# LGD to shave or not to shave to avoid over heating



## Greendecember (Mar 25, 2011)

We have an Anatolin / Great Pyrenees cross. She had THICK long hair more like the Pyr. We live in Oklahoma and I am afraid she might over heat with that thick coat. At the same time I don't want to shave her all the way down and her get a sun burn. 

Anyone else live where it is hot and have a thick coated dog? What to you do to keep them from over heating? 

My husband suggested we bring her in during the day and put her back out to watch the herd at night. I'm afraid it might break her preference for the outdoors.  We already have a large indoor dog. Not that I don't love to cuddle Freckles also but her job is to OUTSIDE with the goats. 

At the same time I don't want her getting sick from the heat.


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## BuckeyeDave (Mar 25, 2011)

Greendecember said:
			
		

> We have an Anatolin / Great Pyrenees cross. She had THICK long hair more like the Pyr. We live in Oklahoma and I am afraid she might over heat with that thick coat. At the same time I don't want to shave her all the way down and her get a sun burn.
> 
> Anyone else live where it is hot and have a thick coated dog? What to you do to keep them from over heating?
> 
> ...


I have 4 GP LGDs, I have never shaved them and never will, I give them plenty of shade in the summer and several kiddie pools full of water but not shave. The problem is when you shave them is that they never naturally lose their coat which is covered in water repelling oil and protects them from all different sorts of waether. I do comb them often and trim the matted areas that you cannot comb through in the spring and summer, other than that they are free to do as they please.


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## elevan (Mar 25, 2011)

If you were to shave, I would do a belly shave only.


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## Greendecember (Mar 25, 2011)

Thanks for the input. I'm just concerned because it gets over 100 degrees here which is bad enough but the humidity is the killer. I swear you need gills here in the summer!


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## elevan (Mar 25, 2011)

If it were me I'd belly shave and supply a kiddie pool of water


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## Greendecember (Mar 26, 2011)

I'm thinking the kiddy pool is sounding better all the time. Will the goats play in it too?


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## elevan (Mar 26, 2011)

Greendecember said:
			
		

> I'm thinking the kiddy pool is sounding better all the time. Will the goats play in it too?


idk...

My goats HATE water except to drink it...

Except when we brought Speedy home and he immediately got loose (he was 10 wks old) and led us on a merry chase through 3 of our neighbors yards before running down a log and diving into the pond across the road...of course DH dove in right after to rescue him (and killed a brand new blackberry phone in the process)


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## BuckeyeDave (Mar 26, 2011)

Greendecember said:
			
		

> I'm thinking the kiddy pool is sounding better all the time. Will the goats play in it too?


They love kiddie pools.


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## MonsterMalak (May 5, 2011)

I used Great Pyrenees for over 15 years south of you in East Texas.  At times they would get skin infections, but this was limited with a good flea program.  

Shaving might help, but I have no direct knowledge if any skin sunburn might happen.  I would think it might.  Also, they will be more active in the predator area if not overheated.  

About 7 years ago I changed over to Kangal and recently obtained Boz Guregh.  Both have shorter hair, with less heat issues.

Good luck.


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## Roll farms (May 6, 2011)

We had a pyr we had to shave yearly b/c he *would not* blow coat.  He looked more like a Kom.  

We had nothing here that would touch his coat, so this involved giving him knock out drugs, hauling him to the vet (he refused to leave willingly) and then picking him up before he woke and getting him back in the barn (for shade).  
He'd have to go back out for only short times during the day to avoid sunburn, but we'd leave him out all night to guard.  Usually by 2 wks he had enough of a coat grown back to stay out.  
(They had to shave him bare, the mats went to the skin.)

Our female blows coat like a good girl and we've never had to shave her down.


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## redtailgal (May 6, 2011)

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## MonsterMalak (May 7, 2011)

That was great information.  Never heard of that before.  Love to Learn,,,haha.

In the East Texas summers, I keep my hair short for the same reason.  Is the dry heat any easyer to handle than the Humid heat for the dogs, with regards to the skin issues?


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## redtailgal (May 7, 2011)

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