# Is this true about shaving a GSD?



## WolfsOwner (Jan 16, 2015)

I don't plan on shaving Wolf, but someone told me that you should NEVER shave a GSD. They explained that it messes with them psychologically and that they heard this from their vet. I live in a place where summers are 95 degrees+ so when my friend (who has GSD's) asked the vet about shaving them she found out.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

> you should NEVER shave a GSD


Correct



> They explained that it messes with them psychologically


:rofl: As in they need therapy to overcome the loss of their hair?

The double coat protects them from the heat as well as the cold. And you'll ruin their coat by shaving it. Mentally, they'll be just fine.


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## WolfsOwner (Jan 16, 2015)

HAHA! I thought it sounded insane but she said it with such conviction!


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## WolfsOwner (Jan 16, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> Correct
> 
> 
> :rofl: As in they need therapy to overcome the loss of their hair?
> ...


 YES! Like, they will feel embarrassed and less than


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Tell your friend to think that one through a little more. :rofl:


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Not so much the psychology but there coat protects them from heat and cold.


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## WolfsOwner (Jan 16, 2015)

I'm really hoping that she misunderstood the vet, or else we have wack job vets walking around!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Maybe they are animal communicators that were able to know how messed up the dog was because his physical image was now skewed for life. I know it's really rough when I get a bad hair cut.


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

I'm sorry, but I don't agree with not shaving a GSD. I have always shaved mine every summer and have done so for many, many years, and it never messes up their coats. Their coats are temporary anyway, so how can shaving off the hair damage something that will be shed out and replaced? 

I see no way a heavy coat can "protect" a dog from heat. It makes no sense to me. My dogs are immediately more comfortable without all that hair. They stop panting all the time and they sleep a lot better at night. 

I know that people will say that the undercoat insulates from the heat. But I disagree. It helps keep their body heat in, not protect them from heat from outside. I know it's not a popular opinion, but my experience says that the dogs are a lot more tolerant of the summer weather when shaved, and much happier.

As for any psychological problems, if my vet had said that to me, I would be looking for another vet.


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## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

Last summer, our groomer gave Shane, our 13 yr. old black GSD, a "lion's cut", shaved close on body but head and tail kept fluffy. 

He is still growing it out, bless his heart.


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

I shave mine at the beginning of the summer, or late spring, when they are already blowing their coats. I've never had a problem with it growing back in plenty of time for winter. I guess it could depend on when you clip them. Honestly, it seems to start growing back the minute I'm done clipping them!


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Good friend of mine lost her Siberian Husky to heat stroke right after having him shaved. I will never forget and would not do it yo my double coated dogs unless it was medically required ie. Surgery etc.


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## Cobe914 (Sep 29, 2014)

In many of the hotter countries, people actually wear MORE clothes to protect them from the sun. You don't rock a tank top for a walk through the desert. The same goes for a dog's coat.

Shaving a double coated dog is dangerous. The undercoat insulates and the top coat diffuses the sunlight. The sun doesn't stimulate melanin in a dog's skin like it does with ours, so leaving their skin exposed heavily increases their risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
The undercoat is plush and soft, where the top/guard coat is thick and course. The guard coat separates the undercoat and prevents excessive matting. The undercoat grows much faster then the guard coat, and when shaved it actually stimulates more growth and increases the shedding. The guard coat can rarely grow back in properly through the dense undercoat, and you're left with a permanently compromised coat. 

In addition, there are several skin and coat disorders triggered by shaving. Alopecia is one. When I worked in the grooming salon I got to witness and hear all about the "regrowth gone wrong" stories when a double coated dog had been shaved. I experienced it myself, to a degree. I used to take my Australian Shepherd to a groomer, and one time they cut too much into his coat on his rear end, eliminating the guard coat. It never grew back, and I had to brush his butt at least once a day to manage the matting, as it was all just undercoat.

Most grooming salons I know now will refuse to shave a healthy, double coated breed.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I have a mixed breed that I get lion cut in the summer. He is double coated, in fact he has a coat like if you took all the fluff and undercoat of a Chow and Malamute, and then added the long top coat of a rough Collie. He has so much hair he looks huge (he is taller than my GSDs) but really only weighs 61lbs. He is also black except for the bottom of his legs and parts of his face (Rottweiler markings). When he gets his lion shave, it is NOT to the skin. I would never recommend that, even with his darker skin you don't want sunburn or sun beating directly onto the skin. The lion shave does not damage his coat; it grows back just fine, just as thick, just as shiny and soft. Plenty of people have stopped me to ask me how I get such gorgeous coats, what do I feed, etc. The reason we started the lion shave is that this dog is prone to hotspots. His huge, thick coat traps too much moisture against his skin when we have a humid summer (we do not have well functioning AC, the main level of our home is often 80-90*, and we don't have AC at all at the cottage). He's an older, low energy dog and when he feels hot, he will often lie down on the concrete basement floor or the bathroom tiles. Unfortunately these places are also going to be more damp, so while it feels cooler and more comfortable it is not helping his hotspot problem. Since we started his summer lion cut, he hasn't had a single hotspot. He is very happy after his trim and it allows us to let him swim and wade in the water without having to spend 2 hours with the dog dryer. It's just a no-brainer. It has never caused any problems and only makes him a happier, more comfortable dog more likely to enjoy the outdoor stuff we do.

So, while I don't agree that shaving dogs is always wrong and will damage them forever (psychologically or physically), I have never shaved a GSD and would never do that. My GSDs coats are nothing compared to my mutt's coat, even though they too are double coated. The top coat is so much shorter and their undercoats far less dense. When it gets hot and humid here, they blow their coats, so their bodies compensate. The slick coat keeps the sun away from their skin and having a naturally thinner undercoat in the summer keeps them cooler and is faster for me to dry. They are infinitely easier to brush out than my mutt, very minimal grooming to keep a GSD happy and healthy!


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

> increases their risk of sunburn and skin cancer


 That's right. Many breeds who receive regular trimming and shaving receive it any time except the hot summer.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I groomed one of my GSDs to look like a Chinese Crested dog....my dog suffered such severe mental trauma she attacked anyone who had the smell of crab raccoon on them.


SuperG


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

Well I don't know about shaving sheps but the reverse is true for dogs with hair instead of fur!
My grandpa had a little dog that would get scruffy between grooms and when her hair was cut off she was a different dog! She was way more outgoing and bouncy after her trims! 
Sheps blow their undercoat in the spring so by summer all they have is the outer coat and it protects them from the sun and keeps them cooler!
We don't remove our insulation from our attics in the summer, do we??
Same with dogs, they need that protective fur!
We have never shaved our shepherds and would never do so but in the summer they need shade like any animal and also a fresh supply of water and they do just fine


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Skoobs...

I'm guessing you never had an intact bitch and/or one that went through whelping....


SuperG


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

Actually I have...


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Then you have seen what I am talking about. I believe they call it "telogen effluvium."


SuperG


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

My point is that there's no need to shave in the summer, because the wooly undercoat is gone by then!
Of course that's assuming you helped them lose their undercoat by brushing it at least 2-3x a week or even gone to a professional groomer to get it blown out!


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Hey....I just posted..."completely agree"..so if it shows twice...I apologize. I certainly have trimmed up my coats in the summer but it is a function more of drying quicker after swimming. Shaving a GSD is kind of ridiculous.....

SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Wait....they may lose their winter undercoat but I believe it is replaced during the shedding process....I might be incorrect...but most GSDs have an undercoat in the summer as well as the winter....mine certainly seems to.


SuperG


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

If they were supposed to be shaved they'd come with a razor... Sorry, just not a good idea IMHO.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I hate to be the wet blanket, but I've had my long coated GSDs clipped off and on over the years with no problems what so ever ... the only thing I had to watch was the first few days ... only allowed outdoors to go potty and then all the play time they wanted after dark. I've read many things by people who are against shaving the dogs, but they all admit they've never done so. Anyway, they did seem to be cooler after getting shaved down ... at least they didn't seem to pant as hard. But living in Florida I do not let any of my dogs stay outside during the hottest part of the day for long periods of time, even though I have lots of shade. They go out long enough to go potty, check the yard out, chase a squirrel or two, then come back in the house after half an hour or so.


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

I'm sure the summer undercoat is growing in while the other grows out?
While I've not done it, I've seen it done and IMO the dogs look like a caricature of themselves :-(


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

arycrest said:


> I hate to be the wet blanket, but I've had my long coated GSDs clipped off and on over the years with no problems what so ever ... the only thing I had to watch was the first few days ... only allowed outdoors to go potty and then all the play time they wanted after dark. I've read many things by people who are against shaving the dogs, but they all admit they've never done so. Anyway, they did seem to be cooler after getting shaved down ... at least they didn't seem to pant as hard. But living in Florida I do not let any of my dogs stay outside during the hottest part of the day for long periods of time, even though I have lots of shade. They go out long enough to go potty, check the yard out, chase a squirrel or two, then come back in the house after half an hour or so.


Florida to me a challenge for the GSD to live in. Well, for that matter, any dog. What I saw, when I lived there, with the heat and humidity in the coastal areas, dogs that were short hair and medium to small did ok if they were near the water or shade. Larger dogs, no so much. 

The agents at the real estate office I managed in the keys told their clients from out of the area this. "If you bring your dog from outside of a tropical climate to live here, you need to plan on having them indoors in air conditioning 6-8 hours during the day".

If they had dogs that had grown up in the area, or pups raised in the area - they were ok to be outside as long as they had plenty of shade and cool water.

If you want to know how a dog must feel to be shaved, try it yourself, you know how sensitive they are to even bring brushed, so shave yourself in a sensitive area and see how that works out. 

Not good. When those shaved hairs begin to grow out not good....


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

Stonevintage said:


> ...
> If you want to know how a dog must feel to be shaved, try it yourself, you know how sensitive they are to even bring brushed, so shave yourself in a sensitive area and see how that works out.
> 
> Not good. When those shaved hairs begin to grow out not good....


When I've had my dogs shaved for comfort, they were not shaved as close as they would be for a surgical procedure ... no discomfort, no sensitive areas, no problems growing out ... the hair was left maybe an inch or so long.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

arycrest said:


> When I've had my dogs shaved for comfort, they were not shaved as close as they would be for a surgical procedure ... no discomfort, no sensitive areas, no problems growing out ... the hair was left maybe an inch or so long.


That's good. I've seen dogs shaved down like a buzz cut from the 40's TV. When we lived there, we had a 130lb Rott . We shared the 5 acre grounds with another couple and it was their dog, though he pretty much lived with us. They were busy making big $$$ and their Rott was sick and infested with fleas. We called the mobile dog wash and the three of us got Max into the tub. She used an organic citrus wash.

That dog was like a 10 month old pup when he was out of the wash and free of the bugs. He raced around like a mad man. 

Sadly, when we were playing ball with him one morning, I recognized that little cough that indicates heartworms. I notified the owners, they took him to the vet and he had a heavy infestation. They treated him, he was doing find and just collapsed and died 36 hours later from an anesthesia build up in his brain stem. Horrible situation, sometimes I wonder if it wasn't my fault for noticing, he would have lived longer for sure....


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I shaved my Pom once and it ruined his coat, never again. I live in a year round warm climate and wouldn't dream of shaving my long coat GSD, not to mention the fact he'd look ridiculous.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I've been a groomer for over 35 years, and I've seen my share of ruined coats, caused by shaving. Maybe not the first few times the dog was shaved, but down the road. The worst offenders seem to be Poms and Shelties. One day the coat just started growing back in tufts, and in some places the coat never did come back. Seriously unattractive.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

SkoobyDoo said:


> My point is that there's no need to shave in the summer, because the wooly undercoat is gone by then!
> Of course that's assuming you helped them lose their undercoat by brushing it at least 2-3x a week or even gone to a professional groomer to get it blown out!


 They always have an undercoat. I don't know what heaven you live in but my dogs are brushed daily and shedding normally lasts 6 weeks or so. then I have about 2-3 months of sleek coats before the autumn blow out starts, and we grow our winter fuzzy faces.

Anyway, Sabi got too close to some wet caulking once and I had to cut a few chunks out of her fur. The ones on her head and neck eventually filled in. To the day she died the piece I cut out of her tail was visible. And that was cutting, not shaving.


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

All I meant was there is no need to shave for summer :shrug:


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

SkoobyDoo said:


> All I meant was there is no need to shave for summer :shrug:



Yeah, I know.....I was just being a pain ( agitator )....

But, I still am curious why you would shave your GSD ? 

Thanks for being a good sport.


SuperG


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

OH SuperG I was responding to Sabismom! Sorry! 

Personally I think shepherds look regal with their coats, well most coated dogs do look more regal with the coat full and luscious, so I never have shaved one :crazy:

There IS a lot of brushing involved though! We take our dogs to a professional groomer when they blow their coats!


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

SkoobyDoo said:


> All I meant was there is no need to shave for summer :shrug:


 I wasn't trying to be mean :laugh: just that you said brush 2-3 times a week and my dogs get brushed daily and still manage to coat me in hair for weeks.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

dogfaeries said:


> I've been a groomer for over 35 years, and I've seen my share of ruined coats,



I'm curious since you have seen a lot dogs in that 'light". When my current dog was introduced to a prong via trainer, I proceeded to remove some of her outer coat, around the neck area due to the prong training. I'm guessing choke collars might do the same. You see a few dogs like that?


SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

SkoobyDoo said:


> OH SuperG I was responding to Sabismom!



And to think I admitted to all that for nothing......

SuperG


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

SuperG said:


> I'm curious since you have seen a lot dogs in that 'light". When my current dog was introduced to a prong via trainer, I proceeded to remove some of her outer coat, around the neck area due to the prong training. I'm guessing choke collars might do the same. You see a few dogs like that?
> 
> 
> SuperG



Not really. I groom mostly little foo-foo-y dogs these days.


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## deldridge72 (Oct 25, 2011)

Been shaving my two coated girls every year without issue for 7/8 years-planning on doing one soon as she is absolutely miserable and the summer heat and humidity hasn't even started and she is always decidedly cooler and far more comfortable without her heavy coat.


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

Sabis mom said:


> I wasn't trying to be mean :laugh: just that you said brush 2-3 times a week and my dogs get brushed daily and still manage to coat me in hair for weeks.


I gave up years ago! I'm always wearing their fur plus my own hair :laugh:



SuperG said:


> And to think I admitted to all that for nothing......
> 
> SuperG


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

deldridge72 said:


> Been shaving my two coated girls every year without issue for 7/8 years-planning on doing one soon as she is absolutely miserable and the summer heat and humidity hasn't even started and she is always decidedly cooler and far more comfortable without her heavy coat.


I'm curious for those who shave, have you ever had a groomer remove the winter undercoat professionally, that is, have it blown out? Or do you just go straight for the shave?
Because they would be too hot if you don't get out the winter coat from the outer guard hairs.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I'm sorry but I'm really not understanding why the need to shave them. I had Siberian Huskies who carried coats throughout summer in different stages and never once considered shaving them. I groomed ALOT to get the old undercoat out. I can't imagine looking at Gus without fur, I'm sure I would cry.
Is it possible some see the fur and assume omg thus dog must be uncomfortably hot so the fur must go?
Or is this primarily a coated issue and part of why it's considered a fault?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Dogs will naturally put on coat or shed coat, depending on what is required for the climate in which they live.

I do not understand shaving dogs.

You don't see any wild canids being "shaved," do you?
If a fox or a wolf needed to lose that much coat for the summer, it would naturally go bald.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Mine get groomed during twice a year professionally. I've never shaved them or saw the need to. Coat changes happen with climate changes. The only thing that gets trimmed or taken down on my dogs is long hair around there behinds.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> Mine get groomed during twice a year professionally. I've never shaved them or saw the need to. Coat changes happen with climate changes. The only thing that gets trimmed or taken down on my dogs is long hair around there behinds.


This is what we do also. And since they are longcoated, their fuzzy feet and ears..


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

There are a lot of misconceptions with shaving double coated dogs...


1. Yes, their coat insulates them from the heat, IF it is properly brushed out. I have been a groomer for a long time and can guarantee you that not a lot of people brush their dogs out enough. In my opinion, if the owner doesn't want to brush the coat out, it is kinder to the dog to shave it off.

2. Shaving does not ruin the coats by itself. Sometimes an underlying thyroid or hormonal condition will cause patches to not grow back. Shaving does not change the actual coat but does interrupt the growth cycle, you have hairs in different stages of growth and cut them all off to the same length, it varies by the dog how long it takes the coat to recover, some dogs can take up to 2 years to grow their correct coat back.

3. I haven't seen this mentioned, but at work a lot of double coated dogs are shaved due to shedding. It does not stop shedding but they shed little tiny prickley hairs instead.

4. While dogs naturally have a winter coat and a summer coat, most dogs nowadays are indoor dogs which means exposure to heat and air conditioning which I believe messes a lot of dogs' shedding cycles up, so they need their coats to be better maintained and brushed more often.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I will probably get bashed for this....

If you bring a double coated breed of dog into your home, why wouldn't you be prepared to groom properly rather than shave them down?

I've owned double coated breeds for 25+ years and have always groomed them properly which has kept them in good condition and comfortable. All without ever shaving them.


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## Waldi (Jun 14, 2013)

WolfsOwner said:


> I don't plan on shaving Wolf, but someone told me that you should NEVER shave a GSD. They explained that it messes with them psychologically and that they heard this from their vet. I live in a place where summers are 95 degrees+ so when my friend (who has GSD's) asked the vet about shaving them she found out.


In general once should not shave dogs. They do not "ventilate" using their sking and only way to cool off is via mouth (hence rapid breathing). Dog coat helpt to isolate from elements both cold and warm and with seasonal chnages, they do adjust by shedding.


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## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

I shaved a large patch on berlin's rear end above his tail 6 months ago because of a hot spot. It still has not grown back properly - the undercoat is coming through very wirey. 

I don't think you should EVER shave a double coated breed unless you're prepared for a very long wait for a decent looking coat, if ever. As well the 2 coats do provide insulation against both heat and cold. 6 months later and his coat has not grown back - so if I had theoretically shaved him at the start of summer he wouldn't have a coat for winter???

Zeke had a much thicker undercoat than berlin so at the start of every summer we did pay a groomer to have his coat blown out - really the only way to truly and effectively get that undercoat out IMO. Best 75$ a yr we spent on him.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Tukes hot spot shaved area never fully returned this was from October 2013. At least the surrounding hair covers it. Rangers entire leg was shaved for a tplo and it took well over a year for it to fully return. I understand dogs are not being shaved that far down, but I would still be concerned about having the coat ready for winter.


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## SkoobyDoo (Oct 7, 2014)

Saphire said:


> I will probably get bashed for this....
> 
> If you bring a double coated breed of dog into your home, why wouldn't you be prepared to groom properly rather than shave them down?
> 
> I've owned double coated breeds for 25+ years and have always groomed them properly which has kept them in good condition and comfortable. All without ever shaving them.


Well I've been wondering the same thing!


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Saphire said:


> I will probably get bashed for this....
> 
> If you bring a double coated breed of dog into your home, why wouldn't you be prepared to groom properly rather than shave them down?
> 
> I've owned double coated breeds for 25+ years and have always groomed them properly which has kept them in good condition and comfortable. All without ever shaving them.


 I'm not going to bash you. I wondered the same thing. If you want a hairless dog, get one.
I can't imagine how stupid Bud would look with no hair. Short of some emergency, I will never have to see that.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Saphire said:


> I will probably get bashed for this....
> 
> If you bring a double coated breed of dog into your home, why wouldn't you be prepared to groom properly rather than shave them down?
> 
> I've owned double coated breeds for 25+ years and have always groomed them properly which has kept them in good condition and comfortable. All without ever shaving them.


I agree and was trying to find the right way to say the same thing.
Besides getting professionally done I have a furminator and a few other brushes in a station downstairs for them and I use the brushes alot!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> I agree and was trying to find the right way to say the same thing.
> Besides getting professionally done I have a furminator and a few other brushes in a station downstairs for them and I use the brushes alot!


It's all to much for me!:crazy:

I'm grabbing a brush right now and grooming my dog...KISS principle in action.


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