Springtime is a great time to get a new hairdo. I recently got my hair cut really short, shorter than I’ve ever had it. It’s so easy to take care of and it felt so good to get that extra hair off. I started thinking about how dogs must feel when they get their hair (fur) cut. I used to have a little mutt dog, Buster, who was probably a mix between a poodle and a terrier, and looked like a little Old English sheepdog. His fur got pretty long, especially on his face and oftentimes covered his eyes. I used to trim the fur around his eyes so he could see better. Sometimes he’d get sticks and other debris caught in the fur on his back legs and stomach so I decided to take the scissors (probably not the best idea) and give him a trim. It was kind of like the bowl cut, you know, the one your mom used to do on your bangs where she kept cutting shorter and shorter to try to get them straight. He ended up with a pretty short hair do. At first, he seemed kind of embarrassed, shy and not quite sure what had happened to him. Then, he expressed this new sense of freedom and energy. No more dragging sticks around behind him and he could actually see where he was going!

One of my coworkers used to bring her poodle puppy to the office. It was a great way to socialize the puppy and get him used to different people. We all really liked him; he was cute and fun to play with and he enjoyed all the attention he received when he was in the office. As part of his socialization and training, she took him to the groomers periodically for a bath and trim. Then, one day, when he was getting close to a year old, he got the poodle cut. You know, the cut the show dogs get for competitions. The next time he came into the office, we didn’t recognize him. And, not only had he gotten the poodle do, but he had a new poodle do attitude too. He strutted around and you could tell he thought he was cute and very important.

So, consider getting your dog a new do for the summer. Whether you decide to have a professional groomer do it or do it yourself, your dog could experience less shedding, smell better and be more comfortable. It could even help managefleas and ticks. Just watch out for that attitude!