Is a #10 shave for convenience ok?

D

dtrpogod

New member
Hello groomers, it is I, a meagre dog owner. I’ve come upon some financial difficulties lately and as a result can’t afford my regular groomer anymore, at least for a while. I have many grooming supplies at home, but with 2 large poodle-mutts it’s really time consuming. One of them has a more silky coat that does fine with once a week brushing and the other needs a full brushing 3x a week to stay mat free.

I’m considering shaving down the more difficult one, mostly for convenience. She also doesn’t seem to love the brushing so I think the less-maintenance would be better for her as well. Is a 10 too short? I know y’all shave down matted dogs as a matter of necessity, but is it seen as… cruel or anything otherwise? I’m in the PNW so it’s mild here and we’re having more sunny days than not, coldest daytime highs have been around 7°C.
 
@dtrpogod If the alternative is your dog being matted then I would say shaving them in a 10 regularly is the responsible thing to do! Nothing wrong with that :)
 
@hails048 The alternative is more along the lines of spending increasingly longer times brushing them. I just don’t have the confidence or skill to give her a “better” haircut. This is the dog equivalent of mom in the kitchen with some scissors, haha.
 
@dtrpogod No issues with shaving with a 10.

Its wont damage the coat on that kind of dog.

Its actually very reasonable if you know you wont be able to care for the coat as often
 
@besorlah It’s just especially for the one who mats so easily. The other half of their genes is Great Pyrenees, and she has the density of their coat mixed with the curl of a poodle. It’s a good thing I love her! Haha.
 
@dtrpogod Shaving with a 10 is perfectly fine. The only times I have ever seen irritation from it are when a dog is severely matted. Occasionally a dog will act strange or “itchy” afterwards due to it being close but i haven’t actually seen that too often and they adjust within a few days. No one will judge you, or at least your groomer won’t… I’ve intentionally never gotten a dog that needs groomed/shaved but if I did, I have always told everyone my dog would be 10 all over every single month lol. My groomer coworker also keeps her poodle mutt in a 10. It’s not unusual!
 
@niko That’s good to know. I’m not sure what possessed me to get 2(!!) big dogs who need regular grooming, puppy fever I guess, though they were 5 and 8 months when I adopted them. Next dog is to be something with less grooming needs for sure… maybe. My only previous dog was also a VERY large poodle mix. I guess I have a type.
 
@dtrpogod Love the poodle personality but after grooming for 5 years I just know it’s too much cost for me. I’m lazy. I tell people all the time my next dog will be a hairless lol
 
@niko Ya the trade offs are difficult. Either you get a short haired dog that sheds everywhere or you get a long haired dog that doesn’t, but needs heavy grooming. Orrrr you get the worst of both worlds, like mine haha.

Sadly I don’t know of any naturally hairless breeds that are as big as I like my dogs. My smallest, the subject of this post, is about 60-65 lbs and she seems like a mini to me. My biggest was somewhere in the 90’s.
 
@dtrpogod A poodle type dog shaved down every 4-6 weeks is really low maintenance. No brushing, no loose hairs and not a lot of dirt from the longer fur.
Also i really like the texture of short poodle like fur.
 
@up4god I’m not worried about matting as I regularly brush her. I bought a 4 and didn’t have much luck, but others have offered me tips that might give me more success with that too.
 
@dtrpogod My only very, very minor concern would be if your dog is white/light skinned. A #10 could potentially irritate them, but it doesn't always happen.

Just make *absolutely sure* to check your blade very often and stop using it if it's feeling hot. The shorter the blade, the quicker they heat up and a #10 is going to heat up much quicker than a #4.

Otherwise, you should be good to go. Good on you for thinking of your dogs comfort!
 
@carl78 I am also thinking of my own time, ngl. Brushing isn’t my favourite activity in the world, plus I’m working full time and trying to do remote school 😅
 
@dtrpogod Dang, you're busy!!! FWIW I have a lot of Doodles who's owners want them very short all over. I think they look so cute this way and it's virtually no maintenance in between trims. :)
 
@dtrpogod Heck yeah, get that 10 blade in those doodle coats. They will be just fine. It'll be SUPER DUPER short right after, but you will be able to go much longer between grooms! All I can say is watch the skin very closely in vulnerable areas like the tuckup, eyes ears etc. if they have loose skin, like around the neck for example, try to pull it tight when you're shaving this close to avoid any nicks. It's going to be the easiest blade for you to use, I promise.
 
@dtrpogod OP, do these dogs live indoors? If so it's totally fine. If not, that 10 may be a bit too short and he will be more prone to sunburn.

*Edit: just saw they were "couch queens" barring walks, 10 is fine. Keep those blades cool while shaving and it will be fine.
 
@dtrpogod I wouldn't use a 10, not because it's cruel, more because it might irritate the skin and it's hard to get a nice finish. If you do it when the dog is clean and use a 7f it will still be very short but will have a more velvety finish. Personally, I'd use a 5f or 4f, those will leave a length more similar to that of a short coated dog. It will be short and no brushing needed, but enough hair that you won't see the skin and not a concern for sunburn
 
@dtrpogod I used to have to do this! I'm a groomer now, but before I was I couldn't afford to get him groomed very often so I would shave him to a 7 and take him in when he got long again. As long as you're still brushing him in between grooms getting him that short won't hurt him
 
@dtrpogod A 10 would be fine. It is pretty short, and some dogs may like a sweater in cooler weather.

If you want to try different lengths, get a set of guard combs. Depending on the set, there are usually 8 that have 1/8 inch increments. They can be used under a 10 blade, but a 30 tends to be better. If you want to go a bit more than a 10, a 5 or 4 is still short but leave a bit more fur.

Some fur can be trickier than others to cut. Back brush the coat each time you go over an area. Go over with the clippers, then use a brush against the grain, and go over again, you may need to do this a few times to get it smooth. Even short blades can benefit from this to get a more even and true to length cut.

Also ensure that you are bathing, drying, and brushing before you use the clippers. It is better for your clippers to go through a clean coat, but you also get better results.
 
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