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Over-Heating and Panting. Will Shaving Fur In Summer Help?

by Shannon
(Northern Indiana)

We have a one year old red merle mini Aussie male. We worry about his panting so much. He is very energetic, constantly in motion.

With his coat being so thick, we were wondering if any other Aussie parents have shaved their furlings during the summer to keep them from over heating? If so, how short?

Also, with his face being mostly white, has anyone had their pup get a sunburn on their forehead or muzzle?

Note from the Editor:
We have written an in-depth article on this topic that we recommend you read for more info about shaving your Aussie. You can find it here:

Shaving an Australian Shepherd: The Great Debate

Comments for Over-Heating and Panting. Will Shaving Fur In Summer Help?

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Haircut
by: Neil Coy

I have an 8 year old tri-color mini. He is mostly black and the summer sun makes him uncomfortable. He gets a close trim every May and truly enjoys it with no apparant bad effects. If I tell him the night before his 'haircut', he hardly sleeps in anticipation of it and struts for several days with his new do.

Shave down
by: Anonymous

Hi I have a 10 year old tricolor ed aussie . His hair is super dense! I have always heard this shave down damages their coat . around may I always give my guy a stripping out of his undercoat . Be patient. This takes the biggest part of the day with treats and little breaks in between. Rake and brush paying close attention to the rump, ears behind the legs and under the chin and chest. If you dont have a semi load of hair and a dog that looks like he lost 20 pounds you didnt get it all haha. Then I shave his belly and rear end. Clip hair from between his paws using a #10 blade. I clip his rear end and tail kind of like my poodles town and country clip. This is sufficient. He likes playing in a kiddie wadding pool I keep filled daily. (Get a small plastic one so it's easy to maintain and only fill it a couple of inches ) . I use this as his water dish and he loves to walk and splash with his paws while he drinks . Sometimes I find him laying in it cooling off his shaved tummy. Haha be sure to let all fur grow back in in late summer as to alow plenty of time for that breath taking. Winter coat to fill in
My guy is a working boy so he's outside. Remember part of enjoying being with your dog is grooming him. They are high maintenance in the brushing depart to keep them healthy and happy. Now if your friend is inside dog I guess shaving might be a shortcut but should never replace regular brushing as this keeps his skin healthy and is a good time to check for any problems he may be having (sores wounds exema ) and such . Good luck and have fun.

Don't shave
by: Anonymous

With double coated dogs you really don't want to shave the coat, because then the topcoat, which takes a lot longer to grow, isn't there to protect them from sun exposure or, later in the year, rain or snow. It might look like the coat has grown back by winter, but it is really just the under coat, which holds water and can hurt your dog. This site does a good job explaining it.

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