# Re the dog with a matted 35 lb coat of hair - What dogs could not survive without human attention? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 10, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543 "2016-09-10T17:19:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543/1 "2016-09-10T17:19:43Z")
Story here [Rescued dog loses 35 pounds of hair after getting its first haircut in 6 years](https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/rescued-dog-loses-35-pounds-160651285.html?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark) Surprised at the story as I guess I thought all dogs shed hair as needed. Would being in the wild have cured this problem vs being locked in a stall? What breeds of dogs could not survive in the wild without human attention? > [@](#): > > After spending six years in a barn stall, Lazarus is finally getting a second chance. > > Amanda Brooke Charsha-Lindsey with the Big Fluffy Dog Rescue shared an inspiring photo of a recently rescued great pyrenees named Lazarus to her Facebook page on Sunday. According to Charsha-Lindsey, Lazarus was kept in a barn stall for the past six years, and was in dire need of a haircut when groomer Candice Skelton rescued the pup. ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543/2 "2016-09-10T18:42:26Z")
He probably could of shed off all that fur in the “wild”, who knows. I don’t think French or English Bulldogs could survive due to them having severe birthing issues, most needing C-Sections. Anything super itty bitty (Chihuahua, Italian Grey Hounds) wouldn’t last the night if the area had a lot of predators. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543/3 "2016-09-10T18:58:44Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > Anything super itty bitty (Chihuahua, Italian Grey Hounds) wouldn’t last the night if the area had a lot of predators. Cats survive, so would little dogs. Some may be overbred but rat terriers would do fine anywhere rodents live. Little animals find little hiding places. Some of them do have a tendency to make too much noise, but it won’t take many generations to weed that gene out. The largest dogs may problems catching enough food, they may not be fast enough to bring down large game. Size-wise medium size dogs in the 30-50 pound range probably have the advantage for lone animals. In packs larger dogs could go after big game. Some larger dogs may end up breeding with coyotes and wolves and keep their genes around. Altogether, the environment will make the difference. Dogs are smart and adaptable, the right climate and available game should give almost any dog a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543/4 "2016-09-10T19:09:08Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > He probably could of shed off all that fur in the “wild”, who knows. “Could of” is not proper grammar. You meant “could’ve,” short for “could have.” ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543/5 "2016-09-10T19:27:58Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Surprised at the story as I guess I thought all dogs shed hair as needed. Would being in the wild have cured this problem vs being locked in a stall? The poodle-type coat doesn’t shed. I have a poodle mix and his hair is a disaster. He’s constantly got burs and twigs stuck in him. He once got a bumblebee stuck in his fur. Lucky the bee was hung upside down so the stinger was facing out. Freaked both of them out but I was able grasp the bee on the sides and work him lose, after which he Noped off away from us. I get my dog shaved down as often as possible. He needs a haircut now, actually, but he was just in the hospital and I haven’t wanted to send him. He needs his vax updates first, too. As far as wild dogs - they tend to revert back to a sort of dingo looking dog if they’re allowed to run and breed indiscriminately. Presumably, that’s the most successful form for a dog. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-dog-with-a-matted-35-lb-coat-of-hair-what-dogs-could-not-survive-without-human-attention/765543/6 "2016-09-10T20:45:20Z")
English bulldogs, as they are now, would not survive in the wild. They have difficulty breeding without human intervention, have such short muzzles that they overheat rapidly, and have extreme skin/allergy issues. They’re light years away from their origins.