Canis lupus hominis

Posted in Family | Tagged Charlie, clipped dog, collie-type, English Shepherd | 9 Comments

9 Responses

1. on May 9, 2010 at 7:35 pm Laura Westfall

   In my defense — Charlie was miserable. We had a few hot + humid days down here in SW Georgia and he just couldn’t seem to get comfortable. The heat and humidity are only going to get worse as the summer goes on, so we decided to shave him down. I inspected his skin closely when I got home today (Justin stayed with the dogs while I visited a friend this weekend) & it looks well. Hopefully this helps him stay cool down here — of course we could just take a summer vacation and live in the cool mountains all summer hahaha!

   
   
   • on May 9, 2010 at 7:45 pm retrieverman

     Cool mountains, my arse.

     It will be 95 here in just a few weeks and just as humid.

     
     
   • on May 9, 2010 at 7:49 pm retrieverman

     It wasn’t really a criticism. It .was more of a joke

     Charlie probably doesn’t care what his fur looks like.

     
     
   • on May 9, 2010 at 7:52 pm retrieverman

     BTW, that was just an excuse to slap photos of him on the blog.

     He’s been on here before.

     
     
2. on May 10, 2010 at 8:26 am Lane Batot

   “Writer’s block” my arse!

   
   
   • on May 10, 2010 at 8:41 am retrieverman

     It was just temporary.

     
     
3. on May 10, 2010 at 12:20 pm Melinda

   FWIW, the ES double coat actually helps insulate the dog from the effects of the heat. We keep our ES well brushed during summer months and provide as much access to water (for drinking, splashing the belly, cooling the feet) as we can. In the deep part of the summer when we have temps in the 90’s you can find my 2 hairiest black and tans laying in the sun. The one with the thinner coat usually seeks some shade. I think he just doesn’t get the same protection from his coat that the other 2 do.

   Not arguing with the decision to shave Charlie because his owners know him best and know when he is miserable. I’d guess the humidity makes a big difference in his ability to cool himself thru panting. If I lived in an area with extreme humidity, I might consider shaving my ES because just looking at them would make *me* miserable.

   
   
   • on May 10, 2010 at 12:40 pm retrieverman

     LOL. I’ve said all of these things. I’m not a fan of clipping long-haired dogs.

     
     
     • on May 10, 2010 at 1:49 pm Jess

       I clip my long haired dogs several times a year. They don’t have undercoats, and they are definitely more comfortable in the summer without the coat. Of course Afghan coat just grows and grows and grows, unlike a normal dog, so if you don’t want the coat you have to do something about it.

       
       

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