Summer shave
It’s about that time down here in central / south / west Texas. Time to shave some dogs and make ‘em comfortable. I have always shaved my dogs each summer. 90 days later and you can’t hardly tell the difference.
The way I do it is I start with livestock shears, the extra wide kind for shaving calves and pigs. I use an ordinary sized livestock shear for the touchup work around the ears, belly, feathers and such. I know my dogs enjoy it and they actually seem happier.
I’ve done it so much that I can shear my dogs, your dogs, and the neighbors dogs faster than you can catch a greased pig in a rodeo ring. That big double wide shear is the great equalizer for Brittany hair I assure you!
I do laugh each summer though. At first, the newbies act as if they have been stripped of their clothes in public. They look around sniff, lick and have that look like “Oh My god!” My dogs who have been there done that act proud. They prance about strutting their stuff and running hard and fast about the farm as if they know that less hair means greater aerodynamics thus less drag and increased speed! <big grin>.
The hair cuts don’t look great but hey, when the longest hair is 1/4 inch, there’s not much to screw up! Sometimes you get in a hurry and then after you’re done realize that your dog has racing stripes in his coat. LOL. You can really see where the head of the shears DIDN’T overlap with the next row. You have ridges of hair sort of. Quite comical.
Some dogs do better than others at shearing time. Nubbin’ acts quite indignant when being done but then shows how his new aerodynamic features have actually added speed by demonstraing his new ‘overdrive’ speed, speed not there just last week when he was getting overheated easily in the 90 to 100 degree heat.
So, if you shear like me I say, it is just about that time if you live down in the deep south. If you don’t, you just don’t know what you’re missing! <big ole grin>
BTW, Get good shears. Don’t waste your money on wally world cheap-o’s. Go to your nearest feed and seed store, they’ll set you straight!
Happy shearing!
Dave
4 comments
Thats halarioius. Shoot we are supposed to get down low 30′s tonight global warming go figure.
I bet all those birds you recently have worked those dogs on are now saying something like “Nah, those aren’t bird dogs-maybe they are a new breed of really fast moving sheep or something”. LOL
Can I add that it also makes housecleaning a WHOLE lot easier! We noticed a tremendous difference when we sheared everyone last year. (Not the kids…) My vacuum and dust mop were not nearly as necessary. Matt – If you’re reading this…it’s a gentle hint that I’m tired of cleaning dog hair out of everywhere!
Holly has gotten “haircuts” the last two summers. She is SOoo much happier with her summer “coif” and it makes for less hair in the house. She is so cute and cool after a hair cut. I am glad to know that other Brittanys get hair cuts also.
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