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Would it be alright to shave my Newfoundland (dog)2007-11-25 2:57:01

I have a Newfie that is turning one year old (tomorrow). The weather is getting warmer and summers can be 80+ F. He is so miserable just being outside a few minutes. Would it be ok to get him professionally groomed to shave him so he wouldn't have so much hair. I saw a newfie getting shaved at a local petstore a week or so ago and thought it was odd---now it seems like a good idea. Any thoughts?

Answers:

If a dog naturally has a double coat (soft undercoat + harsher guard hair), shaving it is NEVER a good idea.

This is not a chihuahua or a shih tzu -- this is a working breed with a coat that was designed to protect him in frigid, icy waters.

Not only are you exposing skin that has never seen sunlight before (which = sunburn), you are destroying the coat. It will never grow back in the same again. The harsh properties of the guard coat will be lost, as will *all* insulative properties. Come fall/winter, your dog's "new" coat will be useless, and much harder for you to care for.

When your boy is outside, keep him in the shade with plenty of access to water (a kids wading pool is a fabulous way to keep a big dog cool, and he will love the water). If possible, only let him out to exercise (not just a potty break) in early morning and later evening.

Keep him brushed out and in the shade, and he will be a much happier guy than if you shaved him.

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I shave all five of my dogs every summer. I start in May and do it for the last time in September. Their hair is always grown back by Christmas. Two of them are shih tzus and the others are chihuahuas. All of them like not having to be brushed constantly and not having all that hair.