Dog Owner Chat v2

[Saracirce]

Classified as the same breed:
Poodles (standard, miniature and toy), Manchester Terriers (standard and toy), Xoloitzcuintli (standard and toy (I think??)), American Eskimo Dogs, Beagles, Portugese Podengo (Pequeno, Medio, Grande), Dachshunds (Miniature and Standard)

Classified as different breeds (by AKC):
Greyhound and Italian Greyhound (and possibly whippet), Bull Terrier and Miniature Bull Terrier, Large Munsterlander and Small Munsterlander

I think that's it. Note that I'm NOT including breeds that were outcrossed to get a smaller version. Only ones that I'm pretty sure came from selectively breeding for sizes. Also, I may have forgotten some.

[MacGyver]

AGH! I had no idea there were large munsterlanders!

[gwanu]

o hey
first time posting
no way

well I've got four dogs,
one is a german shepherd, other is chowchow,
third is a welsh pembroke and last one is a sheep dog.
tho the last two don't live with me so I don't see them too often.

I think I'm most close with the chowchow.
He's now about one year old and has never had his fur trimmed.
Some consider him to look similar to a lion.
Do you guys think it's time to trim his hair? It's quite large and I've
had increasing troubles with putting on his collar when it's time
for walkies.

[Dizzy socks]

o hey
first time posting
no way

well I've got four dogs,
one is a german shepherd, other is chowchow,
third is a welsh pembroke and last one is a sheep dog.
tho the last two don't live with me so I don't see them too often.

I think I'm most close with the chowchow.
He's now about one year old and has never had his fur trimmed.
Some consider him to look similar to a lion.
Do you guys think it's time to trim his hair? It's quite large and I've
had increasing troubles with putting on his collar when it's time
for walkies.

I would say it's time when it's hindering him in in any way, for example obscuring his eyes, or becoming matted, or by him being too hot.

And welcome c:.

[gwanu]

he does have some troubles breathing when he lays down on his back
but I doubt that's because of the fur, could be that he's a bit too fat
or some other problems.
He's had a few health issues regarding his legs but that's all fixed.
Thank you c:

[Saracirce]

I was going to refrain from saying anything because I'm personally not that up to date on chows. But I do know you should NEVER shave a double coated dog. Double coats were evolved to deal with BOTH heat and cold. Shaving down a double coat several times wrecks the guard hairs and affects how they grow.

If your double coated dog is matting, that's YOUR fault. You need to brush them more often/better and feed them a better food to improve their coat quality.

[gwanu]

i was not going to shave him, I just thought that i'd trim it a little since he looks like a huge ball of fluff.
and he's quite tall. Tho his fur is not matting and is in perfect condition, nor is it getting into his eyes
but i've seen some comments online regarding the fur and they said it would be best to trim it a little.
but since winter is coming i doubt that i'll do that.
he seems quite alright.

[Dizzy socks]

I was going to refrain from saying anything because I'm personally not that up to date on chows. But I do know you should NEVER shave a double coated dog. Double coats were evolved to deal with BOTH heat and cold. Shaving down a double coat several times wrecks the guard hairs and affects how they grow.

If your double coated dog is matting, that's YOUR fault. You need to brush them more often/better and feed them a better food to improve their coat quality.

I meant trimming as oppose to shaving.

And when I say matted, I do think it's sometimes unavoidable. I have a dog who gets mats under her elbows, only small ones, but she hates being bruised there, she's just very sensitive. So, we trim them.

[★ nirvana,]

QUESTION: Do you think it's cruel or cute to dress up dogs? Do you dress up your dogs?

[Dizzy socks]

QUESTION: Do you think it's cruel or cute to dress up dogs? Do you dress up your dogs?

Personally, I think the only time it's acceptable to dress up a dog is if they are, for example, a Greyhound, or just a dog with a very short or hairless coat in general, and are going to be out in cold weather. Then, I suppose it's fine to have them them wear a sweater or a coat.

I'm with you on this one, most of the time. Occasionally I think it's just harmless fun, but even then I personally feel for their dignity >.<