# Myth or truth: Shave all hair at 6 months so it grows back thicker?



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Myth. There is no biological reason that taking off the shafts of hairs (which is not living tissue, but rather just keratin, a protein) will do anything to the rate of hair growth or thickness of the coat. Those are both dependent on the activity of the hair follicles which are the living structures from which hair grows.

If you shave a poodle short at 6 months you are shaving off puppy coat. By the time it really grows back in to any length you have probably hit coat change and the adult coat is likely a very different texture, which you might think means the coat has gotten thicker because of the shave. As long as you are taking care to comb adequately to avoid mats there is no need to shave down a puppy.

The loose analogy would be balding men shaving their heads and growing a full head of hair as a result of shaving. If that actually worked and I marketed shaving heads as a baldness cure, I'd be rich since we know there are plenty of balding men who want to go back to full hair.


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## alexandrali (Sep 10, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> Myth. There is no biological reason that taking off the shafts of hairs (which is not living tissue, but rather just keratin, a protein) will do anything to the rate of hair growth or thickness of the coat. Those are both dependent on the activity of the hair follicles which are the living structures from which hair grows.
> 
> If you shave a poodle short at 6 months you are shaving off puppy coat. By the time it really grows back in to any length you have probably hit coat change and the adult coat is likely a very different texture, which you might think means the coat has gotten thicker because of the shave. As long as you are taking care to comb adequately to avoid mats there is no need to shave down a puppy.
> 
> The loose analogy would be balding men shaving their heads and growing a full head of hair as a result of shaving. If that actually worked and I marketed shaving heads as a baldness cure, I'd be rich since we know there are plenty of balding men who want to go back to full hair.




My sentiments exactly. A poodle breeder highly suggested this and I was very skeptical. My pup is 2 months old now and am preparing a schedule chart for the next few months. Officially removing this from the schedule. 


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

Show breeders will sometimes shave off a dog that may not be getting a nice coat quality in , but they do it at or before 8 weeks old. That way the dog doesn't have that baby hair in it's topknot/mane hair but only needs 2 extra months to grow back in with less puppy-ish type coat. 
However I think people are doing it less, cause a bad coat won't become a good coat by doing it, but it can make a bad coat look less bad by removing that baby baby coat.
My show dog (and 2 of his siblings that are also show dogs) are now 5 months old and even the white has a nice enough coat.


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## alexandrali (Sep 10, 2016)

Mysticrealm said:


> Show breeders will sometimes shave off a dog that may not be getting a nice coat quality in , but they do it at or before 8 weeks old. That way the dog doesn't have that baby hair in it's topknot/mane hair but only needs 2 extra months to grow back in with less puppy-ish type coat.
> However I think people are doing it less, cause a bad coat won't become a good coat by doing it, but it can make a bad coat look less bad by removing that baby baby coat.
> My show dog (and 2 of his siblings that are also show dogs) are now 5 months old and even the white has a nice enough coat.




Is shaving off an 8 or less weeks old pup something you recommend of I want my little Uni to get a fluffier coat? Or should I just wait for the less puppy-ish coat to grow out? I'm in no hurry to get the fluffy coat. 


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## King Louie (May 27, 2016)

I shaved off Adonis's hair when he was 4 months I clipped him in a modified Cont. 2 months later the hair is about 1 inch but he was shaved repeatedly with a 40 until I decided to grow it out for a new clip. The hair is coming back in a nicer texture I'm letting him grow for a Scandinavian clip but I'm thinking about taking him all down 1 length then growing it out so I get this nicer texture.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

King Louie it sounds like you have been shaving your way through coat change. I doubt repeated shaving has done anything to actually improve the coat. There is no biological reason to expect so. Lots of people shave to spare a dog having mats and being uncomfortable by so doing. But one should not mistake that for having the repeated clipping rendering the coat a better coat.


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## King Louie (May 27, 2016)

Oh definitely the repeated shaving had nothing to do with trying to get better hair I liked the cont clip but his hair was coming back so quick that I had to shave him every week now that I'm growing him out the new hair is definitely nicer. He started his coat changing about a month ago it's definitely taking longer for the rest of the hair to catch up completely. If I didn't love the long fluffy hair look I would've shaved him all one length and once the hair changed grow it out.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

King Louie said:


> Oh definitely the repeated shaving had nothing to do with trying to get better hair I liked the cont clip but his hair was coming back so quick that I had to shave him every week now that I'm growing him out the new hair is definitely nicer. He started his coat changing about a month ago it's definitely taking longer for the rest of the hair to catch up completely. If I didn't love the long fluffy hair look I would've shaved him all one length and once the hair changed grow it out.


Just wondering, you said you used a 40, right? Why so short? I don't even use a 40 on my adult dogs' FFT, just a 30. Skin of black dogs would probably stand up fine to a 40, but other colors can get so sore so easily from going too close.


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## King Louie (May 27, 2016)

I use a 40 because I love the look and feel. I use a 40 on his face and feet no problems I started off with a 10 when I first got him then went to a 30 when he showed no problems with that I used a 40. He's never had a problem with the 40. I currently use a 40 on my new girl's face and it doesn't bother her either. I'm about to buy new clippers so I'll probably have to work my way back up to a 40 with them.


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## hunny518 (Jun 5, 2012)

lily cd re said:


> King Louie said:
> 
> 
> > Oh definitely the repeated shaving had nothing to do with trying to get better hair I liked the cont clip but his hair was coming back so quick that I had to shave him every week now that I'm growing him out the new hair is definitely nicer. He started his coat changing about a month ago it's definitely taking longer for the rest of the hair to catch up completely. If I didn't love the long fluffy hair look I would've shaved him all one length and once the hair changed grow it out.
> ...


I use a 40 on Aria (who is white) she is a show dog so the shorter the better, but she doesn't get irritation from it  clipper burn and irritation is 99% of the time caused by operation error, such as, allowing the blade to heat up and holding the clippers at too much of an angle. There are some dog with very sensitive skin, but if those dogs irritate with a 40, they will also irritate with a 30 and most likely with a 15 too


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Merlin is now 28 months old and has gotten thicker hair this summer. I shaved him pretty close at least 5 times and now he has thicker hair and guard hair another color, which he didn't have before. I used to see his pinky skin through his top knot but I don't anymore.

Maybe it's not the clipping. It could be the change of home to a quieter place, or the better food, or something else. Or maybe even a very late change of coat !

But I am happy with it anyways.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Dechi I would think better diet and a better home and all your TLC have made the difference.

hunny518 thanks for your perspective on the challenges of close clipping.


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## alexandrali (Sep 10, 2016)

https://vimeo.com/182647822

I got to comb Uni. [emoji7]


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