what to do???what to do???
I don't know if I want to bring Heart's beautiful, fluffy, cottony,poofy, coat AAAAALLLLLllllllllllll the way down to nothing for the summer!!!! Here she is at Sheepiepalooza.... 
I try squinting to see how she would look naked.... 
BUT...I also know that St. Louis will probably have a very hot summer and with Heart involved in Agility and Rally I don't want her to be miserable. HELP!!!!! what would you guys do if Heart was your pupper??????  |
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 If it were me I would cut it, put yourself in her place or better still put a nice warm winter coat on....thats just me though, others might advise you different
ps it will grow back...honestly |
| Well I was actually about to make the SAME post. I know everyone will say the typical "just shave it ...it'll grow back, and you and the dog will feel better b/c there is less grooming," but I just don't look at it that way. This is why I've hesitated to even make a post.
If my dogs did agility all the time, I'd trim them as long as possible all around by a good groomer ...4-5" all around. MY PROBLEM IS I CAN'T FIND A GOOD GROOMER (not even decent that can round paws correctly). Mequpak is getting at a point I know he needs to be trimmed in certain places, but I refuse to ...and of course we're in TX (let's top off that where we are is very humid) and he goes on walks all the time ...and does just fine. I just want a breeder to come down to a big dog show in July here and help me out quite honestly.  Good luck with your own decision. I think your girl is absolutely beautiful all the time. |
| Sue...
Thanks for the sensible post...I really appreciate it and I do know it will grow back. I have had her trimmed up 2x since she arrived. But never chopped her to the skin so to speak!!! Very frightening!!! Not only will she look very different. She will probably lose about 10 pounds of hair and look VERY tiny!!!! Oh....my...... 
Jo... I have a great groomer,~~~~ BUT I am not really clear on what is done with the head???? I am planning to go down to about 1 1/2 in. on her body, but what do they do to the head???? Leave it alone??? I don't want her face touched, her nose hairs are almost long enough to lay flat. I don't want her top cut...it is finally long enough for piggytails and or ponytails... any help here??????  |
| If you make them promise not to touch her head then we can do it together. I do an okay job on the head to make it blend in. Especially this year when they butchered him so bad.
I know how you feel though, I am still having withdrawal symptoms from the loss of his hair since his hair cut. Hey this is the perfect time to do it since Harry was sheared - you know Heart will do ANYTHING as long as Harry does it.  |
I'm saying we need a hairless Harry picture  |
got sheep wrote: I'm saying we need a hairless Harry picture
I guess we are among friends so I will take one and post it when I get back from Therapy. |
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Don't listen to that Sheepiemommy..  ..
Harry looks adorable!!!!!!! Handsome!!!!! Dapper~~~~~ Great!~~~~ And he is happy ((ier))???? If that's possible!!! Can't wait for the picture posting!!!!! |
| I would wait and see how the heat effects her, you can always strip out the undercoat for now?
If the heat is adversely effecting her then you can get her trimmed down, once it's done it's done. But if it needs doing then it's only a few hours of a groomers time. Is there an nudist section to this site were all the naked sheepies can play volleyball? |
| I vote keep it long and see how they (Heart & Mequpak) are in the warmer weather. I prefer a longer coat, and even from 2-3" it wouldn't be long enough come the winter. Depends on how you feel the dog is doing of course, so I would hold back until the hot weather is there. |
Archies Slave wrote: ................you can always strip out the undercoat for now..........Is there an nudist section to this site were all the naked sheepies can play volleyball?...............lol:
That is ALL Heart is ...is undercoat!!!!
Nudist section????????....maybe we should start one??????? 
Cassie...I would love to keep it long..I just love the poofy, cottony fluff we call a coat..Hubby's vote is to cut it off...and Pearl??? same!!! ''too many dust bunnies"  |
| I reckon you guys and gals in the states watched to many cowboy and injun films, what with all this talk of scalping |
| Whatever you do don't strip out her undercoat to leave length. It's not the length that matters on an OES -it's the poof. Once you strip the undercoat but leave it long with no undercoat they may as well be big Beardies. I'd rather see them shaved bald than scraggly like that. Her coat isn't excessively long as it is, so wouldn't look as bad on her, but why risk it?
They should round off the head, but not have such an extreme difference in hair length that she looks like a walking head. Also don't let them leave too much hair on the legs compared to the body because then they look leggy and disproportionate. Harrington looks great and has just enough headcoat left that he can still sport piggies. Maybe you can borrow him, bring him to her appointment, and say, we want THIS, just with a girlie flair
I'd absolutely chop for the summer. They're working dogs. You leave enough hair to protect from the sun, but short enough on the body for good airflow to faciliate heat exchange and also make it easy on you if they like to cool of in stock tanks after working. Also shave the belly bald. I do this even on my dogs in coat, except if being shown. That way they can park their bare bellies on a nice cooling matt. Or do what Sybil does and sleep upside down in front of a fan Agility isn't too bad, but herding can quickly overheat a dog.
Kristine |
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Thanks Kristine!!!!!!!! 
I will be posting before and after pics!!!! |
Mad Dog wrote: Whatever you do don't strip out her undercoat to leave length. It's not the length that matters on an OES -it's the poof. Once you strip the undercoat but leave it long with no undercoat they may as well be big Beardies. I'd rather see them shaved bald than scraggly like that. Her coat isn't excessively long as it is, so wouldn't look as bad on her, but why risk it?
Kristine Ditto!!! So much work too, stripping out undercoat and leaving it long.... |
| I vote for LONG HAIR!! I love long hair and the dog doesnt look like the same if you shave her off! Heart looks soo lovely with her coat, if you shave it off you will not know if it grows back in the same way!
We are moving now to a hotter place too, from UK to Munich! Sometimes it can be 40 degrees there but I am waiting until the heat comes before I do anything. I will not shave her off as it takes 2 years to grow! and she will not look like a Sheepie anymore! 2 years is a loooong time to get the hair back and if you should decide to cut it, please leave some length on her as there is no reason to shave her to the skin! Like some of the others said, just wait and see how she cope with it and then you still can make it a bit shorter without using the clippers to shave her totally!
That's just my opinion! I would wait, maybe it will not get as hot as you think, the weather is changing everywhere!! |
I just went thru this same dilemma with Chloe. We spend a great deal of time gardening and she helps..even with the watering and mulching That wasn't enough to warrant giving her an extreme summer cut, but her panting and obviously being uncomfortable with the outdoor heat is. To the groomer on Tuesday, and much happier and playful girl on Tuesday night! And she looks awesome  Just my vote |
auntybren wrote: I just went thru this same dilemma with Chloe. We spend a great deal of time gardening and she helps..even with the watering and mulching
That wasn't enough to warrant giving her an extreme summer cut, but her panting and obviously being uncomfortable with the outdoor heat is. To the groomer on Tuesday, and much happier and playful girl on Tuesday night! And she looks awesome Just my voteOK, comments like that require a picture!!! |
| Every year I shave Dudley and Oscar almost down to the skin, head feet body, everything!
My parents live at the end of the North Fork on Long Island and have their own private beach and I spend a lot of the summer visiting. After the first year of long coated sheepies in the salt water I decided never again to deal with that mess. Now when they are done on the beach a quick toweling and they are ready to go in the house, car, etc. By September their coats are well on there way to coming back in and by Thanksgiving they look like the sheepies we all know and love! I vote for clipping down! Kathie |
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