, treated my yard. Nothing seems to work! Luckily the ticks don't seem to transfer anything to her, more of a disgusting annoyance.

I obviously don't have to mention the shedding, but it seems to get worse and worse!

Please help. I am out of ideas, but I don't want to make matters worse.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

It is not a good idea to shave a dog. The coat acts as insulation both from heat and cold.
http://www.webvet.com/index.php?q=2008/05/06/shaving-dogs-summer


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

"any ideas on if its bad or good?"

It's bad. Please look it up. The hair protects the dog's sensitive skin from the sun and provides shade and ventilation.
Ticks are part of life. We all have to live with them.
German Shedders SHED.
I am wondering if a GSD is the right dog for you if you aren't prepared to deal with all of the above.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Do you mean shave or trim? I have the groomers "shave" my senior plushy at the start of each summer. But it isn't a shave, really, it's a buzz with the clippers. Head and tail get a slight trim, but her body gets cut back from about 4" to about 3/4" long.

She seems so much more comfortable in the summer heat and prances proudly when she gets her annual "do!"

I better check the link! 


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Drewesdr said:


> I have been thinking about shaving my dog for a little while now, any ideas on if its bad or good?
> 
> I live in the Florida Keys and it gets very hot down here. My dog spends most of her time laying on the cold tile floor in my house to keep cool. I have also found that the ticks down here flock to her coat. I am constantly picking them off of her. I use tick shampoo, advantix, tick collars, treated my yard. Nothing seems to work! Luckily the ticks don't seem to transfer anything to her, more of a disgusting annoyance.
> 
> ...


Good article. I think I leave enough hair, and have some of the others reasons, like age and matting. And she's a long coat, where they are describing the stock (double) coat of the GSD.... Like Jack has 

OP, do you have a pic of your dog? I'm wondering whether the article describes your doc?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Here's an old thread about it:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/basic-care/135119-shaving.html


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## Drewesdr (May 18, 2013)

Thank you all for your insight, very helpful. I have had German Shepards my whole life, and expect the shedding, but have NEVER had the tick issue. I will keep reading up on it


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

I was told to never shave our shepherd in Florida! their fur keeps them cool. =)


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

Since you have had GSDs you know about shedding. The only thing that works for me is daily brushing ... which reminds me, time to get brushing.
Advantix II seems to work better than Frontline.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

Not much you can do about the tick issue other than spraying your yard with pesticides. Be thankful you have a white, though. You can see the ticks almost immediately whereas our colored brethren have a bit of a harder time.

You can also try flea/tick sprays.


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## aqueous18 (May 13, 2013)

I'm a professional dog groomer so I just wanted to add some insight. I never recommend shaving GSDs unless it is vet recommended. Previous posters are correct about it making them hotter. Imagine a bald guy, he gets sweaty and hot quicker because there's nothing on his head protecting his skin. Same thing with a GSD.

Also dogs can get sunburn especially a dog that isn't supposed to be clipped down short. A white GSD especially because they have more sensitive skin. As for the shedding, we all know its the undercoat that tends to kill. When you clip them down the first thing that grows back is the undercoat. Hello sheddy baldy dog. Also dogs with fur (not hair) are not designed to be clipped down. So sometimes I have seen dogs whose hair did not grow back at all. I've seen it grow back in patches, different colors, different textures.

Off my soap box I go lol


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## ugavet2012 (Apr 15, 2010)

I shave my long coated sables belly and in between back legs and a little of the butt floofies, down to the skin. She sure seems cooler, we did live in GA where last summer the heat index was well over 100 from June 1st to September something. We trained schutzhund and she definitely seemed more comfortable and it cut down on the shedding some. She sheds a ton constantly, even though I keep her coat healthy with good food and supplements and brush her almost every day. I get huge brush fulls out each time, not sure how she's not bald. Will never own a long coat again. I even tried the whole bathing and using a metro forced air dryer every 2 weeks since theres one at my clinic, and not really much of a difference, she just has that much hair. The hair being gone from her belly would also help to allow her to cool herself in a few inches of water, versus the water just getting on the outside of her coat and creating more insulation. Hair always comes back in normally, unfortunately 

The groomer I worked around in GA would shave down about 8-10 dogs a day in the summer, all different breeds. The owners said the dogs did better in the heat so I'm not sure how I feel about shaving:crazy::crazy:

The hair should grow back in normal as long as there is not an underlying metabolic condition. I shave spots to the skin for surgeries and hot spots on tons of different breeds for work and it always grows back on the normal dogs. So I'm talking 300 + animals in the last year. Only one I saw it didn't grow back in was a cat actually, not a dog.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

A dog has a coat for a reason, it does insulate for both hot and cold. HOWEVER, and a big however is for it to be comfortable for the dog and to do its jobs, you should be able to run a comb through the entire coat. If a comb can go through the coat without mats, snarls, etc then it is not going to insulate the dog for heat and cold. More like a person wearing a dirty matted fur coat 24/7.
I do many dogs daily and most folks seem to think if they brush the outside top layer of the coat, the coat is fine. When they bring the dogs in and we say" um, the dog is pelted to the skin, the mats are at skin level and can't be brushed out" they will say" but we brush the dog all the time". Yea, the top layer.. We get dogs that have stickers, pieces of barb wire, are so matted they can't separate their hind legs, their ears are matted to their necks. This is a daily thing and yes, we do recommend shaving them. A matted, dirty coat will not insulate at all, it will give the dog major skin issues plus keep them hot and nasty.


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## aqueous18 (May 13, 2013)

ugavet2012 said:


> The hair should grow back in normal as long as there is not an underlying metabolic condition. I shave spots to the skin for surgeries and hot spots on tons of different breeds for work and it always grows back on the normal dogs. So I'm talking 300 + animals in the last year. Only one I saw it didn't grow back in was a cat actually, not a dog.


I've seen many dogs whose hair did not grow back. Young healthy dogs included. It's definitely not as common as the hair growing back a different texture, usually coarse. It loses its soft top layer and can grow back as undercoat only. Shaving a small spot on the leg for surgery versus the whole dog is completely different ball game.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

We should have a sticky somewhere: "Do not shave your German Shepherd."


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## aqueous18 (May 13, 2013)

^^ Agreed!


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## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

ugavet2012 said:


> The hair should grow back in normal as long as there is not an underlying metabolic condition. I shave spots to the skin for surgeries and hot spots on tons of different breeds for work and it always grows back on the normal dogs. So I'm talking 300 + animals in the last year. Only one I saw it didn't grow back in was a cat actually, not a dog.


Funny, I've shaved more than a few huskies or malamutes or shepherds for surgery and had the hair grow back thin or patchy or lacking proper guard hair thickness or undercoat.



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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

I think that people who are bothered with hair and prefer a shaved dog should own a breed that has short hair, rather than a German Shepherd. It is really sad to see gorgeous longhairs shaved or clipped. Some people would be proud to have a beautiful dog. I would love to have one.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

ugavet2012 said:


> I shave my long coated sables belly and in between back legs and a little of the butt floofies, down to the skin.


This is what I recommend for people who want to shave their coated GSDs.



> The groomer I worked around in GA would shave down about 8-10 dogs a day in the summer, all different breeds. The owners said the dogs did better in the heat so I'm not sure how I feel about shaving:crazy::crazy:
> 
> The hair should grow back in normal as long as there is not an underlying metabolic condition. I shave spots to the skin for surgeries and hot spots on tons of different breeds for work and it always grows back on the normal dogs. So I'm talking 300 + animals in the last year. Only one I saw it didn't grow back in was a cat actually, not a dog.


I clip down a LOT of dogs for the summer, and yes, the hair grows back in 99.5% of cases, and no, clipping the hair does not make them hotter. I don't shave them bald. On dogs with white or light colored coats, I like to leave at least an inch of hair. Dark pigmented dogs can go shorter. As long as the owner uses common sense and provides shade, shelter, and water for their dog, he will not be any more prone to heat than a dog with a thick, heavy coat. Look at desert-dwelling wildlife. They do not carry long, thick, heavy coats to protect them from the heat--they have short, close-lying coats. I'm not saying you SHOULD clip your longcoated dog, and truth be told, I don't know if I'd have the heart to clip a GSD. However, every single time I've done a summer clip on a longhaired dog, the owner reports that the dog seems more comfortable, more lively, and happier.

As to the hair growing back--in a few cases with elderly dogs or dogs with thyroid or other health issues, the guard coat grows back extremely slowly, or grows back patchy, with thin spots. When this happens, I recommend NOT to clip the dog again, but to keep the dog on a regular bath/brush/conditioning regimen to stimulate proper hair growth. It may take a year or more for the coat to return, and in extreme cases it does not regrow at all in certain spots. But if you have a healthy dog on a good diet, the risk of this happening is quite small. I've been grooming for over 20 years, and right now I can only think of three dogs whose hair refused to grow after being clipped. All three were dogs in their teen years.

Having said all that, I still wouldn't want to clip down a GSD. I do recommend the underside shave on longcoats, in fact I just did three of them the other day. Clipped from armpits to belly to groin, trimmed leg feathering and butt floofies. Done properly, you can't even see the missing hair unless the dog rolls over on his back.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

I had a groomer shave a foster (in spite of me telling her not to, just to cut out mats and clip to even out). It was a blondish dog and he looked like a giant rat after the shave, horrible. His skin was so fine and sensitive, he could not go out into the sun for quite a while. I would never do it to the dog.


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

I think everyone has covered the shave or not to shave question so I will leave that alone.

I recently lost my Kingster, he was my 13 1/2 year old white. And with him leaving us one thing did become apparent that I often suspected. He shedded as much as 3 of my sables..... 

An undercoat rake helps, and with adding virgin unpressed coconut oil to their diet I seem to have less shedding.

Does Frontline Plus help with the ticks?

Where about in they keys do you live? I spend many a year in the lower keys mostly Cudjoe/Big Pine area.


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

Just saw in your profile it is Cudjoe key! I lived at MM 21.5 across the street from Coco's Cantina which I'm sure hasn't been there for a decade or two. LOL


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## ugavet2012 (Apr 15, 2010)

Freestep said:


> This is what I recommend for people who want to shave their coated GSDs.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree with every single thing in this post. I will say it again that my experience with shaving hair on many different breeds (huskies included and I see a fair amount of them) is that it always grows back in normal unless there is an underlying untreated condition, which as a groomer, you (a general you) may not know of. Any time I have taken my dogs for grooming I have never been asked a whole medical history. Just pointing this out. Not saying anyone else's experience is wrong or anything like that, just that I do see all these double coated breeds and such, and you can't assume as a groomer (or anyone really) that if a dogs hair doesn't grow back normal it isn't due to a medical problem if not tested and proven otherwise. Im sure it happens, but much more rare than people make it out to be. I will continue to shave my GSD like I have 5-6 times already. 
And yes I knew GSD were shedders before I got one, however, my long coat is way worse than of the 50+ other GSD I have been around, and my fiancé is allergic to her, not so much dogs in general, but mainly her. It's all well and good to say you would just love to have a long coat because they are so beautiful, and mine is for sure, but it gets really old having tons of hair in every single piece of food I eat, even freakin take out, I just open the lid and hair immediately flies into it, I swear. There's constantly hair all over my kitchen counters and stove, even though I clean them multiple times daily, hair all over my toilets and bathroom sinks, all over my dressers, always flying through the air. We pulled the bottom grill piece off our fridge to change the water filter after not living in this house even 2 months and there was so much GSD hair stuffed in there it filled 2 pillow case size bags packed full. My Malinois have much darker undercoat than her too so I know it was almost entirely hers. I can't even cook or bake food for anyone else because I'm so embarrassed it always has so much hair in it! I vacuum every day or every other day most of the time and it makes a little difference. :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:


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## Muneraven (Sep 4, 2012)

I used to have dust mice in the corners and under the furniture. Now I have dust YAKS. Big, coarse, hairy beasties lurking everywhere. 

They kill vaccuum cleaners. 

They make brooms cower in closets.

Dust yaks. They showed up right around the time I got a GSD . . .


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I know someone that had their GSD shaved all the time. It is not something I would ever do. Some dogs have a natural look that shouldn't be altered..my golden is one of them. They don't shave him, just trim him. My female GSD doesn't shed at all..the new male sheds enough for both of them Fur everywhere all the time, I have never vacuumed so much in my life. The dog now gets vacuumed to otherwise he'll try eating his fur, but that is another story


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I'm not sure how many people advising you, or the links they provide, are written by someone who has actual experience living with a shaved GSD. I also wonder how many of the links provided aren't repeating rhetoric with the author having no first hand knowledge of the subject.

Over the years I've shaved more than one WGSD for various reasons. In the summer you have to be MEGA CAREFUL the first few days until the coat starts to grow back in to avoid sunburn. To be honest my dogs seemed more comfortable during the summer heat when they went outside, they didn't seem to get as hot (the Hooligans always have adequate shade and water whenever they're outdoors). 

If you shave one in the winter you also have to be MEGA CAREFUL!!! You have to provide warm winter coats/sweaters for them and depending on your indoor temperature, you may also have to provide something lighter to wear around the house plus an extra blanket or two on their beds.

To tell the truth, I honestly wouldn't advise having one shave one except for serious medical reasons. Fortunately with better medications on the market these days, I haven't had a serious problem that has required shaving a dog, but would do so in a heartbreak if I had to.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

ugavet2012 said:


> I agree with every single thing in this post. I will say it again that my experience with shaving hair on many different breeds (huskies included and I see a fair amount of them) is that it always grows back in normal unless there is an underlying untreated condition, which as a groomer, you (a general you) may not know of. Any time I have taken my dogs for grooming I have never been asked a whole medical history. Just pointing this out. Not saying anyone else's experience is wrong or anything like that, just that I do see all these double coated breeds and such, and you can't assume as a groomer (or anyone really) that if a dogs hair doesn't grow back normal it isn't due to a medical problem if not tested and proven otherwise. Im sure it happens, but much more rare than people make it out to be. I will continue to shave my GSD like I have 5-6 times already.
> And yes I knew GSD were shedders before I got one, however, my long coat is way worse than of the 50+ other GSD I have been around, and my fiancé is allergic to her, not so much dogs in general, but mainly her. It's all well and good to say you would just love to have a long coat because they are so beautiful, and mine is for sure, but it gets really old having tons of hair in every single piece of food I eat, even freakin take out, I just open the lid and hair immediately flies into it, I swear. There's constantly hair all over my kitchen counters and stove, even though I clean them multiple times daily, hair all over my toilets and bathroom sinks, all over my dressers, always flying through the air. We pulled the bottom grill piece off our fridge to change the water filter after not living in this house even 2 months and there was so much GSD hair stuffed in there it filled 2 pillow case size bags packed full. My Malinois have much darker undercoat than her too so I know it was almost entirely hers. I can't even cook or bake food for anyone else because I'm so embarrassed it always has so much hair in it! I vacuum every day or every other day most of the time and it makes a little difference. :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:


 
Not to hijack the original thread, but have you tried a good quality pet HEPA Filter for your HVAC system? Our German Shedder and our Collie who passed away last year could leave amazingly sized Dust Puppies and a nice layer of dander/dust on everything...add in the three cats and a bird and I was dying with my allergies during a heavy shedding period. We changed our air filters to the Filtrete Maximum Allergy Reduction filters and it's been a lifesaver.


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## ugavet2012 (Apr 15, 2010)

Shaolin said:


> Not to hijack the original thread, but have you tried a good quality pet HEPA Filter for your HVAC system? Our German Shedder and our Collie who passed away last year could leave amazingly sized Dust Puppies and a nice layer of dander/dust on everything...add in the three cats and a bird and I was dying with my allergies during a heavy shedding period. We changed our air filters to the Filtrete Maximum Allergy Reduction filters and it's been a lifesaver.



Yes, and have several nice (expensive) new air purifiers in each part of the house......but it was a good thought.


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

Would anyone be able to post a picture of a coatie with a shaved belly??


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## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

I found this picture on google of a malute. Seems like it would be well hidden and hardly noticeable










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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Mooch said:


> Would anyone be able to post a picture of a coatie with a shaved belly??


Not exactly a shaved belly, but here are pics of my senior coatie from last June and this past March...

BTW: Mattie was originally shaved like this when she first came to me in rescue. She was so grossly matted, leg attached to body, etc., and tick infested that it was unavoidable. That was October of 2011. Not knowing to question the practice, when the West Texas heat set in last June, I let the groomer "shave" her again. The photo is low quality, but I think it's clear she still had hair. It was a trim. Like a poodle thing, I guess. 

I was preparing to take her in for another haircut any day now. The deep east Texas heat is even more humid and unbearable than West Texas was...BUT, as a result of this discussion, I am reconsidering.

JUNE 2012:









MARCH 2013:


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

This, OTOH, is how I make sure my stock (double-coated) GSD stays cool and comfortable. Best $9.88 I have ever spent on a "dog toy"


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I should have taken photos after I did the three coaties with shaved undersides. With the dog standing, you can't even see the shaved part.

I agree that most of what is said against shaving double-coats is rhetoric and theory. Until I see a published, peer-reviewed, replicated scientific study that proves clippering a double-coat will cause health problems or problems dealing with the heat, I will continue to clip pets down short if my clients request it.

Having said that, I have a client with an older coatie who usually gets her shaved every summer, and I advised against shaving this year. The dog is elderly, and while her coat is very thick, the guard hairs are becoming more sparse as she ages and I feared that her coat may not grow back properly at this point if shaved. So I simply did the underside shave, trimmed up her leg feathers and butt floofies, and combed out a TON of undercoat. I didn't take a photo of this latest grooming, but here she is a few months ago. As you can see, despite being shaved during the summer, her coat has grown back to its full glory.


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## GSD5150 (Apr 16, 2013)

As a professional dog groomer, NO. For starters its a fair skinned dog. If you must shave anything ask the groomer to shave the belly. Ot is very damaging to the coat and the harsh sun rays aren't good for the skin. Dogs cam get skin cancer just as easy as us humans. You would have to put daily sun screen on your dog if you did shave. I always talk clients out of shaving double coated dogs. Especially Labs, GSDs, Chihuahuas, Beagles and the list goes on. Buy your dog a kiddie pool to lay in or play with. The only time I would do a shave on a dog like this is if it's a senior dog or the vet recommends if there was a skin issue or some sort. 

Daily brushing to keep undercoat to a minimum is my prescription. If your dog has lots of undercoat packed in then it's skin cannot breathe. 

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## ugavet2012 (Apr 15, 2010)

My coatie with shaved underside looks exactly the same as with not shaved. No one notices it unless she jumps up.


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## Drewesdr (May 18, 2013)

You have all been helpful. The shedding is something i have down pat, but the ticks!!! They are everywhere now! i have been putting advantix on twice a month and nothing is happening! i pull anywhere from 10-30 off her daily. I see them climbing my walls. I treat my yard, put a collar on her, spray the house. I dont know what to do, and i feel so bad for my sweet girl. That is why i want to shave her. I really hope someone has a better plan. Betty to answer your question, I live down Spanish Main and work at the Looe Key Tiki bar. Cocos is still there and for sale. 


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

You may want to try some natural solutions for ticks.

Many of us are having success with Springtime bug-off garlic [I actually have a thread going on that]

I spray nematodes in my yard and those nematodes LOVE heat as long as it stays moist and eat all other kinds of nasty bugs (I spent my teen years on the space coast..bugs...ewwww...(but SC is not much better) . Beneficial nematodes control soil dwelling garden and lawn pests

Diatomaceous earth (food grade-this same place sells it) is so safe you can feed it to the dog, put in her coat, put it around your baseboards...the main thing is it is a fine dust so you just want to take precautions not to inhale.

I fell INTO these solutions after we got into a frontline resistant flea inestation. You can't use chemical insecticides on the yard with the nematodes but, wow, they are amazing!

I have done a belly shave before. A deep brushing is good and the Metro Commander hair blower really blows out undercoat. I have found that if I can put out as much of the loose undercoat as possible it really helps with the heat.


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## tyhall2000 (Dec 28, 2016)

*Giving german shepards a body clip*

i live in texas where the summer heat gets above 100 degrees would it be ok to give a body clip, not like a buzz but a little trim


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