# summer trim/winter trim? What's the difference?



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

outwest said:


> My last spoo was done the same year around with a little variety for fun, but not depending on time of year. Many of you in the midwest, East and in Canada refer to summer or winter trims. It never occured to me that there was a 'summer trim' and a 'winter trim'. I am a little puzzled what you mean. Do you actually have a trim for time of year or is it only the length of the hair for more warmth in the winter? My daughter is in college back East and said that it is so freezing in the winter that people don't go outside, just stay in very hot buildings. If your dog is always inside in the heat, don't they get overheated with a lot of hair?
> 
> There are a number of specific trims: Miami, Lamb, Continental, sporting, panda, etcetera. None of them are summer or winter specific as far as I can tell or am I mistaken?


I don't think that people sit inside hot buildings in the winter....I am fairly certain that most people set their thermostat to a relatively stable temperature year-round. In my house, we keep the temperature between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit whether it be winter or summer. Obviously, in the summer, air conditioning will be required to attain that temperature. Conversely, in the winter, heat will be needed to attain that temperature.

In the summer, when the temperatures are in the 90s and 100s, it is not desirable to many people to have a poodle in a very long coat if they will be spending any time outdoors. So, yes, lots of people in the summer will try "summer trims", or poodle haircuts that do not have long hair, in order to keep their dog cool and looking nice.

In the winter, when it snows, many people will allow their poodle to grow long hair, and might look for a poodle trim that typically calls for long hair, in order to keep them warmer.

In the summer, when my dogs are trimmed into very short Miami clips, they are not sitting inside shivering in an icebox. Our house, as I described above, is kept at the same temperature all year round - room temperature. In the winter, when my dogs have longer hair, they are not cooking in the house. They, again, are inside a room temperature house. The different haircuts are important when you might want to take your dog for a walk, let them play outside, etc.

Make sense?


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

:act-up: LOL. Yep. A bit condescending? 
My daughter was complaining that it was too hot in the buildings in the winter, yet generally too cold to spend a lot of time outside, so I was wondering. Conversely, she is working there for part of the summer and complained it was so humid she couldn't sleep (no airconditioning). I suppose a persons house would be kept just right, not like college buildings. 

The world is a such a big place. I always run into something that never occured to me, like a 'summer cut' and a 'winter cut'. I don't think much about weather usually.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

outwest said:


> :act-up: LOL. Yep. A bit condescending, are we?
> My daughter was complaining that it was too hot in the buildings in the winter, yet it was generally too cold to spend a lot of time outside, so I was wondering. I suppose a persons house would be kept just right, not like college buildings.
> 
> It is interesting that the world is a such a big place. I always run into something that never would have occurred to me otherwise, like a 'summer cut' and a 'winter cut'.


I really was not being condescending - I was answering the question thoroughly.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Yes, thanks. I reread my initial question. It sounded totally ignorant, which I guess I was. Like I said, I never think about weather. There seems to be a lot of talk about weather here, so I was thinking about it.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I lived in California for 4 years - I know firsthand that many people there don't think about the weather like us Midwesterners do!  In fact, my college friends always joked about me checking the weather. They thought it was hilarious because they never did that. Around here, checking the weather is significant because it can be so extreme and can drastically change. It is just a habit for me to check the weather!

I loved when they moved to Chicago with me for a year. They totally got it then. I was all, SEE the weather forecast IS important!


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

ChocolateMillie said:


> I loved when they moved to Chicago with me for a year. They totally got it then. I was all, SEE the weather forecast IS important!


Couldn't agree more. I had to check the weather forecast every day when I was living in IL - never had to do that when I was in HI. 

CM, your previous answer made total sense (to me, at least).


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

in the summer here our highs are low 80s-90s w/ lows in upper 60s-low 70s (average)
in winter our highs are 40s w/ lows in 20s (average w do have some winters with much lower temps too and unseasonable lovely 50s-60s highs.

in summer i am keeping temperance in about 1/4 inch miami. in late september i'll give her another buzz to 1/4 inch and then let her grow out until march or so. 
seelie is in puppy coat right now so i'm not doing anything, but i imagine next summer he'll be short.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

I grew up in California, moved away for many years, moved back for five years and then moved to the great white north, Wisconsin.  I don't think I have ever lived someplace that the weather is talked about as much as it is here! We kept our toy poodle when we lived in Texas and California clipped the same length all year round. When we moved to Wisconsin, we let her get pretty long in the winter. She was six pounds soaking wet and hated the cold, never did take to the snow and so we let her grow out. It will be interesting to see how Lexi does in the snow. We got caught in a really bad rainstorm walking one day and both ended up soaking wet by the time we got home. I didn't even faze her. I am thinking the snow will be one more thing to pounce on/in, but I do see keeping her longer in the winter.


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