Shaving a Bloodhound?

[amysue2638]

I have a Bloodhound coming in tomorrow for a shave. I get a lot of requests to shave Labs, Goldens, even Beagles, but never a Bloodhound. Has anyone ever shaved one? If so, what blade works best? Is it tough to shave over all that loose skin? Help!

[Arrooh]

It will be hard

but they often smell even the day after a bath so I'll bet that has something to do with it. I shave a Pug every 3 weeks. I reverse with a #5 blade across the body using higher suction on the TaxiVac to help the hair stand up. I have to go fairly slow to hold the skin tight to get over the wrinklely areas. She looks real good. I use a 7 on the legs and under chest.

[jlb0831]

I do quite a few smooth coated dogs that get shaved. I use either a reverse 4, 5 or 7. Which ever takes off the amount the owner wants and makes the dog smooth. I always wash the dogs first and use the HV to make the coat as workable as possible.

[luvpups]

Here is a bloodhound mix, i did a 7 revese and it came out nice.

[amysue2638]

Here is a bloodhound mix, i did a 7 revese and it came out nice.

Can you post the picture? Thanks!!!

[darbygoo]

?????

Why would you shave a shorthaired breed. It ruins the coat and then they shed more little hairs. Hounds get stinky(I have a Basset) but we bathe ours once a month and Furminate him. I give him Solid Gold and no more stink. I think we need to ask clients why they want this done then just doing it.
If you have to for allergy reasons then I have used a 5 reverse with thinning shears and you have to hold the skin taunt. You can cut these areas easily.

[rapuzzled]

Why would you shave a shorthaired breed. It ruins the coat and then they shed more little hairs. Hounds get stinky(I have a Basset) but we bathe ours once a month and Furminate him. I give him Solid Gold and no more stink. I think we need to ask clients why they want this done then just doing it.
If you have to for allergy reasons then I have used a 5 reverse with thinning shears and you have to hold the skin taunt. You can cut these areas easily.

I don't see anything wrong with shaving a short haired dog. It does help with the shedding. Sure they shed just as much, but it's little hairs, much easier to keep up with the vacuuming. I shave my beagles during the summer. As for ruining the coat, I don't know about that. I think that the only way the coat would be ruined is if there is already an underlying medical condition.
Also, you mentioned that we should ask clients why...I'm not sure about this either. It's their dog. It's not going to hurt the dog to shave it. And if I don't do it they may very well take their money down the road to another shop.

[luvpups]

sorry! I must have messed that one up. here it is. this dog gets shaved because the owner says the dog is allergic to his own hair. the less there is the less of a problem. (dont ask me, that is what she said). i will do whatever the customer wants. they are the ones paying, plus i dont think there is anything wrong with it.

[amysue2638]

Why would you shave a shorthaired breed. It ruins the coat and then they shed more little hairs. Hounds get stinky(I have a Basset) but we bathe ours once a month and Furminate him. I give him Solid Gold and no more stink. I think we need to ask clients why they want this done then just doing it.
If you have to for allergy reasons then I have used a 5 reverse with thinning shears and you have to hold the skin taunt. You can cut these areas easily.

I don't agree that it does ruin the coat. I shaved a lab every 6 weeks for about a year until the owner decided to let it grow out again. His coat grew out fine and looked as shiny and healthy as ever! If the coat doesn't grow back correctly most likely there is a medical problem that the shaving may have just brought light to.

Also I do not automatically just go ahead and do whatever an owner asks of me without first asking some questions of my own. In this particular instance she had the dog FURminated before somewhere else and she said it didn't make much of a difference, so she wanted to go the route of shaving. I always give my customers alternatives to shaving, with the benefits and drawback of each, then let them decide what they would like.

[Pixie]

luvpups, great shave job!

I have a couple of short haired dogs that I shave too. The owners just like having less hair on them I guess.

[greyhoundlover]

shaving short hair can be bad

I have shaved alot of labs and I tell them the truth about it. "You can shave him 10 times and let him grow out 10 times and be fine but then the 11th time he may come back patchy or softer or different color in some or all areas of the coat. or you can shave them one time and it may have problems from the first time you shave him." I tell them this from experience. I see it all the time. so Yes is can affect the coat. I see it a lot on poms I give a lion cut to as well.

[PoodlePrimper]

Shaving the bloodhound.

If the parents say he's too stinky he can come live with me. There's always room for another hound here. My Lloyd is getting offended with all this stinky hound talkin.

[doggroomer123]

i have never shaved a smooth coated dog before. it seems kind of strange. But great job on the grooming! it looks so smooth!

[luvpups]

This is the only one i reverse shave, and yes it does come out smooth. Thanks fo the compliments!