Dog Hair Trimming Question

Factual Questions
1

I believe there is a factual answer to this question…

I have a 3-year old Parson Russell Terrier. He’s a great dog, but PRTs, like other working dogs, require regular exercise. During the summer months I take him on long hikes and he loves to fetch tennis balls. We live in NW Montana where the summer temps are typically in the 80’s during the day. It can get as warm as 90, but that only lasts for a day or two. PRTs are double coated, and don’t tolerate heat very well. As a result we trim his coat throughout the warmer months. Once the temperature drops in the Fall I stop trimming his coat and let it grow out.

He’s seem comfortable in cold weather down to -10 degrees. Below that he would rather stay inside. Fortunately it’s just below freezing for much of winter so I take him outside and he chases tennis balls and plays in the snow. One thing I’ve noticed is that he sheds a lot during the winter and I’m wondering if that’s because we aren’t trimming his coat but instead letting it grow out. I figured the extra hair would help him stay warm, but I see him lay down in the snow which tells me he may be too warm and trying to cool off. Remember that he lives indoors and is only out in cold weather to exercise.

So should I to trim his coat throughout the year or let it grow out in the winter?

2

I can’t remember where I read this, possibly Whole Dog Journal. When a double coat is growing in sync, the outer coat helps hold the inner coat as it grows out, and that reduces shedding. Clipping a double coated dog results in each coat growing at a different rate, with the undercoat shedding whenever it feels like it.

I had several double coated outdoor dogs, never bathed or clipped. When it was shedding time, the undercoat came away easily using a shedding rake. After a few days the dogs had just their silky outer coats. Now my last dog was double coated and also adorably cute when clipped and fluffed. So I kept her cutely clipped and in return she shed all. year. long.

I checked some pictures of Parson Russell Terriers. Gorgeous. They seem to have the kind of double coat my Irish had. Maybe try a stripper blade on your pooch in the winter to remove loose hair rather than clipping the entire coat. I wouldn’t think he was overheating.

3

I don’t think that you’d have much luck with a stripper blade on a Parsons. If shedding is the issue, I would use a slicker brush a couple times a week.