# Chihuahua haircuts?



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Good Afternoon!!

As summer is approaching my little Harley is getting really really hot! He is 4 years old and is a long haired chihuahua. When I say long haired, I mean really long hair. He is a black dog with an undercoat and a top coat that is probably at least 4-5 inches in length. His paws even have fur coming off of them that probably measure at least an inch or two. He is all fur. He is always lounging around and looks miserable. I have been reading up on chihuahua haircuts and have been told not to do it. Harley isn't a typical long coat chihuahua, he looks more like a pomeranian than a chi. I don't really care if the fur doesn't come back the way it was.. I just want him comfortable. I also own Harley's younger brother and he is also a long coat but his fur is more of a fringe than a poof. Any suggestions? Should I shave him down or is there a way to maybe thin out the coat? I brush him but he loses very little hair! What do you guys think?

Ashley


----------



## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

You know Ashley, it's a very personal decision. The dog's coat helps regulate
body heat, it protects from both cold and hot temperatures, so most say "don't
shave". Not to mention your dog's coat helps protect him from harmful UV rays.
If you do decide to shave him, make sure you get it professionally done to help
ensure that his coat grows back in nicely.


----------



## queen princess (Jun 5, 2013)

me being a groomer, can not tell you what to do, but will tell you some pros and cons and my feelings about it. the biggest issue is something called shave shock. there is no way to know if a particular dog will get shave shock or not. the fur may not grow back in spots, may grow back very slow, may grow back a different texture, or different color. nobody really knows WHY it happens, and there is really nothing you can do if it happens. you can choose to just have it cut shorter, like 1/2" with much less fear of shave shock. many professionals will tell you that having fur the way it is will keep the dog cooler. I tend not to completely agree. I feel that each dog is different and lives in a different situation though for the most part, they are correct. for example: I have a chiwawa pug mix. she is a hard to control hypoglycemic because she burns much more energy than she is capable of storing in her body, and that is with feeding a high quality food, eating every 6 hours, and mandatory 3 naps a day, so we must keep her body from working any harder than it has to as to not burn more energy than she has to so that her energy can be used for play. being part pug, she has a shorter nose than a pure chiwawa which makes heat more dangerous, especially when we are in a third story apartment. so yes, she does get shaved down for her health, and she does have shave shock, so now we just keep her shaved down. if you do decide to give her a shave in less than 1/2 blade, just be prepared to eather have a dog who MAY look silly from shave shock, or plan on keeping the dog shaved down and use cloths in winter or in colder weather when the dog may be cold. you know your dog the best, so only you can make the choice.


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Thanks for your reply. I have decided against shaving but I may still take him to the groomer to get a scissor clip. That way the hair can grow back better than if I shaved him. I just feel like his hair is making him act way older than he is. He acts like a senior dog and looks like he weighs 15 pounds instead of the 7 he actually weighs!


----------



## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Good point by Sheila. Ashley, try Googling "post-clipping alopecia" to get more info if you're interested.


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Oooh. Yeah post-clipping alopecia is not pretty. I've really decided against shaving now! Are there any really good thinning brushes for his coat that I could use and maybe avoid clipping him at all? He is so pretty and fluffy, but doesn't want to do much due to the amount of fur. I feel bad for him, but don't really want a half fur half bald dog in the winter!!


----------



## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

sheilaamistone said:


> me being a groomer, can not tell you what to do, but will tell you some pros and cons and my feelings about it. the biggest issue is something called shave shock. there is no way to know if a particular dog will get shave shock or not. the fur may not grow back in spots, may grow back very slow, may grow back a different texture, or different color. nobody really knows WHY it happens, and there is really nothing you can do if it happens. you can choose to just have it cut shorter, like 1/2" with much less fear of shave shock. many professionals will tell you that having fur the way it is will keep the dog cooler. I tend not to completely agree. I feel that each dog is different and lives in a different situation though for the most part, they are correct. for example: I have a chiwawa pug mix. she is a hard to control hypoglycemic because she burns much more energy than she is capable of storing in her body, and that is with feeding a high quality food, eating every 6 hours, and mandatory 3 naps a day, so we must keep her body from working any harder than it has to as to not burn more energy than she has to so that her energy can be used for play. being part pug, she has a shorter nose than a pure chiwawa which makes heat more dangerous, especially when we are in a third story apartment. so yes, she does get shaved down for her health, and she does have shave shock, so now we just keep her shaved down. if you do decide to give her a shave in less than 1/2 blade, just be prepared to eather have a dog who MAY look silly from shave shock, or plan on keeping the dog shaved down and use cloths in winter or in colder weather when the dog may be cold. you know your dog the best, so only you can make the choice.


Excellent info!


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Looking into brushes and came across a few that look like they would do the trick of thinning a coat. Anyone ever use the Furminator? Or an undercoat rake? They both sound like they work very well. I'm leaning toward the fuminator but wanted opinions on it first. Good..? Bad..?

Thanks for all the replies!


----------



## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I had Zarita clipped into a 'puppy' cut. She looked so cute. It was about 1/2 inch to an inch in lenght.


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

I just purchased the Furminator and am going to give that a try. I have seen many pictures of Chihuahuas being brushed with it and it seems to do an outstanding job. We shall see!


----------



## queen princess (Jun 5, 2013)

for even better results, get the solution that goes with it. it will loosen up the fur so you can get more out.


----------



## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

Prince is a double coat long coat chihuahua. I recently had his breeder give him what she called a "show trim". She shaped his fur with the natural lines and used what I think she called a thinning tool to thin out the fur a little around his back and underside. She also shaped his ruff. I think it improved his look without being too much. I remember her saying most long coat chihuahuas don't need trimming but some do especially double coats. She also said don't assume just any groomer will know what a proper trim is on a chihuahua.....choose your groomer carefully if decide to trim.


----------



## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

I think a Furminator with the solution will work great! We had borrowed one from my dad a while back when Venus was shedding really bad and it made a noticeable difference on her. But she isn't a long coat.... I really think you'll see an improvement though!


----------



## Judenmink (May 1, 2013)

Im a groomer too. I agree with the others who have said dont shave but go to a good groomer and discuss your options. Maybe an extreme hygiene clip and some thinning and shaping will be a good idea. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Okay so I got the FURminator in the mail last night! It is a GODSEND! Where has this product been for all of Harley's life !?! It is going to take me a few days to acutally be able to finish Harley's coat, but so far he looks amazing! I only have done 3/4 of just his back and there is a hair pile almost the size of him. He is starting to look like the dog I knew and not just a huge ball of fluff. He won't stop wagging his tail and already has alot more energy. This was such a good thing! He has to feel better because normally he has a gloom look and sleeps like he is depressed. Now he can't stop smiling and wagging!! He won't need a haircut afterall!


----------



## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

I use to use the undercoat rake on my husky mix, worked very well. I was advised against shaving her too for the same reason mentioned above. I would just brush her daily and get any loose fur off her and the use the rake seemed to work rather well. I had seen somewhere that they have some kind of cooling collar if your worried about her being hot. Not sure if it works or how it works but I'm sure if you google your could find something


----------



## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

Sounds like a great tool. Do you have before and after pictures? Maybe I should try this on my little furry man.


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

I do have a before but not an after yet. I will be sure to post those once I am done with his coat. I worked on him for 2 hours last night just on his back. And every time I would look away for a split second he would nonchalantly walk away. He was done for the night. I do have a picture of the hair I pulled off of him last night though. I will post that tonight at my home computer. I also brushed my other chi, Bentley and he was in heaven. As soon as I put that brush on him he laid down all sprawled out and then flipped on his back so I would do his belly.


----------



## pam6400 (Oct 5, 2008)

Here is a pic of my Benny. We get him shaved pretty close on a regular basis. His hair was so long and thick and out of control before and he was hot. We live in Florida. Check his "before" photo in my siggy.


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Awww I love him! He is so cute. Almost looks like a Teddy Bear. Tonight will be day three with the Furminator. Harley is not a fan of having his butt brushed or his neck so it is a bit of a challenge. He's a little stinker. He'll bite at the brush and then lick my hand at the same time as if he is saying "I don't like that thing, Mom, but I love you." He is starting to really brush up nicely. I promise to post pictures as soon as I get to my personal computer.


----------



## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Aww Pam, I love Benny so much, he's such a handsome sweet looking boy.
Really does look like a teddy. And his eyes are just so loving, just want to
give him a cuddle. :love2:


----------



## pam6400 (Oct 5, 2008)

~LS~ said:


> Aww Pam, I love Benny so much, he's such a handsome sweet looking boy.
> Really does look like a teddy. And his eyes are just so loving, just want to
> give him a cuddle. :love2:


Thanks LS! Benny sure is a love bug. In fact my nickname for him is BUG! He is so much more comfortable with his long hair trimmed or should I say, shaved.


----------



## ashclayy (Jun 14, 2013)

Finally able to post a pic. This is the amount of hair I got off of Harley. This was only half of his body mind you..

I had a friend over last night and the first thing she said was "Wow.. Harley looks great!! Did you take him to the groomer?" 

Nope! The Furrminator! It is a miracle!!


----------

