Hi there! We live in Raleigh, NC where currently the high is around 97 degrees during the day. Our 9 month old (110 lb) berner, Barkley, is always inside where it's cool, however, we like to take him for walks in the evening and plan on taking him to the beach this summer. So, I'm thinking of getting hair cut really short but some people have said that their coats actually provide some insullation which helps cool them. He has beautiful hair so I want to make sure it will grow back the same after I cut it. Any feedback on whether or not cut his hair short would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

I was going to ask this same queston yesterday. My dog Winston will be a year old next week and we wanted to take him and get his hair cut and stuff but ive read so many different things about cutting them too short and stuff like that and it makes me nervous. I hope someone can get us some answers so we dont have super hairy or bald dogs this summer haha! Good luck!!

Hi,

I actually took my boy to get groomed last week, and we started talking triming and such. She told me never to cut a berners hair, because it will never grow back to same. I dont know if that is an actual fact, but I'm not taking any chances.

Good Luck!

We have given Riley some pretty good hair cuts ! lol Not shaved, but definitely short. It has always grown back just as beautiful as before! It wasn't really to keep him cooler. He doesn't get very hot laying on the couch in the a/c . He just seemed more comfortable. Our Vets ( and trust me we have seen a lot of them ) have never had a problem with it. But like I said, we never shaved him , but just a summer "do"

Trimming the coat is fine but actually cutting it is not a good idea firstly as mentioned the coat does a double job as already stated. It keeps them warm when cold and cool when hot.

It is also true that if you shave them them or cut to short it will effect the coat when it grows back.

I once had a good tip. Just shave under the arm pits and around the groin area amd possibly around the tumy where it doesn't show too much and will possibly grow back normally. I never did try it though so couldn't say if it would be ok.

If you are thinking of showing I definately would not shave anywhere and be careful where they are cut too.

Walking early and late and letting them find shade and cool places is the best option. If it is so hot and they do not want to exercise then leave them be. Bernese are very good at regulating what they need when it comes to exercise.

Originally Posted by bernermom

We have given Riley some pretty good hair cuts ! lol Not shaved, but definitely short. It has always grown back just as beautiful as before! It wasn't really to keep him cooler. He doesn't get very hot laying on the couch in the a/c . He just seemed more comfortable. Our Vets ( and trust me we have seen a lot of them ) have never had a problem with it. But like I said, we never shaved him , but just a summer "do"

What type of clippers does everyone use? My dog Odin has super thick hair on his back legs that I would like to thin out, but the standard pet clippers you can get for cheap don't even cut a layer of hair!

No i would'nt cut the hair back....I am a dog groomer and have been asked to do this but i think its a sin to cut a bernese hair...if you trim the hair between their toes on the pads of their feet this helps to cool them down also......

It isn't a good idea to shave Berners, trimming is probably fine but Berners, as some other breeds, have "double" coats, and as mentioned by some actually works double duty for the dog. In the hot summer months, air gets trapped in between the under coat and the skin keeping them cool, yes they will pant and to the touch you will think they are too hot but keep in mind their fur is black, which attracts the sun. Where in the winter months just the opposite works, heat given off from their body gets trapped in between those coats and keeps them warm. Our Berners like to lay outside in the afternoons and evenings in the winter, not matter what the temp is for hours on end.

With this information it is still the owners responsibility of what is a good time to take your dog outside when it is warm, usually mornings and evenings are the best times but good judgement is always encouraged...just because they have this cooling feature doesn't mean they can go out whenever, no matter what dogs can still over heat and get heat exhaustion...always carrying lots of water is definitely recommended anytime during the summer months.