# Hot in California: Short hair or long hair



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Long hair will trap a layer of air near the dog's skin. Hypothetically it insulates against both cold and heat. If in the sun the hair absorbs heat before it reaches the dog's skin to heat them internally. In the cold the air helps to slow the escape of body heat.

My poodles have short hair cuts in the summer not so much to keep them cool as to make it easy to get them dry after they swim.


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

My girl is always in a longer coat. I just like the look better. I know Michigan does not get as hot as the great state of California, we do get hot. We have air conditioning in the house, car and work so Stella is not really exposed to the heat. Any activity she does, ie: training, walks or play in the yard happens early and later in the day when the heat has passed. With short cuts you do also have to watch for sunburn which can happen without the longer hair to shield the skin. My Palomino Morgan I had many years ago had a huge problem with sunburn on his nose all the time!

He is very handsome by the way!! Looking good there Teddy!


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## vegas (Jul 5, 2014)

I just had DD groomed at my vet's office this week. She's still got her puppy coat. The groomer told me that keeping her coat long will keep her cooler in the desert heat.


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

I like to keep the Scotties pretty short in summer, but they are double coated, not the same thing as a poodle. When I was grooming my old spoo, Rita, I kept her in a pretty short Miami year-round. Lots easier to deal with in our rainy winters and warm summers. 

I would suggest that if you want to see if your little guy is more comfortable in longer coat, let him grow out some and watch him to see if he is panting, and if he gravitates to the shade more than usual. I'll bet that, in order to get the insulating hair length, you will need to be growing it long enough to be a hassle to brush out...past what I call the "matting length". I'll bet you will find that shorter is better. Especially since it sounds like you are not used to the brushing regimen that would be necessary for a longer coat.

A dark color is going to get hotter than a light one.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I vote short. Maizie is much more comfortable with short hair in warmer weather. She and I hate the heat.


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## Muggles (Mar 14, 2015)

I vote short too - Rory is definitely more comfortable that way.


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## Raven's Mom (Mar 18, 2014)

I keep Raven short as much of the year as possible. She definitely does not like heat. I can tell she's ready for a shave down when she starts laying down after each retrieve when playing ball which is her favorite thing in the world. As soon as the hair is off she's back to energizer self.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I think one of the important aspects that s being missed here is that short or long, a clean coat is essential - once a week baths at least. I think that no matter the length, when the coat is clean, it is light and airy, allowing air circulation. After 5-6 days, even without having any mats or tangles, the dust and oils in the coat makes the hairs stick together, causing the coat to feel denser, less permeable to air.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I have a black dog in a hot climate and I'm not buying that the extra weight of fur doesn't matter. Dehydration is a concern for dogs and humans in Houston, so I vote for short.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I'm having Jazz and Blue groomed tomorrow, and as much as it pains me, I'm going to have them clipped short, including legs and ears. They'll have just a short topknot and a tail pouf. This isn't so much because of the heat--it isn't really hot here yet--but because of the ticks. The nasty things are hard to find in long hair.


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

I have not noticed a difference in heat tolerance with short or long coats. I do usually do a short trim in summer, just because (as mentioned above) it makes it easier for them to dry off after playing in the water. 

I do have Chows, and for double coated dogs a well groomed coat left alone is beneficial.


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## vegas (Jul 5, 2014)

I will keep a close eye on DD as our southwestern weather heats up. She is black, so heat absorption is definitely a concern. I do bathe her weekly, and I agree that lightens up the weight of her coat.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I go for short all year as it is much less work and I put sweaters in side and coats on outside in the winter. In the summer I watch that they do not get sunburned


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## Zhuhaibill (Jul 10, 2015)

Where we live it is hot and humid from April through November. VERY hot and humid. Even dogs like Samoyeds, English Sheepdogs and Golden Retrievers run around during the summer months with their heir clipped short. Looks weird but they are more comfortable that way. Emma also got her short groom last month and will stay that way til it gets a bit cooler.


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## texaspoodlelover (Jul 25, 2014)

I live in Houston Texas where it is in the 90s in spring 100s in summer and 85-90 in fall. i keep my kids with long coats but they do get bathed more often in the summer. Also how long are we talking. are you diligent with the brushing?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Zhuhaibill said:


> Where we live it is hot and humid from April through November. VERY hot and humid. Even dogs like Samoyeds, English Sheepdogs and Golden Retrievers run around during the summer months with their heir clipped short. Looks weird but they are more comfortable that way. Emma also got her short groom last month and will stay that way til it gets a bit cooler.



Groomers ALWAYS say that clipping double coated dogs is wrong - ruins their coats and does not keep them cooler. They hate it every time that they are asked to do it. They may have succumbed to doing it around you because so many people ask for it, but I guarantee you that every single one of them would tell you that it is wrong.
The only question is, does the rule also apply to poodles.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

glorybeecosta said:


> I go for short all year as it is much less work and I put sweaters in side and coats on outside in the winter. In the summer I watch that they do not get sunburned


Personally, I think it's all about a person's preference, even in very hot weather. Being from Oregon, our Summers aren't too bad, and our Winters are pretty mild, but I had always gone short for my dogs for the same reason... It's not as much work. Now, when I say short, I don't mean shaved down to the skin. I always liked some hair left. I think also my dogs liked their hair short.


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## service_spoo (Mar 14, 2015)

https://albertnorthvetclinic.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/shaving-your-dogs-coat-should-you-or-shouldnt-you/

I found this article that seems to sum the issue up nicely. Basically, it shows that keeping your single coated dog (like a poodle) well groomed and brushed out promotes air flow through the coat and helps keep them cool, like tp said. Shaving them very short removes the coat's ability to regulate temperature and directly heats the skin (possibly causing sunburns too). 

It also shows that double coated dogs should never be shaved. It takes away their natural heat regulation, and it can completely ruin their coat when it grows back in.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Interesting discussion! I heard about the cooling effect of leaving the coat longer - however, it was not what I observed in Dulcie. With her longer coat, she was clearly very hot and panting within a very few minutes of being outside in hot weather. I reluctantly had her trimmed quite short (kind of a sporting trim) that first summer and she came to life again. I still limited outdoor time during the hottest part of the day, but where she couldn't even handle early morning or late evening temperatures with a long coat, she was eager for an hour or so of fetch and running with the shorter coat.

This year, no hesitation. I had her clipped in a miami before coming to South Carolina. I also spritz her all over with the Chris Christiansen Ice on Ice (which contains sunscreen) before we go out, both to keep her cooler and to provide sun protection. I massage it into her coat and skin.

I think Dulcie's heat sensitivity is greater because she is black, too. 

Last point: shorter makes it much easier to rinse her off after a romp on the beach and very much easier to check her for ticks etc.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Hum, now I am wondering if I have to grow in Timi's rear. And how short is too short!


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## service_spoo (Mar 14, 2015)

I imagine it's very dog dependent on how short is too short. I think I'm going to shave penny to about 1/2-3/4 inches all over and see how she does. She's definitely too hot at 1.5 inches right now, and that's in WA where our hot isn't that hot.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

service_spoo said:


> I imagine it's very dog dependent on how short is too short. I think I'm going to shave penny to about 1/2-3/4 inches all over and see how she does. She's definitely too hot at 1.5 inches right now, and that's in WA where our hot isn't that hot.


I think the way you have Penny clipped in this picture is perfect - I love it!


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

Thanks for that article. I had always assumed that it was only double coated breeds that benefitted from leaving their hair as is. I didn't realize a little bit of coat was beneficial to poodles as well!


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Hmm, I wouldn't shave Fiona, but all the other dogs are single coated and I know for a fact they're more comfortable with short hair in the summer.


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