4 Furry Best Friends

........................................................................................................Diesel, Magnum, Perdie & Jade.....................................................................................................

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

To Shave or not to Shave... your dog!

"I'm going to buy a dog that doesn't shed." 

We've all heard people say that. The fact is, the majority of dogs shed, with the exception of hairless dogs. Unfortunately a lot of dogs are in rescue because they shed. 

Puppies shed very little and inexperienced dog owners don't realize how much an adult 100 lb golden retriever will shed in a year. The fur becomes too much of a 'hassle' and off to the shelter that dog goes. I don't even want to think about how many dogs have died because they... SHED! 

Diesel is a husky/shepherd/?? mix. He generates a lot of fur. This is what his paw looks like this winter. It has been very cold. His body adapts and he grows more fur. Which means more fur to shed.
Diesel's paw in the winter.
Diesel loves winter and proudly lies in the snow chewing a bone in this photo. His sister, a lab mix is not as fortunate...she shivers...thus the sweater. Bark & Fitz Port Credit $45


Diesel loves sunny days in the snow.(not -20C...that's when the booties go on)

SWITCH SEASONS(happy thought)


In the summer, Diesel enjoys 'the finer things'...like lounging by the pool. Notice how he rests his back end on the lounge chair. It's challenging running on 3 legs all day. He's no dummy. That being said...
Diesel lounging poolside  
he's black with a thick husky coat and pants(our version of sweats) like crazy in the hot sun. Eventually he will leave the hot sun for the grass where he falls asleep until I literally have to pick him up and move him to the shade


nap time
With the massive amounts of fur that Diesel sheds in the summer and how hot he gets, I thought I should try 'the shave'. Friends had said their dogs loved it. I talked to my vet and she warned me about sunburn with a short fur cut. Another friend warned me about a good groomer vs inexperienced or 'cheap' groomers. Her dog developed a skin infection from dirty clippers. With this information and a little online research, I felt I was informed enough to book an appointment. 

A few hours later, this is the dog I picked up:


What kind of breed is this?
At the groomers, I was on the floor laughing. What had I done? And who was this grey super skinny dog? I took him to a friends house and she thought I had a new dog and what were the chances he too had 3 legs too! What a funny looking dog he became with a 'shave'.

All laughing aside...he was so happy. He ran around like a puppy. He laid on the cold marble floor sprawled out loving the cool feeling on his skin. He loved the extra belly rubs he was getting as my family was fascinated with his new texture. 

As funny as he looks we gave him a second shave last summer. Knowing he was happy and for me, having a few months with a little less fur to deal with was wonderful. 

Lab says, "and you thought my sweater looked funny."

DON'T BUY-SAVE AN ANIMAL INSTEAD: 

All dogs shed, even the designer breeds. Some shed less but require routine, often costly, grooming. Knowing this before you get any dog is imperative. Don't let a dog end up in rescue because of its shedding. Weekly brushing, a good vacuum, and a summer cut/shave can often alleviate some of the dog fur. Talk to your groomer before cutting your dogs fur. Some coats won't grow back 'the same'. Diesel loved his summer SHAVE! 


Next Post:
My beautiful BORDER COLLIE rescue


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