[poppycorn]

My dog is a sheltie/tibetan spaniel mix. He has thick fur. During the summer I take him to a groomer and let her shave him. His haircut is quite short. I do this because he seems hot and his fur grows back fast. However, he hates it. He will act strangely for days after. Currently he is hiding in our truck and only comes out to eat. After every haircut, he will dig into my carseat on the ride home. He'll run around strangely. I was wondering if dogs with thick fur have more sensitive skin and should not be shaved? Should I tell the groomer to only cut a little and leave about an inch of fur on?

[shazamataz]

Do you have a photo of him in full coat (untrimmed)?

With double coated breeds leaving the hair on actually keeps them cooler in summer. Does he have sort of a soft wooly coat underneath and then harsher hair over the top?

You can also get products like thinning shears which you can use from home. They look like a pair of scissors but have little teeth on them. They only cut where the gaps are making the coat thinner without taking it all off.

Furminators are also a good product, they remove all dead hair, a lot more than a brush ever could.

[Catsmine]

Tibbies are supposed to have an undercoat, while Shelties don't. Which side does he take after? As Shazamataz says, the undercoat helps them stay cooler in the summer. Thinning might be your best option and less traumatic.

[Lucky098]

I would also question the groomer.. Going to the spa shouldn't be that traumatic.

Some groomers are real good with dogs. Others man handle them.

Does your dog get out much? That could possibly help. I don't think dogs freak out if their hair is cut off.

[poppycorn]

Thank you very much for all your help. Appreciate it. My dog does not have an undercoat. However, I think next time I won't have him shaved. I am planning to change groomers and talk to the new one ahead of time. I will ask for a thinning of his fur, rather than shaving. The shaving really seems to traumatize him. At first I thought he had sensitive skin but now I think it's more psychological for some reason. Anyway thanks for all your help!

[shazamataz]

A lot of dogs really hate the clippers, they are noisy and blow air out the top of them which can freak them out.

It could be the dryer as well that's scaring him. Most groomers use big industrial dryers that are high powered. A lot also crate dry their dogs, meaning they get put in a cage with the dryer facing them... I don't like this method as it can be stressful for them.

To make it less stressful you could bath and dry him from home and just take him in to get his fur trimmed... would save you some money too.