Fur Trimming For Hot Weather
QI have an 11-month-old male chow. I would like to know if you could give me any information about having his fur trimmed on his underside, since it will be getting hot soon. Somebody suggested to me to have his underside trimmed. Does this sound right?? If you could can you give me info on what to do, or any grooming shops that know how to properly trim a chow. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area,( Alameda, Oakland).
AYou can thin out the coat with a pair of thinning scissors (They have one regular blade and the other is perforated like a comb). Cutting with these can thin the coat down and not loose it all. These scissors you can get at any salon supply store, also make sure that they are very sharp. This will assure clean cuts. The other thing that you can do is to get him shaved down to just about half an inch of fur; it will grow back by fall. If you decide to do this, take him to a professional groomer. If you are unsure about a groomer, go through the phone book and call your local groomers in your area and talk with them and see which one is good with Chows.
I hope this helps guide you and your Chow Chow to help keep cool in the hot summer months. For more information and help be sure to check the Grooming Discussion forums where you can seek input from the community.
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QUOTE: This will assure clean cuts. The other thing that you can do is to get him shaved down to just about half an inch of fur; it will grow back by fall. If you decide to do this, take him to a professional groomer….UNQUOTE.
Ha ha! what does this remind me of….the only way I can get a vet or groomer to do anything to Ming is to dope him with at least 3 shots of tranquilizer. At the groomer and after 3 shots he was still determined to stay awake so he could protect me, with the result that after another shot, he suddenly woke up when the groomer had only sheared his right side, his tail ,and half his belly!That was how he spent the summer, half shaven! Oh how you have made me laugh!
Make sure you find a groomer that IS comfortable working with chow chows. I have been a groomer for 10+ years and I know many of my coworkers are not comfortable working with them. The process of grooming a chow can be tedious and stressful if the pet is not in good shape. I on the other hand love working with them, I have learned to recognize their signs and when they have reached their limit, being a chow owner myself I feel for the owners and the pet. I can’t stress this enough get your dog used to the grooming process, brushing them regularly, not only would it help the skin breath better and keep them cooler but when they do go to the groomers it won’t be as traumatic or a huge process.
My Grooming Routine: I brush my chow every other day (5 min brush out) just to get the dirt off, one day I focus on butt, chest, mane… with treats, she knows the routine now. Once a month I give her a bath with a deep conditioner (Eqyss) and blow out the coat thoroughly, brushing and combing out. It’s about a 2 hour process, no one said owning a chow was easy!
P.S Regarding the suggestion on trimming your chow to half an inch, for this to be possible your chow would have to be in extremely good shape meaning brushed out completely where the guard comb can go through and that they tolerate the trimming process. Don’t expect to get this haircut if you take your chow to the groomer once a year… Hope this helps keep chow out there cooler, brush that undercoat out!! 🙂