# long or short hair in summer



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i am constantly struggeling with Djangos hair during the summer months.. he's always in a puppy cut but we go shorter in the summer. with black in his coat, he always get so hot when the sun hits his little body. 

i've heard 2 schools of thought, keep them long cuz it keeps them cool and keep them short cuz it keeps him cool. he's never had a long coat and i never shave him down, his coats about 1" in the summer which seems short but his coat is SUPER thick. what do you do?


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I always cut my guys very short in the summer - mainly because they are outside so much, rolling in everything, and getting mated up. Once I cut them really short, I just let Lexi and Logan grow for the next year - so they are longer in the winter (just in time for ice balls (lol)) until spring and mud rolls around again, and we go short. My guys seem so much happier in the summer with their short hair.


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## AKathy (Mar 15, 2008)

I keep Stella in a puppy cut year around. She matts so easily that it's just easier for me to keep her hair short.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I really think it's an individual thing, based on the family AND on the dog's coat type. Kodi has a lighter, silkier coat, and I've never clipped him. He doesn't seem uncomfortable in the summer with his long coat. I do clip his belly in the summer (where you can't see it) both to give him some cooling off space, and also to cut down on the stuff dragged in from the yard!:biggrin1:


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

It is a matter of personal preference and the activities of your dog during the summer. This is what I have read about their coat.
"Because of the tropical nature of the Havanese, the fine and lightweight coat is designed to act as a sunshade and cooling agent on hot days. This means that, though the coat is abundant and may appear warm, the Havanese must be protected from the cold."


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

It is a personal choice ,but as far as helping cool the dog, I would leave it long. I have one article ,but this topic came up years ago on my other forum and I remember someone had some scientific info on it. Unfortunately I didn;t save it. Here's the one article I have. http://www.veterinaryinsider.com/pu...Dogs-Hair-Coat-For-The-Summer-Think-Again.cfm My new groomer said this to my wife last week as a matter of fact. She has taken numerous courses and says that she's glad we keep Molly long ,and that was one of the reasons. LOL I am always of the belief that it's there for a purpose.


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## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

Panda is miserable with her coat long. She has that heavy cottony coat and its like a blanket. She hogs the a/c vents in every room even in a 1" puppy cut (which we let grow to about 3" in the winter). She's happy - and therefore I'm happy!


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## Narwyn (Jan 24, 2010)

A correct Havanese coat (and undercoat) is designed to keep them cool. If they have a nice, light/fluffy/airy/silky coat, some hair will make them cooler. If they have a less ideal thick, cottony coat, it's not going to help to keep the hair on them. 

BUT remember that if you got short on the hair, you need to think about skin protection/sun screen because the longer hair would normally protect the skin.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Modern dogs kept indoors all the time get aclimated to the cool of the air conditioner as we humans have. I expect that is why your dogs hog the AC vents. Where the Havanese originated from there was no such thing as AC -- nor was there in most of the US in my childhood either. Therefore the coat served its purpose. If your dog gets a lot of outside time then the hair probably does what it is designed to do if not then I expect it is like us humans putting on shorts in the summer. Rosie curls up in the blanket so far as the AC is on now. (it finally got warm enough to turn off the heat). She nor I are going to be out in the extreme heat this summer so it is not an issue for me.


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