I had my dog shaved- was this wrong?

It's just that you made it sound in your prior post that as a groomer you had shaved all kinds of double coated dogs and they had grown back fine. Now you are saying you have seen coats not come back.

None of the dogs I've shaved have had a coat grow back wrong. I've seen.... maybe 5 dogs? that had coats grow back crazy. Patton's coat is going to be fine. You feed him well, brush him regularly, and he looks like a pretty healthy dog. The risk for sunburn and heat stroke likely aren't increased, if his coat is still almost as long as a Lab (like a 1/2", or #4 blade?).

And where are the pictures of this haircut, anyways?

ORIGINAL: jennie_c_d

And where are the pictures of this haircut, anyways?

 
I'll try to post a couple tonight. I don't know if you'll really be able to tell in the pics. Remember when you were a kids and the boys got "wiffle" cuts? It's like that. I think he looks like an overgrown Chihuahua. It's slightly pathetic.

I just wanted to add my [sm=2cents.gif] and say that I have a Westie who DEFINITELY is more comfortable when we have him shaved, so I don't agree with the argument that it doesn't help cool them off.  Similar to what Mudpuppy cited regarding the Golden's behavior before and after being shaved, Tucker is the same...before grooming he pants constantly and heavily and is always seeking out an AC vent to lay on and forget cuddling - way too hot for that!  AFTER grooming, he is like a different dog - has so much more energy, the panting goes away almost completely, he likes to cuddle - there is not one doubt in my mind that he is 100% happier when he is shaved. 
 
As far as how his hair grows back, it is true--at least with Westies--that once you shave them, they will never have that coarse, long coat again and we have seen that with him.  However, what does come back is a thick, even, curly and soft coat - so though he looks different than a "natural" Westie, he still looks quite cute and is actually even softer than our unshaven Westie.  Our youngest Westie has not yet been shaved b/c she doesn't seem to experience the same discomfort, but if she ever does exhibit the same behavior, I would not hesitate to have her groomed as well.
 
I'd also like to add that we DO brush, comb, furminate, etc., etc.  I spend hours on brushing and combing my 3 dogs - with Tucker I would get a TON of hair from him and it didn't make any difference in his comfort level in the summer. 
 
I can also say that I don't have him shaved for selfish reasons (ie, shedding, etc) b/c compared to my long haired cat and my Golden Retriever, he's nothing!  I do it completely for him and his comfort - there is no advantage to me except for having a happier dog!  He is an indoor dog, but spends a fair amt of time outside and thankfully we've never had issues with overheating or sunburn.
 
Just wanted to add some add'l perspective...

ORIGINAL: WestieGirl

I just wanted to add my [sm=2cents.gif] and say that I have a Westie who DEFINITELY is more comfortable when we have him shaved, so I don't agree with the argument that it doesn't help cool them off.  Similar to what Mudpuppy cited regarding the Golden's behavior before and after being shaved, Tucker is the same...before grooming he pants constantly and heavily and is always seeking out an AC vent to lay on and forget cuddling - way too hot for that!  AFTER grooming, he is like a different dog - has so much more energy, the panting goes away almost completely, he likes to cuddle - there is not one doubt in my mind that he is 100% happier when he is shaved. 

As far as how his hair grows back, it is true--at least with Westies--that once you shave them, they will never have that coarse, long coat again and we have seen that with him.  However, what does come back is a thick, even, curly and soft coat - so though he looks different than a "natural" Westie, he still looks quite cute and is actually even softer than our unshaven Westie.  Our youngest Westie has not yet been shaved b/c she doesn't seem to experience the same discomfort, but if she ever does exhibit the same behavior, I would not hesitate to have her groomed as well.

I'd also like to add that we DO brush, comb, furminate, etc., etc.  I spend hours on brushing and combing my 3 dogs - with Tucker I would get a TON of hair from him and it didn't make any difference in his comfort level in the summer. 

I can also say that I don't have him shaved for selfish reasons (ie, shedding, etc) b/c compared to my long haired cat and my Golden Retriever, he's nothing!  I do it completely for him and his comfort - there is no advantage to me except for having a happier dog!  He is an indoor dog, but spends a fair amt of time outside and thankfully we've never had issues with overheating or sunburn.

Just wanted to add some add'l perspective...

 
Regarding shaving a Westie - I thought this was quite interesting.  If you're interested in keeping his coat to the show standard, shaving him is a big no-no...the AKC website is pretty clear about how important it is to have a hard outer coat on a Westie...but most of us are pet owners. 
 
[link>http://www.canadawestieclub.ca/maint/petgroom.html]http://www.canadawestieclub.ca/maint/petgroom.html[/link][/size]
Lots of people who have pet Westies like to hand strip them to keep their coats hard. However, it is often difficult to find a groomer who will do stripping, and stripping is much more expensive than clipping a Westie. Clipping your Westie has some advantages - it takes less time than hand-stripping, it doesn't irritate the dog (many Westies dislike being stripped) and it's easier to learn than stripping.
 
One consequence of clippering your Westie is that he will not have a hard coat, even if he naturally has a nice hard coat. The hard hairs are stimulated to grow by the process of stripping. If you don't strip, his coat will be much softer. This means that when you take him out in the weather, he will not be weatherproof - the hard hair keeps rain and damp from reaching the dog's skin. You have two choices. One is to be prepared to buy your dog a raincoat or towel-dry his back every time he's out in the rain, or the alternative is to do a Strip-n-Clip step as described in the procedures below.
 
Some people choose to use scissors on their Westies rather than clippers. This is a perfectly viable option, although it takes much more time and does not result in as smooth or as short a trim. It is, however, very different from clippers and requires a steady hand and wrist, or the Westie's coat ends up looking chopped. In the interest of keeping this article from becoming too long, I have not addressed this method of grooming Westies at all.
 
There is nothing wrong with stripping your pet, but there is also no reason why you should feel badly for clipping or scissoring your Westie. Don't let people give you a hard time about it not being traditional or appropriate. Some purists get quite heated on this subject! What is important is keeping your dog comfortable and clean and attractive.
 
 
Please note I said I believe double coated dogs "do not require" shaving.  I never said I thought shaving was "evil".  It is simply not necessary in the double coated breeds.  That is why God made them double-coated.  Their double coat works for the jobs they were bred to perform, and hence the coats should be kept unshaven so that they can perform their required function for those dogs. 

[I just get sick of these threads about how horrible it is to shave down a dog, and the vast misinformation that accompanies them./quote]
 
I agree. Please do your hot dog a favor in the summer and either spend a day raking out the undercoat (I'm not willing to do that, did it once and it took six hours), or a few minutes shaving the poor suffering beast. At the very least shave the dog's belly. 

I sincerely believe that it has to do with something OTHER than the haircut when dogs' coats don't grow back.

 
I suppose there can be a change in the texture of the coat if a dog is shaved regularly, but I tend to agree with you on this. It seems that all of the dogs I've seen that have been shaved to bare skin for surgery, eventually get their coats back. I did notice with a double coated dog that was shaved to skin, he was no more than fuzzy for quite a while and then it grew back very rapidly.

I suppose there can be a change in the texture of the coat if a dog is shaved regularly

 In the case with Schnauzers, regular clippings definitely change the texture of the coat, which is why show dogs are hand-stripped as described in the Westie post above.  Clipping removes the wiry outercoat and leaves the soft undercoat.  What I've noticed with my Schnauzers is that their outercoat continues to grow back after the first few clippings (as puppys), with less and less wiriness each time.  Eventually the wiry coat completely stops growing back and they are left with a permanent soft coat.  I've read stories on Schnauzer boards about people who have tried to bring back the outercoat on a previously clipped dog by hand-stripping them, but best I can remember, they didn't have a lot of success with it. [color=#000000]As for the heat....my dogs definitely are cooler after a groom.[/color]

I've been trying to find the photos of the shaved down patheticness that was a corgi I fostered- her undercoat just never grew back at all. She was very prone to sunburn and had been on one weird diet after another until they finally gave up diagnosing allergies and realized that this was permanant. She DID eventually get adopted, but was NOT an attractive dog. I have in my adoption contracts that people who adopt from me will NOT shave down double-coated dogs)

I just have to chime in and say that my sister gets her Pyr/Aussie mixed shaved regularly (we live in Southern California, so it's not a seasonal thing), and his coat still grows in exactly the same. Not at all patchy, it's totally even.
 
And he's DEFINITELY cooler when his hair is short. This poor dog panted CONSTANTLY, and was always hot and miserable until she started getting him shaved. He's much happier for it. Probably raking out his undercoat would have the same effect, but the fact is she's not going to do that. He's a very large dog and his fur is naturally 5-7 inches long, and she has a two year old son. There's just no chance of her spending hours brushing him.
 
I do worry about sunburn, because he's very light colored, and hello, California has a lot of sun, but he doesn't spend much time outside, their patio is mostly shaded, and he gets walked in the early morning or evening, so I don't think it's too bad.
 
Now..I also have to say that my aunt had a husky who one summer had lots of skin problems, and had to be shaved. She looked ridiculous, but her coat grew back perfectly fine. Never noticed a difference in texture or anything once it had grown back in.

I have in my adoption contracts that people who adopt from me will NOT shave down double-coated dogs)

 
Pwca, even for double coated breeds where clippering is the norm for pets? 

My dog plays out in sun all day digs wholes and lays right in the dirt, untill it gets dark and she comes inside and lays in my room under the A/C.

i thought about shaving her for summer too, but vet said not good idea. Plus she dosnt complain when laying in sun all day she has doggy door, to come in and out when ever she wants

ORIGINAL: jennie_c_d


And where are the pictures of this haircut, anyways?

 
Hey Jennie (and anyone else),
 
Here are a couple pics of Patton w/ his haircut. I don't think you can really tell in the pictures how short it is since he is so speckled.... but maybe you can.
 
 

The question to shave or not to shave your long coated dog has been debated for years. As a groomer I have shaved many dogs. I would rather not shave them, but I believe the only danger is overheating and sun burn. If you take precautions against these two things then I do not think it does any harm. I do not howeve think they are cooler shaved. If they can been in doors most of the time during hot weather they should do fine, if they must be outside then shade is a must shaved or not. Most of the people I shave dogs for do it because they want less undercoat blowing in theie houses.They would do better to invest in a good brush and comb and maybe a furminator.

Wow, he's pretty!  I think he looks quite handsome shaved!  Is he a GSD/ACD mix?  What a cool coat pattern! 

Sorry, I have nothing substantial to add to the debate.  I know nothing about grooming, but thanks to this thread I made sure to go out and get an "undercoat rake" for Chopper (I had all these other brushes, but not one specifically for that).

Lori (Willowchow) had Willow shaved down pretty short last year, it DEFINITELY helped Willow in the heat!

She grew back just as good as before and looked just as much the Chow we know and love!

It's less about their LOOKS as it is about the dog's COMFORT, eh?