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8mmFan
PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2021 7:29 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 203

Hello Everyone,
Been away for a little bit. Question: does anyone shave the hair on their longer-haired dogs in the summer? We’ve got a bit of a hot, humid spell here (Wisco), and my 8 month pups are visibly agitated by it a little. Hot; panting; taking a fair amount of time to cool down. Yes, they have continuous access to water.

Would shaving their long hair off in the summer help them? It seems to me that it would help a lot; but my wife is digging in her heels a little bit due to some lady at a dog park telling her that it would actually make them hotter. Sounds like nonsense to me, but I figured someone here would have a more informed opinion.

Thanks!

8mmFan
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Old colonel2
PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:17 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Jun 2020
Posts: 224

I have never shaved my setters. I do brush them more often in the summer as they are shedding.

Depending on how thick your dog’s coatis your situation maybe different than mine.

While I doubt shaving would make the dog hotter., the best course is to have your wife check with your vet for a tiebreaker opinion
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Gil S
PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:44 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 04 Mar 2008
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Location: Lowcountry Ga.

I normally would wait until October to trim my Britts for purposes of reducing cockspur and burr retention while hunting. However, this summer I had my dogs trimmed short. Not so much for their comfort as they are housedogs this time of the year, but to eliminate the tumbleweeds of shed hair which gets out of control. Abby doesn't shed, but Willa sheds enough to make another dog. Gil
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16'er
PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:03 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1393
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia

I use a furminator on my drahthaar during the summer to thin out her coat.
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flyline
PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2021 12:09 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Arizona

I've been shaving my setters for a few years in the summer, and think it does some good in keeping them cool on daily runs. In the fall, I shave them again, as burrs have really been a big problem that I like to avoid. I take them to the groomer, and tell them I want a "field cut". Most of the groomers know what I mean. Then they leave a little feathering on tail and legs to at least tell that they're still setters.....
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8mmFan
PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 203

Thanks, guys. Shedding hasn’t been a real problem with these guys for whatever reason. After hearing from you all, I’m leaning toward trimming the hair down. I’ll use the same clippers I use on my sons in the summer—hopefully the dogs won’t be any pickier about the haircuts than my boys are! Suffice it to say I never had any training as a barber.

Thanks again.

8mmFan
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Maggs
PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:06 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Posts: 29

The breeder that I bought my first setter from and my training friends to a summer cut.

They joke about their setters getting “pointered” in early June.
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AmericanMeet
PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:24 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3172
Location: NCWa

The hunting dogs that we have had were always GSPs so long hair wasn't an issue; however we have had a few husky types (Samoyed, Wolf Hybrid, Akita) and on occasion their fur got so matted that the only solution was a close trim on their chest/abdomen. While it corrected the problem and we were able to comb the hair out as it grew back, the dogs always acted embarrassed particularly when around other dogs. So my recommendation would be if the hair is cut, leave a few inches of length so the dog can maintain its dignity.
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:43 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

8mmFan,

I use field cuts on my Setter Dogs all year around, to help keep the dogs cleaner. We have owned Ryman Setters for generations now in fact Pine Creek Heston just returned from the groomer with his field cut this week, our Gordon Setters are a recent addition, about 15 years ago, field cuts on them also. Our Small Munsterlander dogs were just trimmed, never had to due much grooming with them, except showers.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
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Last edited by Pine Creek/Dave on Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Murdock
PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:38 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Dec 2016
Posts: 36
Location: Down East Maine

Just Googled this since it has been so hot almost everywhere for weeks, and my ESS puppy pants like crazy after we exercise.

My wife (a border collie afficionado) has always maintained that it's a bad idea to shave them in the summer. Turns out all of the search results support leaving their coats alone in the summer, other than brushing them to control shedding. It's primarily the undercoat that sheds, leaving the guard hairs to insulate them from heat and also (a surprise to me) protect from sunburn.

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nj gsp
PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:36 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 437
Location: WI

I clip mine, except the tail feathers. If they get into burdock a little Mane-ly long mane and tail detangler works wonders. It’s better than Cowboy Magic because it’s not as slippery.
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8mmFan
PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:51 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 203

Murdock,

I was wondering about the sunburn aspect of it, too. The skin under the hair has possibly never seen the sun, come to think of it.
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rjlance
PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 4:04 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 141
Location: Massachusetts

Don't trim them in the summer but always give them a good cut prior to hunting season. Feathering comes off and I trim them good around the ears. Makes a big difference in keeping burrs and prickers off of their body. Also make the post hunt brush down a lot easier on them and me.

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:22 pm  Reply with quote
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I shaved mine a few weeks ago. He's much cooler now.

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