To cut, shave or leave?

[Inthedoghouse]

Hi, I did find something through a search about whether or not to shave your dog because of shedding... but I am wondering for a different reason.
My mixed breed dog has shiny medium length hair on her back, face etc. but at the back of her front legs and the back of her back legs, the fur hangs almost to the ground. We live near a lake and it takes AGES for her fur (two layers in some areas) to dry.
Last few days she had the runs and it was quite a job to clean it off the long hair.
So, last year we had her cut with electric razor at pet spa, not right to the skin, but short. Now I am reading that we should not do this.... so I do not know what to do.
I am thinking of just trying the scissors on her rear end and see how that goes...
Why is there such a vast difference, for and against, cutting dogs' hair?

[Longblades]

Trimming up long feathery skirts that get tangled and dirty is OK but can spoil the dog's look. Shaving is said to NOT be cooler and NOT reduce shedding. My neighbour shaves his GR and says it is so both and insists there is less hair in the house. Shaving is said to increase heating by removing protective insulation and to ruin coat, that comes back in thick and matted, and impair the guard coat. Certainly another neighbour's shaved GR is a messy mass of thick tangled undercoat and they haven't shaved her now in years.

[Etown_Chick]

I think it depends on teh dog and type of coat. Scruffy doesn't have any undercoat to speak of and his hair is more like human hair than dog hair. Much finer.
The vet said to shave him once a year, adn I do. No issues whatsoever. They use the longest setting possible on the trimmer.
Even in winter I keep his feet and bum trimmed.

[Inthedoghouse]

Thanks for feedback
It's so confusing to read both sides of issue on Internet
I am taking the middle road and have her hair cut but not shaved to skin
Am hoping to put on a picture I took a year or so ago - shows what a mess she gets into this time of year, wet, in the garden etc.
I'll send an after shot too......I used to know how to put up pic, will have to reread instructions....

[Inthedoghouse]

again, not worried about shedding, just keeping her clean

sorry, i realize pic is too big but dont have time to change right now.... think it explains the situation tho

[Longblades]

LOL, what a shot.

My neighbour breeds Golden Retrievers. I took the terribly matted one I found to her to be scanned for a chip. The GR breeder was lamenting the state of the dog's coat, it really was terrible and it smelled awful. Why get a breed like a GR if you are not going to look after the coat?

The other neighbour, who shaves his GR till one day I thought it was a Lab, says his GR is a rescue dog. If a shaved coat is what it takes to have someone take a rescue dog then I find it hard to argue. Though maybe he could have chosen a different rescue dog.

Several other neighbours with GR, yeah there are lots of them here, won't let the dogs run in 1,000s of acres we have here for off leash, won't let them swim, won't let them run near mud. Because they don't want to have to clean and groom afterwards. We are lucky to live in a place where dogs can enjoy a pretty good doggy life but these owners deny it to their dogs. If they didn't want to groom why did they get GR? Why not a relatively easy care coat like my Lab? Maybe if these people shaved or at least trimmed the glorious coats on these dogs the dogs would be allowed some doggy freedoms? Then they wouldn't look like nice GR but what's more important? Hard to judge.

[Inthedoghouse]

..... my husband and I spent almost thirty years together during which time we weighted the pros and cons of a dog (both working all day etc.)...anyway, when I was 66 I decided that yes we would get a dog, but had to be a puppy!
We went to a local pet rescue "farm" and, to be quite honest, I wasn't coming home without a puppy!
We had decided on: small dog, short hair, stright tail, etc. etc.
Well, there were five pups there and going fast - so I scooped up Lucy and said: this is the one we want. Unfortunately, my heart ruled my head - they knew who the mother was and the mother had mated with her son from previous year! I had no idea what the coat would be like - they said she would be 46 lbs (is now 53) and I keps saying, yes, yes, that's OK......

Lucy would love to be outside all day long but although we live on a lake, no fences and there is a City By-law saying has to have leash, even in yard...
so we wait til most neighoburs are gone and let her out in OUR yard.... there is a dog next door she plays with

It's just that I can brush her, bath here, etc., and within five minutes she is back like this ! I honestly don't have the strength nor ambition to do what I did when a pup and put her into the tub and hose her down... and it takes
ages for her two types of fur to dry. No good in our winters in Northern Ontario - cant put her back outside in minus 30 with a wet coat.

Anyway, we love her and I do what I can.... last two summers we had her coat trimmed short and it helped a lot; now the new groomer says its not a good idea (due to sun etc. etc., as we have read).

So I just had wondered what the folks here thought. As I say, I think I will go for longer on her back and shorter on the rear end for the summer.

Yes that is such a funny photo - I'd like to put it in a contest, but havent seen one looking for "muddy bums" ..... LOL

[Etown_Chick]

doghouse
Have you considered having her bum and 'pants' trimmed and leave the rest of her fur?

[Inthedoghouse]

For better or worse, the day before my neighbour took her for a walk and my dog went in the water and then rolled around in the dirt; it made the decision for me. I had her "shaved" but not to skin, of course. The groomer is extra special and it took 2.5 hours. Because of her many mixed breeds, her coat was long in some places, short in others, curly in some, undercoat in some areas, not others...... it was a hard decision, but one I can live with as we love her to pieces... but want her to enjoy the water and still want to keep our garden. I think at at 68 it's a big late in life to have a younger dog that is so active, but didn't think about the future when we got her and no way we would part with her now. I do agree that it is best if you can leave the dogs' coats' "as is" but sometimes we have to choose second best. Thanks for everyone's input. J.

[Inthedoghouse]

before and after.... for better or worse, let's hope better
will make sure she is not out in sun too long this summer

[Dee-O-Gee]

She looks beautiful ITG!

We had a GR for 14 years and when she started getting hot spots near her bum/tail, it was recommended that we groom her down. It was very drastic but in all the years and summer months, she was much more comfortable. By October, all her feathers came back and her coat was beautiful.

To her 13th year, we had her groomed where she looked like a Yellow Lab and the hot spots never returned. She also felt young and spunky after every groom!!

Just my and own personal experience.

She sure does look beautiful and hope everything works out with the results.

[Etown_Chick]

Oh she is gorgeous short! I know some people are against grooming, but I can tell mine loves the shorter coat in teh summer. His is about the same length.
Thanks for the pics. She is a beauty.

[marko]

Seems okay to me - and what a cute dooger - Nice grroooming!

[FrenchiePaul]

I really like the short cut. And that scarf is great!