Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kristen on April 15, 2008 at 5:01pm

This really isn't your fault, you depend on the advice of someone who should know what they are doing. Thankfully a bad haircut is not forever. You are doing all the right things with the shirt and the sunscreen. I know there are some Corgi owners that do shave...but as Charlie indicates it isn't recommended. I would have reacted the same way. Kirby is a handsome guy. He will have some bad hair days between now and the full grow-out, but he will look fabulous again.

Permalink Reply by NoClaws4Alarm on April 15, 2008 at 3:01pm

No way it's your fault. You rightfully expected your professional groomer to know breed standard cutting for your corgi (which recommend sanitary cuts only and MINOR trimming of the pants, if needed).

It's not like shaving a single-coat dog where the fur grows back pretty much even. I used to do this with my spaniel/rottie mix. (with fur he looked like a spaniel... without he looked like a rottie.) His fur was single layered though... and grew back pretty much even and with the same texture.

With corgi's, you have two layers of fur that grow at different rates... and cutting the shiny top coat is sort of like shaving eyebrows. Sometimes they come back just fine... sometimes they don't. Seriously... If you were intending to show him or had he previously been a show winner, you would be justified in suing for damages! I'd still consider it if his coat isn't completely grown in to your satisfaction in 6 months.

I admire that you restrained yourself so well. I would have decked her and my husband would have been bailing me out of jail. THEN I would have cried.

But, I must say I envy your not having to deal with shedding this summer.

Permalink Reply by Carmen on April 22, 2008 at 11:48am

Wow, so I am a bad person for shaving my corgi? Not when she lays on the floor panting for hours on end because she is very hot. My Pandora is a fluffy. I do not have her shaved that short though. I know several fluffy owners who shave their dogs. Courtney (RB 2001) was also a fluffy corgi. She had major allergies and those were only relieved after she was shaved. Imagine your corgi chewing raw patches in her skin because of her allergies. Wouldn't you shave her to fix the problem? Nothing else worked.

I DO not shave my normal coated corgi, Trunks. He sheds normally and I simply have him trimmed up.

I do agree that it was wrong for your groomer to suggest shaving him. He really isn't a long-coated fluffy, so there really isn't any need. I just wanted everyone to understand where us who do shave our corgis come from. It isn't because I feel I should be doing it. It is done from the neccessity to help my dogs.

Permalink Reply by NoClaws4Alarm on April 22, 2008 at 2:09pm

Not at all what I was saying. You do what you have to do... it's up to the corgi owner.

All I was doing was explaining the difference between the coat of a single and a dual coated dog and how sometimes the coat doesn't come *back*. As I said before, It is up to the corgi owner, ultimately... it just didn't sound like this was a situation where the corgi owner was told all the facts ahead of time to allow them to make an educated decision. It was something that was shoved on them with no warnings of the possible outcome... which is what ticked me off.

Allergies aside, because that sounds like an excellent reason to advocate shaving, doesn't the slick topcoat actually assist in keeping the dual coated dogs cool? Seems like removing it might make the situation worse :/

Reminds me. Sadie is due for her de-thatching :)

Permalink Reply by Carmen on April 22, 2008 at 4:51pm

I agree that the groomer went too far. She should have explained what she was doing. Plus, as I said before, Kirby does not look like a fluffy to me. He just has a longer regular coat.

Two years ago, we tried going most of the summer with the long fur on Pandora. It simply did not work. Pandora would lay in the middle of our floor panting. We would put a fan on her, etc and she was still unhappy. She is happy shaved. Fluffy's often do not have they same type of coat as a regular coated corgi. Pandora has very little undercoat and does not shed very much. Most of her fluff is overcoat. I think that is the problem with generalities. Yes, a regular coated corgi should not be shaved as they have the shedding to help out the heat problem, but a fluffy will not always fit into this category. Pan's overcoat grows back just as nice as new.

I wasn't responding to you directly NoClaws, but all the comments combined would make a person feel as I expressed above.

Permalink Reply by CaptainCorgi on April 22, 2008 at 9:47pm

I would be so mad if someone did that to my corgi. Most dog's undercoat protects them from heat. It locks in the cool air and keeps them nice and cool. It works the same in winter, it locks in the warm air to keep them warm. I don't recommend shaving dogs so far down to rid them of their undercoat. I would be like us going to the beach or anywhere on a hot day with bare skin and no sleeves or sunblock to protect us! Living here in the middle of the desert, I wouldn't dream of walking out on a hot summer day which reaches over 100 degrees without some sort of sleeving on my arms.

I'm so very sorry to hear this happened, I hope it grows back fast.

Permalink Reply by Alfredo on April 23, 2008 at 5:24pm

Wow. I alwasy wondered what a naked corgi looked like.

Dont worry his coat will grow back soon. Your in now way at fualt here, the groomer should have known better. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesnt get a sunburn.

I used to have a Portuguese Water Dog which had such thick and curly fur it would get matted so easily. I used to shave him quite often as he seemed happier that way.

Just take it as a learingin expierence. It just part of the fun of owning dogs.

Permalink Reply by claire on June 19, 2008 at 11:02pm

this EXACT same thing just happened to me with my sable!!! I took him to get trimmed (specifically his fluffy butt) and when i picked him up, he had like a 1/2 inch of hair left all over! i was so sad and felt bad for him. he doesn't seem to care. my other corgi looks at him funny though. I saw this happened to you a few months ago now and was wondering how Kirby was doing? Is his hair growing back in patches like others said would happen? I am so concerned for mine and feel so bad!! I have been reading what others said about sunburns and what not and am so scared!!! I hope Kirby got all his pretty fur back alright!!! Thanks for the help!

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