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Grooming/haircut?


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I have a bc/newfie cross with super long hair around her neck, backside and tail. I have an appt. to have her groomed/shaved this afternoon and I'm a little scared. Questions I have are- How long will it take to grow back? How much to take off? Will it help with ticks? Will it make her more comfortable with the summer heat? she isn't a big swimmer (likes her feet to touch) will the weight of less hair help with that? Is hse going to look like a dork- lol. Its going to cost about a $100 so good idea or not?

 

Thanks

 

BTW- I do use Bio Spot for the ticks.

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Well, I don't know if she will look like a dork, but Daisy looked like a boy dingo when I gave her a hair cut and her ears are prick ears, so they looked MASSIVE!! I think it takes quite a few months to grow back fully and I'm not really sure if it does help in the heat. The under coats are there to help insulate in winter and cool in summer....I think there are some people here who trim up belly hair in the summer, but not much more. I am also not sure if less hair will help with swimming, some like water, some don't. I don't cut Daisy's hair anymore because I found it doesn't help her keep any cooler, so it's a waste of time and money for me.

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Just try to communicate with your groomer a bunch and make sure you are on the same page for how you want the hair cut to come out. I know a few people who trim up their coat and then shave their tummy to help them cool down in the summer. You can inquire about that with your groomer though.

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I have a bc/newfie cross with super long hair around her neck, backside and tail. I have an appt. to have her groomed/shaved this afternoon and I'm a little scared. Questions I have are- How long will it take to grow back? How much to take off? Will it help with ticks? Will it make her more comfortable with the summer heat? she isn't a big swimmer (likes her feet to touch) will the weight of less hair help with that? Is hse going to look like a dork- lol. Its going to cost about a $100 so good idea or not?

 

Thanks

 

BTW- I do use Bio Spot for the ticks.

 

I have a very hairy BC and he just always looks hot to me. I refuse to clip him, he looks great. I use water in the summer and kiddie pools for the dogs and they have free access to water. One thing I do is try to get as much under hair out as I can. I have never found an easy way to do this ( if anyone has any suggestions ). I use a tool I bought that has several blades on it. You pull it through the dogs hair and it removes the under hair. It is not sharp against the dog and they love being groomed. They do not end up looking like a dork.

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I clip the belly of my GSD/Chow once at the beginning of the summer myself. Just use regular clippers with the smallest attachment possible. She has a really thick undercoat all over, so doing the belly helps keep her cooler. It has grown back fine each year - but it also doesn't have the guard hairs, etc the rest of her coat has. Some breeds/mixes don't grow back in the same I've heard.

 

I've also read about many sad outcomes from groomers here on these boards, so make sure you go to someone recommended to you and that you are VERY clear about what should and should not be cut and perhaps find out how they dry your dog, etc. OR learn to do it yourself. I do all my dogs grooming needs (clipping, trimming, bathing, blowdrying, nails), it's both cost effective and I can only blame myself for mistakes/ugliness. :rolleyes:

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I have Samantha, my 13 yr old girl, clipped at the beginning of every summer. It makes a huge difference for her. She used to pace and pant, even at night with a fan on her. With the clip, she flops down and falls asleep. Our other 2 bcs don't have the intense discomfort that Sam does. and they cool off pretty quickly. Her fur is full by the time winter rolls around.

 

At Persmart for 10 extra bucks you can stay with your dog during the grooming. That way, you're sure you're getting what you request, and the dog isn't kenneled at all. It took under 2 hrs.

 

I will always get Sam trimmed for the summer, it helps so much. Every dog is different. You might notice that it makes a difference for you girl, or not. For me, it was worth doing it the first time. If she hadn't been so much more comfy, I wouldn't have done it again, but the difference was dramatic.

 

Good luck!

 

Ruth n the BC3

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I have a very hairy BC and he just always looks hot to me. I refuse to clip him, he looks great. I use water in the summer and kiddie pools for the dogs and they have free access to water. One thing I do is try to get as much under hair out as I can. I have never found an easy way to do this ( if anyone has any suggestions ). I use a tool I bought that has several blades on it. You pull it through the dogs hair and it removes the under hair. It is not sharp against the dog and they love being groomed. They do not end up looking like a dork.

 

 

Use this!!!

The Furminator

 

it works wonders!. I use it on my BF's ridgeback/GSD and on my BC/aussie . they both hate to be brushed, but they both LOVE to be brushed with this brush because they feel so much better after .

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I was one of the people mentioned that had a TERRIBLE experience the first time (and only time) I have brought Cody to a groomer. It was this past February -- COLD weather. The groomer and I talked about just "freshening" him up, cutting away some long butt hair, "evening" his coat up a bit. I told them I definitely wanted to keep his coat long. It was just so uneven.

 

Three hours later I came back and he was COMPLETELY SHAVED except for a poof on the end of his tail. I didn't even recognize him. He looked like a short coated Lab. It was AWFUL. No more beautiful mane, no more gorgeous full tail. No more feathers on his legs. The groomer didn't even apologize. She said when she started cutting, it looked "choppy" so she shaved him.

 

We had agreed that she would call me on my cell phone if she was having any "issues" or problems with what we had discussed. She never called me. That made me even more upset. Had she called, I would have said STOP.

 

Ughh.

 

Four months later, his coat has grown in but we still have several more months before he looks like a gorgeous rough coat BC.

 

I wouldn't EVER EVER do that again.

 

I strongly suggest you pay the extra $$ to watch and be involved in the process with the first grooming.

 

Someone had suggested at the time I originally posted that you ask for a "show" cut meaning they keep the coat longer than just spotty or overall shaving.

 

Good luck!

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I finally got myself a set of clippers for Sophie as the $$$ started adding up for the grooming. I don't think she has the true rough bc coat and it's definitely not a smooth coat--probably somewhere in between (she's a BCx). Thank goodness she couldn't tell me what she thought of the AWFUL job I did. I didn't need to watch the instructional dvd, just jumped right in and boy, if looks could kill.......poor baby. No pain or injury inflicted, actually just a few uneven spots, but at 6 weeks she still has about another 4-6 to look more normal. However, it will still be several months before her emotional scars are healed!!! I only did it because she was ALWAYS hot and would even flip her outside water bowl so she could lie in the water--I just wanted her to be cooler. And honestly, she really is a different dog with less hair, so much more puppyesque. BUT I'll never completely shave again, and for summer I'll focus more on her belly.

 

By the way, NEVER use the trimmers on top of the head (even the highest setting)--it looks like she has one of those bald/skull caps on her head (think inverted mohawk!) :rolleyes:

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