How NOT to groom a Sheltie

We got the "puppy cut" a number of times for Fasb - usually in the summer. There were a couple misfires when it came back shorter than I wanted, but nothing like the pic in the first post. Never enough to worry too much about sunburn.

The groomer we used the last several years of Fasb's life was adamantly opposed to cutting undercoat at all. For the summer, we took him once a month approx and she clipped down the outercoat some, and trimmed up the problem areas - mostly the butt and legs. She also did take the undercoat down to almost nothing on the stomache so he was more comfortable laying. It looked longer than I wanted in 90 degree heat, but he had zero problems the last several summers (it also helped he was an indoor dog and we were nuking the AC so the lower floors of the house stayed really chilly). Last summer, he slept upstairs with us almost every night. We have a large multi-story house that gets too hot upstairs in the summer (needs duct work added). The first couple years - even with the puppy cut - Fasb slept downstairs most of summer and upstairs with us fall - spring.

Anyone know where the dog in the first post lives or why they'd do that?
 
I feel blessed we've always had groomers that understood the concept of an undercoat.

Bailey and Katy have been bathed and trimmed since we've had them, but never had anyone attempt a "traditional" dog cut. Having had dogs with a single coat that were kept with really short hairs as a child, a long haired dog was a new experience for me and I read lots about it before getting a sheltie. Everything said not to tamper with the undercoat.

I can tell when we are getting close to a grooming because neither of the dogs likes long hair on their legs or around their pads. As it gets closer to time, they do start to shows signs of irritation with it and always seem happier when the hair is groomed to a more reasonable length. The groomer also does a sanitary trim in the back and that was a HUGE help for Katy when we first got her because she had issues before her first grooming.

I have to think this was medical because some of the legs are shaved, others aren't. I can't imagine you'd do this to an animal with an undercoat unless the situation was mandated.
 
Back
Top