To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

Ok, my Red Heeler (aka Australian Cattle Dog) sheds profusely and always seems to be panting. I was thinking of using the clippers I have to buzz some of her hair off (not balk, just down to like an inch thick) .... BUT I'm not sure if human clippers will work well on dog fur!? Also, someone recently told me that their hair actually helps to keep them cool which I didn't think made sense since she sheds much worse in the Summer. So does anyone know FOR SURE?

1) Can I use human hair clippers on a dog successfully?

2) Does buzzing their fur a bit actually help to cool them down or not?

3) Will buzzing them help with shedding?

(Any groomers or vet techs answers would be greatly appreciated!!!)

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

1. you can, but they don't last as long or work as well. animal ones are much better for animals. (the blades reach different lengths than human ones.)

2. no, it won't help cool her down. she isn't a breed with a double coat like a sheltie or chow. most dog hair has hollow parts in it where it holds in heat or cold (whichever is needed), acting like insulation in a sleeping bag.

3. not really. daily brushing with a shedding blade will do that though. (it's a curved comb that's looped around like a big "O" with a handle - it works GREAT on breeds like this.)

i'd go against shaving %26amp; just do a quick thorough brush once a day. and if the dog keeps up with heavy panting, you may want to take it to a vet just to make sure everything's okay. some breeds are prone to heart issues which can show up as panting. it's probably not the case, but it's better to know for sure.

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

1. No you can use human clippers take her to a groomers.

2. No buzzing them does not help cool them down. Their fur helps insulate them from the hot as well as the cold weather.

3. No it doesn't help. She will just shed shorter hair. The shedding will not slow down.

You need to just keep brushing your dog and keep it up. Getting all the loose hair will help more than anything else too with shedding.

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

The vet will buzz your dos hair FOR you. They have a special kind of clippers for dogs. Not human hair clippers/. Buzzing eases the shedding a little, but not completely. I would reccomend buzzing only for summer and any other hot time of the year.

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

Yes human clippers will work.

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

I used to have a Shetland sheepdog who had a VERY thick coat. Every summer we would shave her down to about an inch thick. She seemed much happier, there was less shedding, and by leaving the inch or so she didn't get sun burnt or anything.

We bought a special set of clippers. You can actually buy dog grooming kits with the right clippers.

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

No. buzz cutting will not help shedding..Short coated dogs shed more because hair is constatntly dying and falling out--i.e shedding. Long coated dogs have longe shank hair which does not shed--they just shed their undercoat twice a year--thus they are sometimes refered to as "non-shedding" dogs--which isn't exactly true.

cutting the hair will not help stop shedding.

A good brushing with a pin brush will help pull out the dead hair. If the skin is scaley and dry--try spraying with Listerine--it helps stop the dry skin and smells.

To Buzz or Not to Buzz? And what to Buzz with?

What will keep you warm in the winter, (dog fur), will keep you cool in the summer. INSULATION!!! the dog has been suplied by nature with INSULATION to protect if from the elimates.