So Murphy had his first summer haircut today. As I've said in other threads, my wife and I are first time pet owners. We inherited an adult sheltie (6 years old) from my sister-in-law last fall, so this is the first summer we've gone through with a dog in the house.
I took Murphy for a grooming today. So far, we've used the same grooming service my sister-in-law did. We haven't been completely sold on them, but they've been good with Murphy and he's kinda skittish and not well behaved at the groomer. All in all, we feel like the most important thing is to have a groomer who's good with him and he's comfortable with.
I considered having his fur cut short, but decided against it after doing some research. All we wanted was a good shampoo and brushout, & a moderate trim, with some extra attention paid to problem areas like the butt. I explained what I wanted in great detail to the groomer, and went over it again last night when they called to confirm the appointment.
I dropped Murphy off this morning. What I didn't know is that, due to illness, the groomer I talked to didn't work today and Murphy was handed off to a groomer who cut his hair when my sister-in-law owned him. Apparently, my instructions weren't passed along and somehow, she thought she should give the dog the haircut my sister-in-law asked for.
She cut his hair really short. It's a little more than an inch long all over. Basically, Murphy looks funny looking, like a different type of dog. My wife and I are both livid. Basically, we went off on the staff when we saw the dog, to the point I'm sure we're not welcome back (not that we'd ever go back).
Murphy wasn't shaved. The hair was just cut short. He's had this haircut several times before, and it grew back, so I expect it will grow back this time. Maybe it's not the best it could be when it grows back, but Murph is totally a family companion dog. So long as his furs grows back so he looks like a sheltie, I could care less if it's the best coat it could be. The more important thing is that he's comfortable and safe.
My first question is: does this pose any health risk to the dog? Normally temps around here stay in the high 80's/low 90's. We don't typically get mid 90's - 100, though we did during the recent heat wave. Murphy is an indoor dog. During the summer, he plays outside in the early morning, then stays in until dusk, when he gets dinner and a walk (and usually sits on the porch with us). Is he in much danger of overheating without his usual undercoat?
Secondly, how long does it take sheltie fur to grow out in the summer? In fall, winter, and spring, his fur grew out a couple of weeks after we had him trimmed. Two weeks later, you couldn't tell he had a haircut. I'm under the impression dog fur grows more slowly in summer. A month or two?
Thanks. We feel like terrible owners right now. Moral of the story: get your own groomer!
I took Murphy for a grooming today. So far, we've used the same grooming service my sister-in-law did. We haven't been completely sold on them, but they've been good with Murphy and he's kinda skittish and not well behaved at the groomer. All in all, we feel like the most important thing is to have a groomer who's good with him and he's comfortable with.
I considered having his fur cut short, but decided against it after doing some research. All we wanted was a good shampoo and brushout, & a moderate trim, with some extra attention paid to problem areas like the butt. I explained what I wanted in great detail to the groomer, and went over it again last night when they called to confirm the appointment.
I dropped Murphy off this morning. What I didn't know is that, due to illness, the groomer I talked to didn't work today and Murphy was handed off to a groomer who cut his hair when my sister-in-law owned him. Apparently, my instructions weren't passed along and somehow, she thought she should give the dog the haircut my sister-in-law asked for.
She cut his hair really short. It's a little more than an inch long all over. Basically, Murphy looks funny looking, like a different type of dog. My wife and I are both livid. Basically, we went off on the staff when we saw the dog, to the point I'm sure we're not welcome back (not that we'd ever go back).
Murphy wasn't shaved. The hair was just cut short. He's had this haircut several times before, and it grew back, so I expect it will grow back this time. Maybe it's not the best it could be when it grows back, but Murph is totally a family companion dog. So long as his furs grows back so he looks like a sheltie, I could care less if it's the best coat it could be. The more important thing is that he's comfortable and safe.
My first question is: does this pose any health risk to the dog? Normally temps around here stay in the high 80's/low 90's. We don't typically get mid 90's - 100, though we did during the recent heat wave. Murphy is an indoor dog. During the summer, he plays outside in the early morning, then stays in until dusk, when he gets dinner and a walk (and usually sits on the porch with us). Is he in much danger of overheating without his usual undercoat?
Secondly, how long does it take sheltie fur to grow out in the summer? In fall, winter, and spring, his fur grew out a couple of weeks after we had him trimmed. Two weeks later, you couldn't tell he had a haircut. I'm under the impression dog fur grows more slowly in summer. A month or two?
Thanks. We feel like terrible owners right now. Moral of the story: get your own groomer!
