# Shaveing the setter



## Brian121208 (Dec 4, 2008)

I was thinking about cutting or shaving my English Setter but I have not ever done this before and was curious how long to leave the fur. This would be for heat. I want to leave the feathering on the legs and the tail but the fur on the body and ears shortened. Is a half inch a good place to start?
Thanks
Brian


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## Rugergundog (May 21, 2008)

6mm or 1/4" looks good. My friend does his Setter and I do my Britt at that length...looks good. You can go lower but if his hair is thin you will see his skin.


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## FieldWalker (Oct 21, 2003)

I wax mine... he is always silky smooth


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## midwestfisherman (Apr 19, 2001)

I use the 3/8" blade guard. I like a little more left on them to help protect from the sun. Seems to work for mine.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

Blade guards are for rookies LOL jst kidding Use a 5 or 7 blade should leave enough,, We did a few at our grooming shop,


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## dogwhistle (Oct 31, 2004)

i clip mine short with a fine blade in the spring. i'll redo it about a month before grouse season. it grows back pretty quickly.


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

All my setters have completely different coats and thus the same blade does a different job on each. With the grain, against the grain? I go with the grain for my young one, it works better on him. He has a nice fine coat; I use a #7 and this doesn't trim him tight, he looks good. I keep the ears, in & out tighter.
My short haired little setter I use the 1/4 inch blade against the grain. I use the #7 aginst the grain with the 3rd setter and Gordie doesn't get shaved (I'm not allowed to cut Monna's boy, though I did do an extensive trimming the other day)
Cut 'em too short and they will get sunburned.


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## 9mm Hi-Power (Jan 16, 2010)

This topic came up for discussion at the gun club a few days ago and while I don't have a dog in this hunt  - I have a GSP - I'm just throwing this out for consideration:

Shave dog for summer?

QUESTION:

I live in Arizona where it gets very hot in the summer. Should we shave our dog to help keep her cool?

answered by Daniel Lauridia

ANSWER:

My patients often ask me this very same question, and I also see many dogs on the street during summer who have been shaved. Unfortunately, shaving a dog to keep her cool is not a good idea. A normal summer coat protects from the heat. However, if your dog's coat is matted it will be less effective in protecting from the heat. Therefore, she should be brushed regularly to make sure that loose hair from her undercoat isn't trapped beneath the outer coat. A dog's fur actually acts as insulation from both heat and cold. Shaving can also make her more susceptible to sunburn.


Dr. Dan Lauridia, "Dr. Dan," is the chief veterinarian at DoggedHealth.com and owns his own veterinary practice in New York City.

Thinking About Shaving Your Dog's Hair Coat For The Summer? Think Again.

***********************************************************************************************


Contrary to popular belief, shaving your long-haired dog (or cat) will not keep him/her cooler during the hot, summer months.

Unlike humans, the skin of dogs and cats does not contain the vast network of blood vessels and sweat glands designed to dissipate body heat during hot weather conditions. True, dogs do possess sweat glands in their footpads, but these glands play a minimal role in overall thermoregulation. Despite being sweat-gland deficient, dogs and cats have an uncanny ability to vaporize large amounts of water from their lungs and airways, water that carries heat from the body when they pant.

Shaving pets for the summer can actually predispose them to sun burn and to heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Long hair and thick undercoats act as insulation against the sun's rays and their effects. Coats that are kept well-brushed and mat-free allow for good air circulation through the hair, which in itself can actually have a cooling effect. On the contrary, matted, unkempt hair coats stifle air circulation and do little to help cool the body. In other words, daily brushing is a must during the hot, summer months.

Here's a prime example: My 2 year old Boxer, Titan (who has a short hair coat) and my 8 year old mix, Gobi ( who has long hair with a thick undercoat) love to go jogging with me. Both dogs are extremely fit, yet after 40 minutes in the Texas heat, Titan's tongue is scraping the pavement, forcing regular water stops, whereas Gobi continues to just trot along like a canine version of Forrest Gump, seemingly oblivious to the heat. Keep pets cool and comfortable during the summer by keeping them well-groomed and by always providing a source of fresh water and shade. But don't shave them. If you do, you're only defeating the purpose and you may end up with a very expensive veterinary bill on your hands.



Hoppe's no.10


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

Whatever you do don't let Bruce "the barber" Minard near him!!!!! :yikes: :yikes:


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## Direwolf (Feb 13, 2003)

We always shave your ESS but skip the time before and during hunting season. He is constantly wet from our pond and he drys faster with a short coat. Not to mention, when it does get long the hair in the house is unbearable.

I use the 1/4 in the summer and the 3/8 or 1/2 the rest of the time depending on how soon hunting season is and the weather. He is usually pretty long by the time the ice comes off the pond.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I know people who would disown all knowledge of me if they knew I shaved my dog...LOL

I shave my dog...he's much happier for it in the heat of summer, it's obvious to see by his behavior. He's never gotten sunburned...but then, he doesn't work very hard in the heat-in fact, I don't know of any setters that work very hard in the heat-if they work at all...LOL

I keep him shaved through the bird season, if you've ever used a setter in Ohio during the early dove season, when it's not only hotter than hades but every burr and thistle on this earth ends up on your dog...or hunted a lot of areas of Michigan or Kansas or states out west, you know why. 

Cody's a working setter, not a sit on the couch and look beautiful setter...and he loves life. 

The only thing I've noticed is that once you shave an ES, their coat grows back much thicker and curlier...and you have to keep shaving them to keep them from being miserable.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

9mm Hi-Power said:


> This topic came up for discussion at the gun club a few days ago and while I don't have a dog in this hunt  - I have a GSP - I'm just throwing this out for consideration:
> 
> Shave dog for summer?
> 
> ...


Not to be contrary, but by that logic, the good old boys in the South should be running Griffons instead of Pointers in field trials.


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## anon21511 (Jan 13, 2006)

I don't have a dog in this fight either, English Pointers THE true bird dogs, don't need a hair trimming. I have always believed along the same lines as 9mm. I don't think comparing Griffons to Pointers in the Deep South is quite the same thing. I look at it the same way as for people. Take a look at the desert dwelling peoples of the world, even in very hot climates, they all cover up. I protects from the sun and provides a layer of air that is cooler next to the skin. When allowed I always wore my sleeves down in the service and listened to the rest of the idiots whine. I think trimming/shaving a dog does two things: makes the owner feel better, and to a degree does help the dog if done properly. It would be unwise to discount 9mm on this.


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## dogwhistle (Oct 31, 2004)

it may not keep them cooler, dogs lose heat by panting. but it saves shedding out a string of dogs and avoids a lot of burrs and stick tites that can sore a dog very quickly. look at the pro's setters.


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## Merimac (Jan 17, 2006)

I shave mine to about 1/4 inch.

ben


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