It's so hot in the summer. Shaving?

E

eah51293

Forums Regular
We live in Houston, TX and this summer is sooo hot! It's like 98 degrees everyday plus humidity. My family says we should shave Bear, our sheltie, because they says he's too hot with all this hair. But i think that if we shave him it will ruin his fur and it'll never be the same. (He's about 2 and 1/2 years old, and hasn't gotten his silky hair yet.) And don't their fur keep them cool, too? I'm not sure. I'm not an expert on shelties.. and the breeder said never to shave him, but it's just SO hot in this weather! So what are you opinions?
thanks!
 
I would not shave him, the fur does insulate him from the heat too. What you should do is make sure he is kept cool, inside. Take him for walk in the early morning and evening, when it does cool down a bit. Keep plenty of water available for him. I have bought one of those cooling collars for my two - I don't live in the south mind you. I am sure some of the others here who live in the south, or other hot countries will be able to give you advice.
 
I take Ember for a walk in the morning or late in the evening. It gets very hot here.

People are ALWAYS telling me to shave her, but I've always heard it's best not too. I have heard that shaving just their bellies does help, but Ember has not got gotten all of her adult coat in yet.
 
Greetings from the Dallas area! There's no need to shave your pup. Like was stated before, keep him cool & give plenty of water. I keep a bowl of crushed ice for Max when he comes in from playing.
 
Bear's coat keeps him from getting a sunburn, so you'd be doing more harm than good to shave him. Let him keep his beautiful coat and just make sure he doesn't spend too much time outside in the heat.
 
My groomer used to just shave a part of my pup's belly. He seemed to like it as he would stretch out on the tile floor with his paws stretched out in front and behind him....skin to floor.

Never had any issue with it growing back with Timber. That being said, Bacca had his belly shaved quite substantially for his cryptoid neutering. It seems to be taking a long time to grow back in....but at just over 1 year, all his adult fur seems to be a long time coming.

I would never shave a dog more than that. Their fur serves as a natural insulator. However, no mammal can withstand sustained heat for any length of time. If its too hot for you, guaranteed its too hot for your pup. AC, fans, and lots of water.
 
keep the pup well-brushed. get the undercoat out- that will help with the summer meltdown. I did have Callie trimmed (not shaved) her first summer- couldn't tell if it helped or not. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30423587@N04/3368502521/in/set-72157607235907438/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30423587@N04/3368502653/in/set-72157607235907438/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30423587@N04/3369329008/in/set-72157607235907438/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30423587@N04/3369329152/in/set-72157607235907438/
She's been natural ever since and we just make sure to walk when it's cooler and she's inside most of the day in the AC. she likes AC :yes:
 
Everyone has given you good advice for dealing with the heat. If anything, I think I would just shave his belly to help him for the summer. Hope that helps!
 
I gets very hot here - but dry heat. I found the best strategy is to really, really brush the undercoat out so that air can circulate under the coat. My feeling was that there are just not enough really hot days to warrant the 6-9 months for the coat to grow back full length (a groomer cut Deska's mane once and thats how long it took to grow back to the same length).

But I think humidity can be a problem - esp if there is no breeze, so maybe someone from a humid climate can give you a better idea.
 
There was a recent thread here about how to cool your dog. We suffer from heat and humidity here all year round but I wouldn't dream of shaving off Romeo's coat! That is really the easy way out of all this and could do more damage than good. I'm sure the temperature drops some during the night - the coat keeps the dog warm. When I was studying overseas, my parents took my previous sheltie to a new groomer and the idiot shaved him down - they sent me pics and he looked like a whippet!!! They were horrified and said he shivered alot so they made like a coat for him. I wanted to box the groomer and sent him all my negative thoughts from miles away!!

Airconditioning, ice, fans, shade and a marble floor help keep Romeo cool. I also constantly run my hands against the coat to lift the fur when we're outdoors. You could try placing an ice pack wrapped in a thick towel on the ground in a cool place that Bear can access easily and lie on top.
 
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