Dear Pet Lovers:
Now that it’s summer, my Golden Retriever is shedding and panting like mad. I know that poodles and other breeds have their coats regularly shaved but I never see dogs like my Golden with shaved coats. What do you think? We like to go to the beach a lot, and this would also help with the sand!
Thank you!
Article continues below...
Mom of one hot and sandy pup
Dear MOHSP:
As always, ask your vet. However, our opinion is do not shave your Golden. Northern breed dogs like Huskies, German Shepherds, etc. as well as Golden and Labs have double coats that can be irretrievably damaged if you shave them down to the skin - this undercoat helps to keep them cool. Thank you Mother Nature. There is no harm in trimming your dog’s fur a little shorter in the summer, but you may be better off regularly brushing/grooming your dog to help to remove loose hairs from his heavy undercoat and aid in keeping him cool by reducing heat that can be trapped in layers of coat.
And as always, in the warm months, keep your canine friend cool by keeping him hydrated and keeping an air conditioner or fan. As for panting, this is the way your Golden’s way of keeping himself cool. Happy Summer!
07.14.09 @ 2:48 pm
Dear MOHSP,
We regularly shaved our golden each spring, then again in mid summer, and finally in September. He LOVED it!! He slept much getter at night (no panting waking us), and when we went to the cottage, after a day of playing in the water and mud, he was so easy to clean at night. And when he shook, no heavy spray! We never noticed a problem with his coat growing back in, it always looked the same. And as an added bonus? Shedding dropped dramatically! His groomer worked out of our vet’s office, so our vet definitely endorsed it.
07.14.09 @ 7:00 pm
We have had two goldens and shaved both for the summers. One played in the lake and the other was a city dog. The first one lived to be 15 and the second was only 11 when he died. The first one had very soft hair and the second was not as soft, but no change was noted, on either, in the fall when we stopped the hair cuts for winter.
07.15.09 @ 8:13 am
As a groomer i get all types of breeds to shave down every summer. I have read and heard many different views on shaving. I always tell each owner what the views are and leave the rest up to them. If a dog is kept groomed and a healthy diet there is usually not much shedding. But we all have busy lives so grooming is not always as regular. I used to shave my own lab! Happy summer to all the pets out there.
07.15.09 @ 9:20 am
Hi
I don’t think you should shave your dog. Keep it cooled off. I know for a fact that you can by “cool-dresses” for dogs that are activated by water. You just measure your dogs around there the ribs are largest. A great tip is also that if you HAVE to drive car, take a big towel or sheet and SOKE into cold water, and just bring that around the thing you carry your dog in. That will function like a cool-box and will make your dog comfortable.
Our dog is a Frenchie. We carry around water for him on very warm days (thenewer we have to take walks). The best advise I can give is to take the LONG walks in the evening then the sun has gone down.
All the best for you and your dog
Gerd Velle
Norway
07.15.09 @ 9:48 am
I don’t have a Golden but I have a Lab/Chow mix. I never shave her, but I have a furminator dog brush. When I use it on her she looks like she’s lost 10 pounds. It pulls out the thick undercoat and cools her off.
The link shows one offered by PetSmart. I’m not marketing their product, just showing what it is. We got ours off eBay for a much better price. <
07.15.09 @ 10:58 am
Hi Rachel i’m your fan…i live in Brazil…lovee u
kissses
07.16.09 @ 8:14 am
Hi as a groomer I do not reccomend shaving your golden. They are a double coated dog and if maintained properly by keeping clean and matt free will keep your dog cooler than shaving. Another factor is by shaving you are leaving your dog susceptable to sun burn without the natural protection of his coat.Let nature do its job.
07.17.09 @ 8:52 am
Hi Everyone,
I have 3 big labs. They all weigh over 100 pounds. I’m in San Antonio, Texas and it is sizziling at 103 degrees. While I never shaved them before, I tried a couple of years ago. They loved it. It made them more active and friskier. I have a pool for them to swim in and a covered porch. I still brush them but this added to their comfort.
Kathleen
07.19.09 @ 10:16 pm
Hi! I also have a Golden\ Lab mix he is 3 years old and I desided to get him shaved he is very happy. And Im happy to because i dont have a sofa full of hair when people come visit they can go home not looking like the dog.
07.19.09 @ 10:30 pm
Hi,
I have two big labs and we do not shave them, however I am considering having them trimmed. I’m not certain but I think that it will help with the shedding. One of my labs is a lab/collie mix and the shedding is unimaginable. What do you all think?
07.21.09 @ 6:57 pm
I have a choc. lab I shave. I take down the long hair and leave the under coat. He loves it and I love not having so much hair in the house and pool filter :0
He smiles when we are done shaving and is so much happier.
Do what works for you,
07.24.09 @ 6:09 pm
Hi as a groomer I agree with the other groomer. Do not shave your Golden. The undercoat just needs to be pulled out that has loosened from winter,this will make him cooler. The double coated dogs have it for a reason it keeps them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. If you properly maintain the coat which means regular trips to the groomers or doing it yourself your golden will be just fine. Try a double coated rake and a furminator brush and use the furminator shampoo and solution. Also if you have a shop vack put it on the blower and blow his coat out. You will be amazed on the hair that flys. But do it outside.Good luck
07.27.09 @ 10:03 am
I have a Lab/retriever mix and he pants like crazy. He stays in the ac and lays under the fan to cool himself off and I do brush him and take off at least 10 brushings of hair. Also, every other summer he gets ear infections no matter if I keep them clean. Every time I take him to the vet the price goes up. It started at $100 now it is up to $300. Please help. What can I do to stop this from happening?
08.01.09 @ 10:50 am
My Vet recommends pulling the hair from inside the ears. This will not hurt if you pull it quick. The dogs get used to it. Then, with a tissue gently wipe the ears of any dirt. Make sure when you bathe the dog to not get any water inside the ears. Try putting some cotton balls in his ears when bathing. Just dont forget to take them out afterwards.
08.05.09 @ 10:27 am
FYI, ABSOLUTELY shave your golden. The thought that their coats insulate them FROM the heat is a MYTH. Think of it like this: Put on a fur coat and go hang out outside in the summer. Do you feel PROTECTED from the heat? I cannot comment on what it does to haircoats for showing reasons, so if a long coat is your priority, your dog shouldn’t be outside for long that way. I know a multitude of LONG HAIR dogs that get a “puppy cut” in the summer. They are healthier because with less hair, less instance of hot spots. Why? Hot Spots occur in skin that is moist. In the summer, our dogs tend to get wet more, and you don’t tend to dry them. Goldens (and labs and lots of other breeds) are prone to skin problems. Also, in the summer with fleas and what not (even with preventative) our dogs scratch more. So what happens is as your dogs skin is moist and humid, and then they scratch more and the skin is broken out comes a hot spot. With a shaved coat the moisture isn’t kept in as well. Also you will be able to see ticks more readily. They are also healthier because they will not overheat as quickly with less hair. Lastly, it will keep them more comfortable.
I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician (RN for animals). EVery vet I know, would recommend the shaving off of the long hair coat in the summer.
08.05.09 @ 10:35 am
To respond to the groomers, please dont take offense. However, to “allow nature to do its job” would mean to not have made breeds of dogs. Golden retrievers are not “natural” as are not any other breeds. They are man made. The double coats protect from cold and water and snow, not heat. The only reason not to shave would be for show purposes. Shaving down the dogs, is easier for pet owners (less hair, less time brushing). AS an LVT, I see goldens come in with mats all over and who are very uncomfortable. I have heard countless reports from owners who gave their dog a puppy cut and found they were much more comfortable in the summer, and they had less hair in the house to deal with. The owners were also MUCH HAPPIER.
08.06.09 @ 3:44 pm
Our beloved female golden was shorten ,not shaved, in the summer heat, to protect her from sunburn. her belly was shaved allowing her to cool off by lying in cool spots around the yard. We only cut once a year allowing her coat to be grown in by cold weather. As she has passed, our male puppy will receive the same. Our summers can be wickedly hot with high humidity, even though we furminator and brush-it is too much of a chance that he could suffer in the intense heat of a Tennessee summer.
08.06.09 @ 3:48 pm
for Darlene,
ears get cleaned with a vinegar/ water sol., a few drops into the ear,massage for 30 sec. clean out with a cotton Ball. allow dog to shake out excess, and put in ear dry powder ( petsmart). also, some people swear by adding a dollop of yogurt to the food if it is yeast base problems.
08.06.09 @ 6:06 pm
my dog just had 9 puppies! and the r 3 weeks old and i want to wean but i need a recipe 2 do i heard to put the dog food in the bleander with goats milk but i want 2 hear other recipe before i wean them!can you help me?
08.11.09 @ 6:57 pm
I agree with the groomers, ive always heard not to shave long haired dogs down, the long hair keeps them cool, and they could end up with sun burn if out in the sun. I dont shave my golden,just keep him brushed out on a reg basis
08.17.09 @ 7:13 pm
As a dog groomer - I personally feel that we do whatever we have to to make the customers happy - as I am the owner of a golden/border collie mix - I keep her brushed out regularly - once a month - no sanitary clip, no anal glads - but, if i have a customer that comes in and does not know what to do - I show them shelby - and let them make up their minds….I explain to them that she is groomed about every 4 to 6 weeks (as a groomer that brings her dog to work with her, she is not groomed as often as I would like :))) Anyway, I always leave it up to the owner - it will cost the same to shave them 2x as opposed to brushing them out 4 time
08.23.09 @ 3:50 am
Hi there! I have a golden and I did get her trimmed for the summer, but not shaved. Like a few people said in previous posts, shaving can cause irritations to the skin. I recommend getting the dog trimmed and then using the furminator brush, it does make a huge difference without any of the worries of shaving. And they will still look pretty:)
09.24.09 @ 3:50 am
I have a German Shepherds with long hair and i cut it every spring and he loves it. He sleeps mutch better and is mutch cooler during the day.
10.19.09 @ 10:04 am
You cannot compare a humans response to heat to a dog. Humans perspire and removing clothing allows this moisture to evaporate and take heat with it. Dogs do not perspire except for feet and they remove body heat by panting.
Shaving the dog will allow it to feel cooler when laying on a cool floor. But long hair will hold moisture longer if you wet the dog, providing a cooling blanket. The hair also acts as a sun shield, preventing sunburn. There is no one right answer… it depends on your dog and your activities.
10.21.09 @ 9:26 am
New to this. Please send me info how to get our LONG BEACH SPAY AND NEUTER FOUNDATION into the fund raising contest. Long Beach, CA has a horrific problem of cat overpopulation and the local shelter has to put down 5 out of 6 interned cats. Long Beach Spay and Neuter, a non for profit foundation, is working hard to trap homeless cats, help low or no income people spay and neuter their pets, not just cats. There are many rescuers who are desperately looking for funding to reduce the overpopulation and maintain healthy colonies. Long Beach Spay and Neuter last year founded CHAT the Coalition for the Humane Animal Treatment and contributed to the selection of a new shelter director who has the insight into the problem, is an exellent planner and is proving himelf by making inroads with the city counsel. The counsel has started to look at the data the new director is generating with the help of the rescuer community. As in all areas of government funds for animal control were slashed and only a limited voucher program for spaying and neutering is possible.
What we need is 1. a full time veterinarian at the shelter!!! 2. a low or NO Cost spay and neuter clinic for cats and dogs and rabbits in the geographical areas of Long Beach were accidental and illegal breeding occurs. A 40 year old ordinance of ‘no breeding allowed without a license’ has gone by the way side due to lack of enforcement due to lack of staff=funding.
Please Rachel, help. Fund raising is extremely difficult in these times but the willingness of rescuers is there to volunteer their time to gather animals that are homeless or belong to persons without means and transportation: if only they had a place they could take them for free spaying and neutering!
Sincerely,
Antje Hunt, Long Beach Spay and Neuter Foundation