Should OES Be Shaved For The Summer?
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| I haven`t shaved Pisco at all this summer and it can get really hot down here...I always keep fresh water for him, and keep his paws and mouth damp durning the day....no problem at all.....they dio tend to eat a bit less than regular.... |
| We are originally from the North East, thought we knew all about the "Triple H's" - hazy, hot & humid - but now that we are in Texas we get that weather from April to September (at the very least!) We had plenty of warm weather in March...
Anyway, we got Big Ben in NJ in the late summer. We had kept his hair long for a while and then shaved it (puppy cut) in the winter after he was finally diagnosed and then cured of mange. He didn't seem to mind the cold and it really helped with the snow clumping on his legs. By the summer he was getting fairly long again and he did fine up north. Down here we keep him short in the winter because of the rainy season and longer in the summer. He seems to eat less and drink more but otherwise doesn't seem to be phased at all by the hair. We brush him and then go to the groomer every 3-4 weeks to keep his belly and bangs trimmed and to get out any other matting. I don't have a place to groom him in Texas (miss our basement in New Jersey!!) and as a result he isn't too great with my grooming him now. This summer may be the exception if he ever decides to get into our new pool. He's getting closer to the edge but now just barks at the balls floating around the pool. (He wants the kids to play ball with him but outside of the pool.) I know from my blond-haired kids how the chlorine is rough on their hair, can't imagine detangling Ben after a swim. All this being said, I have to point out that Ben is an indoor dog. He goes out for potty and then wants to go right back in. Maybe that was our doing, as a puppy if he were left outside too long he would dig craters. Perhaps if he were left out maybe I would see a difference with the hair and the heat?? |
| I never experienced any trouble with either of my girls when I shaved them down for the summer. Odie would let me do it, but Miss Rosie the diva had to have the groomer do it, as she was miss antsy, when it came to it. I always cut them down around Mid May and then just let it grow back for next May. In the winter they went to the groomers in Syracuse as it was Double the cost here in Saratoga, no matter what time of year, they always used the excuse that my dog was way too matted and needed to be taken down. My groomer in Syracuse said that they were not badly matted at all and that my other groomers were just lazy and it was easier to shave them down than to brush them out. At least he made me feel like I wasn't such a bad mom & brusher outter as they made me out to be. They use to come home from him looking gorgeous.
My main reason for the short summer doo with Odie was that she just never was able to stay out of neighbors pool, lake, puddle. pond anything muddy and wet and the burrs, yikes.  It was a quicker dry as we traveled a lot.
When I got Rosie, we developed a heavy tick population in my area. One year I found one on her as early as March 15.  So I continued the regimen of Mid May. It was much easier to see them if they got on her right away. They both always felt a little awkward at first, but then they would be whipping around the yard and very quickly start enjoying that summer doo !  |
Abbi's new Summer dooo ... before and after pictures.
Trimming or shaving for the summer seems to be a personal choice. I will not be able to keep up with Abbi's grooming for a few months due to medical reasons, so I started out to trim her down to a puppy clip ... but somehow that did not work out. Now we have a very alert, very active hunting Abbi ... she tracks birds in the air and on the ground, as well as cats squirrels, frogs, toads, and leaves. What a hunter! It took a bit adjusting for me, but Abbi seems to feel quite free. I should get a photo of her in action, before and after ... |
I LOVE THE PICTURES  They are such cute animals I was giggling so hard that Lucy ran over and gave me a kiss. Thanks for the in put. I actually want to grow her hair out but don't want her to melt in the proccess. If you all can stand it in TX we can in NC. |
| Ohhhhhhhh I do love all the pictures of these babies ! I too live in N.C. and we have scheduled an appt. with our groomer for later this month. I have a 4 y.o. female who has somewhat curly & coarse hair and a male that turned 1 y.o. today. The male, Griffon, has a beautiful coat and I so dread the cutting of it. Would one of you guys describe the "puppy cut" ? Patch ( 4 y.o.) has had "shave downs" in the past. She seems greatly relieved once this is done. She also has the kind of hair that quickly mats & gnarls with humidity.
Happy Easter to one and all ! <>< |
| I live in New England and although we have had our share of the 3 H's - I've never had to shave Presley. She doesn't spend alot of time out in the heat - so it's never been a problem. Many OES aren't shaved in the summer months - so you may be able to leave your Griffon in full coat!
Sydney (my faux sheepie) has never been clipped/shaved either - but she doesn't have the heavy coat of an OES- her fur is about 12 inches in length - she does spend alot of time outside in the summer and likes to swim! If she had typical OES coat - I'd probably clip her during the summer. The puppy cut is something that requires alot of talent (in my opinion). Not many groomers will bother with a puppy cut - as it requires the dog to be completely free of mats and requires a lot of hand scissor cutting. You could go to www.neoesr.org and go to the Photo Gallery - there are a lot of different pictures - maybe you'd find a cut you liked and bring it to the groomer for a reference. |
Find a groomer who does standard poodles. They love doing puppy cuts and always are up to the cahllenge. Doing an OESwith no mats is so much more fun than cutting curly poodle hair. And you can tell them you heard that from an experienced poodle groomer! 
The puppy cut, the lions cut, even the saddle cut looks so cool on an OES! But if you don't want to go through getting used to the loss of hair and the seeming change in your dog's personality ...thin their hair. We have someone who fisits this forum form Mississippi who has described an easy way of thinning their hair for the summer. One way is to use a dematting comb or brush ---after all mats have been carefully broken up and picked apart. Then finish with a slicker, because the dematting comb will leave broken hairs which have to be brushed out to prevent ....matting! |
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