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Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

Clipping An Aussie

by Cindy
(Ormond Beach Florida)

I feel HORRIBLE now, cause I just shaved my Aussie down, we live in Florida and I just got him. He was burning up so I thought I could clip him down, HOW MUCH DAMAGE have I done?

Comments for Clipping An Aussie

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Clipping your Aussie
by: Marilyn

None!
Last summer I took my 18mth old to a groomer to trim him off a bit too as it was sooooo hot. Well, she didn't know a thing about the breed, and when I picked him up he was almost shaved to the skin. Within a few months, most of it had grown back and by winter, his hair was back to it's normal length & texture. Not to worry.

Clipping an Aussie
by: Anonymous

I clip mine every year...

Depends...
by: Anonymous

I have both Aussies and Shelties, and it gets pretty hot here. In the past, we've shaved them down and recently learned that it really does them no good, so now we don't.

I see absolutely no difference..in fact, the dogs act cooler with their coats, as the coats act to insulate them.

You may or may not have done damage. The first few times, I didn't really notice much change in texture, but repeated shavings have nearly ruined my older Sheltie's coat. The hair will grow back to it's original length, though.

He'll be ok
by: Wilda

clipping is one thing, shaving them down is another. We did the sme with our boy a few years back. I hated the way he looked, I told my husband he looks like a beagle, not an Aussie,after that, we had him clipped. Buy one of those deshedders, and do that if he's really hairy and hot, but outside of that I wouldn't shave them. Like someone else said, their hair is also their insulation against bugs biting them, and sunburn damage. I have another dog, (different breed) was also was shaved a few months back by an inexprienced groomer, and ruined her hair. Its finally grown back, but her hair is not the same.Have to work on treating it now.

BAD GROOMER
by: Anonymous

Well, I took mine to a local groomer in Rendon Texas and asked for my 1 year old to be trimmed to 1 1/2 inches, when I picked him up they had shaved him all over except his head.I mean shaved. Someone tell me that he will grow back quick.He looks so bad and I feel so bad that they did that to him. He is a beautiful Blue Merle and his hair was beautiful, but he was sheding so bad and he was burning up and I wanted to give him some relief. The groomer evedintly does not know anything about Aussies. I want everyone to know that the groomer Jennifer Screwed up my dog and I'm pissed

Clipping Aussies
by: Anonymous

My Aussies helped in the dairy barn every day. In the summer they would often run through fields chasing groundhogs and come back matted with burrs. They were also very hot with a full coat. I would clip in early summer. By winter they would have a full coat and feathers. We clipped once a year and gave frequent baths (often daily or at least 4 or 5 times a week since they came in the house and we didn't want our home to smell like a dairy barn. I think the frequent baths and brushing helped to regrow normal, beautiful hair. Not sure I am on board with the full coat keeping them cooler. Mine seemed much cooler after clipping, although we clipped with a 4 or 7 blade, not a 10 or 15, so they wouldn't get sunburned as easily. Outer coats were always shiny and smooth after growing back from a clip and they were plenty warm in the winter outside with us doing barn work. Maybe Aussie hair is better than other double coat breeds at regrowing their guard hair? At least my 2 were. I plan to clip my new Aussie pup next summer (not going to clip her puppy coat this summer), so she can dry quicker after swimming in the pool or lake. I don't have a farm any more and I don't show, so I am not worried about the coat being"ruined" - it won't be. It may take 4 months to grow back to original coat, but my others did just fine.

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