i have a 5 month old bichon pup, obviously very fluffy although it's still his puppy coat. And he gets hot. My friend has dog clippers and has just practically shaved his yorkie to cool him down. He says that I should do the same and it is cruel not to, but his yorkie looks horrible now! like a little rat! and I like my baby all fluffy, but am I being cruel or should I do the same?
Answers:
you are not being cruel i have shih zus and i clip then 8 times a year,in this weather its to hot for them,its like us wearing a fur coat in the middle of summer.
my dogs are walked a lot so it pays me to keep there coats short,i also have dog coats in case the weather turns cold or rains,
just be aware if our puppy has never seen clippers he may be scared do it gently even if it means over a couple of days,if you scare your dog clipping in he future will be difficult.
i have been clipping dogs for 15 years and ,its the best way to keep them cool his time of year
Leave the coat if you want to.. It's there to protect the dog from the sun, the heat and the cold.. As long as your dog can get out of the sun, into shade, and gets plenty of clean fresh water, you don't have to shave the dog down to keep him cool.
No leave your pup the way it is. It's a misconception that if you shave the dog it makes them cooler. The fur is a insulation to help keep the dog cool too.
Don't shave your pup. Just keep it as cool as possible and make sure she has plenty of water. You can put a few ice cubes in the water too. Use a fan to keep keep the pup cooler too.
If you shave your puppy, not only will he look strange, but you'd need to protect him very carefully or he'll get a painful sunburn. Dogs have their coats to protect them from heat and cold. I think you're absolutely right not to shave your puppy.
There are millions of fluffy dogs all having to put up with the heat it isn't cruel and it's up to you and a bichon wouldn't look very nice without all their fluffy fur it is your decision and don't let anyone else deceied for you! Good luck.
First of all, don't let your friend near your dog with clippers. He doesn't know how to do it right if his dog looks like a rat.
Next, keep in mind that dogs fur was created to keep the dog cool in summer and warm in winter, and to protect the skin. Your friends dog, if clipped too close can sunburn and be hurt by that. Quite often the layers of fur are different to provide cooling in summer. My great pyrenees have a LOT more fur than your cute little bichon. Their fur grows in separate layers that have different properties and enable air flow through the outer layers to cool them in summer.
The way to keep your dog comfortable is to groom him regularly... with a slicker brush, a rake and use a comb to clean the fur out of the slicker. This pulls out the excess hair without exposing the skin and prevents matting and hot spots.
Next winter your pup will grow a winter coat underneath to keep it warm, and next spring you'll need to brush and comb regularly to remove the winter coat.
If you wish to clip... you either go to a groomer and say "leave 2" fur all over" - or you get a clipper with a large head so you leave at least that much. While the groomer costs $$, you won't have a dog that looks like a rat.
If your dog is hot, give him plenty of water and perhaps a kiddie pool to swim in. Shaving him is a bad way to go and doesn't do much since dogs don't have sweat glands. He'll just get a bad sunburn, which will make him feel even worse.
Dogs dont have fur..they have a coat..like the person above me pointed out.
dont shave your dog..its idiotic..they dont have sweat glands.
Your friend is stupid.
I wouldn't advise cutting your dogs hair until after its first year. I clipped my yorkies back when he was about three months old because he had something stuck in the fur and his hair has never grown back in that spot! Dogs like Bichon's are meant to have that kind of ' cotton wool ' coat and any dog will cool itself down by panting if its hot. Its fine to clip it once its over a year, i did with my Bichon some years back and actually kept his coat shorter than it should be because it made him lool like a puppy again and was easier to manage. if your pup gets too hot when you are out and about, wet its coat with tepid water or put a wet cotton t-shirt across its back ( my dogs love that! )
Take your Bichon to the groomer and have him tidied up. In that way he will still look like a Bichon and will have got rid of any unnecessary coat.
Don't let your friend anywhere near him. If this is his first grooming experience he needs an experienced groomer to coax him through it gently yet firmly. If he becomes stressed or frightened whilst being groomed at this age then he will hate each subsequent grooming for the rest of his life.
No dont shave it, not only will it look horrible it'll probably itch like buggery when it grows back. Bichons are not designed nor used to being clipped right off (nor are Yorkies come to mention it although they can be clipped shortish)
Best way to cool your dog down is soak him in water if he's really hot. A Bichon has a completely different coat to a Yorkie anyway, very light and as you say 'fluffy' plenty of air will get to the skin. With a Yorkie the coat lies flat and covers the skin but again the best way to cool a dog down, no matter what the breed is, is to soak him/her.
Animals, including pet dogs, have coats for a reason. It keeps them warm in winter and it keeps them cool in summer. Obviously animals get hot, just like humans, they feel hot and cold when the temperature changes. Just make sure he doesn't stay out in the sun, if hes in the house and its very hot, sponge him down with a moist towel, make sure you have a water bowl down always so he has access to water so he doesnt get dehydrated and it the house is really hot with sun streaming through, close the blinds. It is so important if he is in the garden, make sure he's not out when its very hot. Dogs can get heatstroke, and if someone is foolish enough to shave their pets, apart from sunburn, what about the cancer danger! I've had Yorkies for 40 years and would never shave their coats, but I did have a paddling pool in the garden for them!
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