Shaving a young sheepie...yeah or nay?
He was nearly jet black as a young puppy (common, I know), but he seems to have a spot right behind his shoulders, right at the top of his spine where all the colour changes occur first. Then they radiate out along his body in time. I've been fascinated by the coat changes since we got him. He went through a really neat period where his undercoat was deep charcoal (completely, not a white hair) and the guard hairs were really coarse, somewhat wavy, and a crisp, crisp white. Now that spot is a lighter grey with grey and white guard hairs (or at least that's what I've heard them called). The problem is that right now there are parts of his body that are still in the earlier stages. He looks like he's been sewn together from different dogs completely. The oldest existing hairs are on the outside of his hips and they are almost brown and tend toward ringlets. They are a completely different texture from his white parts. And, his grey bits are another texture completely near the shoulders, with the stuff in the middle still being a mixture of near charcoal and white. It really isn't driving me crazy that he's so many colours and textures at the moment (he's 9 and a half months), and I'm sure it will settle eventually. If not, we'll amuse ourselves with endless puns about his technicolour sheepcoat. (Okay, THAT we've already started.) So my question is, is there a magic age you are supposed to wait for before shaving a sheepie? I'm sure I've heard that you can do damage to the coat if you shave too early, but I don't know how shaving above the skin line could cause damage in stuff that hasn't even grown yet. I'm just thinking that a lot of the extra hair is young puppy coat that just isn't letting go yet, and that a shave might be a good thing to start him from scratch. The oldest brownish puppyhair comes out like crazy when I brush it, but no matter how much I get out there's tons left. Anyone care to offer thoughts and/or opinions? |
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| I'm pretty sure that it doing damage to the coat is an old wive's tale. I think what you'd see is the coat coming in different because it would've been a coat change anyway but you're skipping the transition part. My breeder recently shaved a very young puppy that she'll be showing in the future because she didn't like how the change was affecting the coat. So, she shaved her down and started fresh and she's a lot happier with the way the coat is coming in. |
| I've heard so many breeders tell me the coat comes back much nicer if it's shaved down at least once, preferably as a pup.
For example, Sadie and Bree, out of the same litter 2 years ago. Bree was shaved down at 9 months and grew back a gorgeous full coat with tons of texture and a gorgeous color. Sadie has never been shaved and I hate her coat. Texture yes, fullness no. Drives me nuts but she is too close to finishing now to shave. |
| I think Obe was a year old when I shaved him down to an inch. Grant it this was due to a camping trip. Which entailed a lab, a sheepie, a creek(s), firepit/black ash everywhere. After three days Obe was a mess. Others in party changed location at last minute. There was not suppose to be a creek next to camp site. |
| I agree with Jill about this being an old wives' tale. We first shaved both our sheepies at 8 - 9 months and both coats came in thick, full and gorgeous.
If it's buggin' ya, then shave him. You gotta do what you gotta do!!! 
Laurie and Oscar, hairless and happy |
| I dont think it matters. |
do whatever you think will make him feel most comfortable 
Henry was accidentally shaved down by the 'stand in' groomer at 9 months old and his new coat is a lot thicker but more coarse than before (he's 1yr old now).....  |
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