shaving a pug?

We have shaved our pug for years. Paco has a very thick coat and we live in South Louisiana. Also, it helps his itchy skin. He has very bad allergies and scratches alot. It doesnt look good or feel good to us, but to him, you can tell it makes a big difference. We do not shave him to the skin, but at least one coat off. Its cooler for him and if we apply meds or shampoos, its easier.

The amount of shedding also has to do with the characteristic of their coats. Chester is a puppy mill dog and has a much thinner single coat. He doesn't shed that much at all. Bruno was bred as a show dog and has the full blown pug double coat -- if you stare at him for more than 30 seconds, you'll see a puff of hair fall off him.

Two Crazy Pugs wrote:

papaspugs wrote:The Furminator doesn't actually remove the hairs, it just breaks the hairs off mid-shaft. It has been told to my by a professional pug handler to use a boars head brush to brush their coat 5 min/day. The brushing will remove the hairs that would naturally fall out. You can also use a product "The Stuff" that will moisturize their skin and promote a healty coat.

Where do you get a boars head brush?

Cindi, some drug stores sell them. I actually found a boards head brush at a little hair kiosk at the Venetian. Just buy the people brush -- boars head brushes do amazing things to human hair, too -- your hair just glistens after a brushing, but the bristles can be pretty prickly.

smoochieface wrote: full blown pug double coat -- if you stare at him for more than 30 seconds, you'll see a puff of hair fall off him.

Franklin is the same way, I've got a collection of brushes and stuff under the bathroom sink, I found the best thing that works is a CAT brush (seriously, the kind you would use on a long haired cat)..LOL. i take him outside and just brush away...its kind of gross the amount of hair that floats away.



In the past I've thought about shaving him, (it does get really miserably hot here in the south), but Cameron has been Franklin's saving grace...Cameron thinks Franklin looks goofy enough with hair, we shouldn't give him a complex by making him bald...HA!

Just adding in that Reggie has been on fish oil (omega-3s) for about 3 months and combined with with a good diet and regular brushing, his shedding has reduced 50-75%. I'm actually still shocked at how much less shedding there is.

pugpillow wrote:Pugs shed. Deal with it. If people don't do their research and so don't know that pugs shed, then they, not the dogs, should have to pay the consequences. Sorry, I'm not tactful like Blanche. If you can't deal with shedding, get a shedless breed.

I was really hesitant last summer before I shave Billy the first time because I read many responses like the above, but I did it anyway and I am glad I did. So glad, in fact, I did it again a few weeks ago and I will continue to do it for the rest of our lives together.

Billy has a long, thick double coat and sheds like a maniac in the summer. Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but it reduced his shedding dramatically and he is totally fine with it. He practically falls asleep in the process and seems to enjoy the feeling of being shaved. I don't shave him down too close, he has at least a half an inch of growth left so a sunburn isn't an issue. Plus, when it is too hot, I am ultra cautious and never have him out for too long. There is just nothing about it that is traumatic for him, nor damaging. His fur grows back perfectly normal and he is set for the cold winter months.

Aesthetically he looks a little bit lighter in color and like a puppy again. It is smooth and soft going one way, but more prickly when going against the grain. Big deal. It is worth it, and if you are thinking about it, go for it. It grows back and there are multiple advantages.

The difference is that you left some hair on him. It's people that shave their pugs down to the skin that tick me off totally.

pugpillow wrote:The difference is that you left some hair on him. It's people that shave their pugs down to the skin that tick me off totally.

Who would do that? That defies the realm of common sense and those people, quite possibly, shouldn't own a dog!

Precisely, and that was my point. We got into rescue a dog who had been shaved to his skin and was severely traumatized and required a lot of behavioural conditioning before his foster parent could even touch his back. And then there is the itchiness that comes with the hair growing back in. If you have ever shaved places on your own body not normally shaved, you know how itchy that is!

pugpillow wrote:The difference is that you left some hair on him. It's people that shave their pugs down to the skin that tick me off totally.

When I first asked this question, my intention was not to shave to the skin!!!! I can't imagine why someone would. Without any hair they would sun burn, itch, not be able to cool/heat, etc. I guess I asked the question wrong. I never considered someone shaving a dog to the skin.

Two Crazy Pugs wrote:

pugpillow wrote:The difference is that you left some hair on him. It's people that shave their pugs down to the skin that tick me off totally.

When I first asked this question, my intention was not to shave to the skin!!!! I can't imagine why someone would. Without any hair they would sun burn, itch, not be able to cool/heat, etc. I guess I asked the question wrong. I never considered someone shaving a dog to the skin.

I will say that I'm still uncomfortable with the notion of shaving a short haired dog, but I do understand that you don't mean to the skin, but we've seen it in the rescue. I think it is hard not to shave too closely with a short haired dog like a pug. But the reality is that I do what I'm most comfortable with and other folks do what they are most comfortable with. And I live in Canada and not Nevada!

pugpillow wrote:Pugs shed. Deal with it. If people don't do their research and so don't know that pugs shed, then they, not the dogs, should have to pay the consequences. Sorry, I'm not tactful like Blanche. If you can't deal with shedding, get a shedless breed.

I quoted this bc I have had re modelers/renovators in my house for about a month now and all they did/do (today is the last day) is bitc! about my pets!!! They told me my 9 year old black lab Pepper is an outside dog and I am stupid for keeping her in the house, then they told me that I am an absolute crazy person for even having a pug bc I may as well have had a special needs child with as much attention that he gets (and those of you that know me know that Julian has more breathing issues than most pugs but he is the love of my life)...don't let me get started on the speal I heard about my cats!!!!

Wow, you do not really know someone until they start talking about your fur-babies, that is the best way to piss me off!!! I have a dyson for Chris* sake, I can vacuum hair, its not killing me...so enough!

A dog has hair, if you do not want to deal with that in some way shape or form, get a Fish!!!

PS Not a personal attack on anyone, just sick of what I have been dealing with for 4 weeks and I am thankful that it is over, thank God my floor guy was a hottie :):):):):):)

PSS I do not believe that there is such a thing as an outside doge, I love my babies very much and they will live with me....IN MY HOUSE!!!!!!

Whew, long rant, sorry :)

LOL. I hear you. A couple of years ago when we were interviewing contractors to do some renovations to accommodate the dogs (ramp, doors), one of the contractors said, "Wouldn't it be easier just to get rid of the dogs?". I got rid of the contractor.

I find it amazing that a contractor would talk that kind of sh!t to somebody who was paying the bills. I wouldn't put up with it. My Pugs are part of my family!

pugpillow wrote:LOL. I hear you. A couple of years ago when we were interviewing contractors to do some renovations to accommodate the dogs (ramp, doors), one of the contractors said, "Wouldn't it be easier just to get rid of the dogs?". I got rid of the contractor.

CSollers wrote:I find it amazing that a contractor would talk that kind of sh!t to somebody who was paying the bills. I wouldn't put up with it. My Pugs are part of my family!

A big part of the reason I went with the contractor I did for my first floor renos was that he has a shih tzu and completely understood my dog needs. Even gave me some excellent advice on appliance colour based on all the shih tzu nose prints on his......

ocnside wrote:

pugpillow wrote:Pugs shed. Deal with it. If people don't do their research and so don't know that pugs shed, then they, not the dogs, should have to pay the consequences. Sorry, I'm not tactful like Blanche. If you can't deal with shedding, get a shedless breed.

I quoted this bc I have had re modelers/renovators in my house for about a month now and all they did/do (today is the last day) is bitc! about my pets!!! They told me my 9 year old black lab Pepper is an outside dog and I am stupid for keeping her in the house, then they told me that I am an absolute crazy person for even having a pug bc I may as well have had a special needs child with as much attention that he gets (and those of you that know me know that Julian has more breathing issues than most pugs but he is the love of my life)...don't let me get started on the speal I heard about my cats!!!!

Wow, you do not really know someone until they start talking about your fur-babies, that is the best way to piss me off!!! I have a dyson for Chris* sake, I can vacuum hair, its not killing me...so enough!

A dog has hair, if you do not want to deal with that in some way shape or form, get a Fish!!!

PS Not a personal attack on anyone, just sick of what I have been dealing with for 4 weeks and I am thankful that it is over, thank God my floor guy was a hottie :):):):):):)

PSS I do not believe that there is such a thing as an outside doge, I love my babies very much and they will live with me....IN MY HOUSE!!!!!!

Whew, long rant, sorry :)

Wow. That is some sets of stones that clang on the ground when they walk! Why do some people think that they can talk smack about our furkids? Gee, do they think that we don't know that our pugs shed? Snort? Snore? Rule us with iron paws? And do they really think that we don't love them in spite of/because of their quirks? As someone here has said before, what assclowns! I would have been sorely tempted to fire their butts on the spot!!!!