Since becoming a dog owner once more, I take a lot more notice of other peoples. Are we clipping and grooming our pooches to within an inch? Now your poodle was always a fancy beast..although recently I meet owners who delight in apricot/grey au naturele but what ever happened to the glorious Dulux image of the Old English. Yorkies and Westies are unrecognizable from their gorgeous scrappy ancestors. I have met owners who came back weeping from the groomers because their Schitzus were scalped but on the whole it seem bare is beautiful.
What's the reason for this?
Fashion?
Central Heating?
The rise and availability of dog grooming?
Busy lives so we use the professionals.
More show dogs?

I am not passing judgement..I 'm sure there are happier dogs when the weather gets warmer.
I sit outside is all as the owner of breed which should never be clipped..sensitive skin ...air conditioning etc...despite her hairiness. And she is brushed well and truly every morning

PS That's her air con not ours...

Years ago we had Archie the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel come join the Combat Corgis and our family. I had no knowledge of how an Archie should be groomed. I done my best with the combing of his leg and ear tats but after about a month I knew I needed a proper professional "DO".

I booked in a "Do" at a groomers and had to point at a dog waiting for his/her mummy when the groomer person asked me what breed Archie was. I knew he was a cav or or king charles spaniel but I didn't know enough to know exactly what spaniel he was. I'm not a spaniel person - please don't pick on me. I told the groomer NOT TO SHAVE HIM. I wanted Archie all groomed and a wee bit trimmed if needed.

That groomer told me how to keep on top of the tats Archie would get on his ears and legs. She also told me how best to do the week to week and day to day grooming his breed needed.

We loved Archie and I found out how lazy some dog owners can be when it comes to grooming. Some people do take their dogs to be shaved so they don't have to comb or teaze the tats from their coats. I mean would you just buzz cut a toddlers hair 'coz you can't be arsed combing or brushing it once a day?

The combat corgis are going for a mini spa day next week or maybe in a months time - I just have to see how the money is and what bills need to be paid.

Corgis cast hair all the time and when funds allow I do like to take them twice a year for a "Do" or Mini Spa - they get the claws and ears and anal glands all sorted out and the wash and blow dry they get is amazing! It stays for ages

It's quite simple really. Pet care has advanced and improved a lot in recent years, and just like the veterinary options now available, so is a whole host of other things. People love their pets, and are far more clued up on the whole aspect of owning one, the vast choices of food around, the notion of tooth brushing (which no one would have even thought of years ago), and the importance of good regular grooming care. Imagine how you feel when you've been to the hairdressers, all refreshed and 'the feel good factor', dogs are the same, I get them coming to me in need of a really good cut and brush/wash up, and when finished the difference in them is astounding, they bounce and jump around with a renewed enthusiasm and its delightful to see.

What's on the outside is just as important as what's inside, if a dog doesn't look very good he won't be feeling his best either, and dirty, matted, unkempt hair is perfect for hiding lumps, sores, and parasites. I see a lot of dogs who clearly aren't brushed ( the owner says they do, but all they really mean is that they run a brush on the back of the dog, where its easy to reach) because I find the awkward places, like the back of the legs, behind the ears etc all matted, either because the dog won't let them brush it, or they've got a breed with unsuitable grooming requirements for what they can manage/are prepared to. A lot of breeds have a hair length and style totally unsuitable for the average pet, and these I advise customers to have clipped, not necessarily short completely, but to a nicely manageable length, otherwise I can see the unmanageable mess that will be on my table in 8 weeks time.

Having said that, I personally can not see the point in getting a beautiful long coated breed like a Maltese then clipping it as short as possible cos I can't be arsed to look after it! Might as well get a short coated breed to start with! I also really don't like the idiotic idea to shave short breeds that shouldn't be shaved, such as Pomeranians, which is actually detrimental to the dog's health, a clip and tidy up, yes, but not shaved completely like I've seen some done.

I used to have a dog who was a cross bred german shepherd/newfoundland and very thick coated. The first summer we had him he was miserable, far too hot. He was clipped every summer after that to make him more comfortable. Only done once he'd finished moulting though. If it's for the good of the dog, then fine, but I do wonder about people who get something long haired, then don't bother with the upkeep of the coat. It's much easy to do a quick brush everyday rather than try to do it once every while.

This ^

We had an 'anybodys guess' probably long haired shepherd in there who had the most beautiful long thick golden coat with a thick white undercoat. As he got older the vet advised us to get it chopped off in summer to keep him more comfortable. We couldn't find a groomer willing to do it! they said he shouldn't be cut and we wouldn't be happy. Eventually the kennels we used agreed to do it as someone there had been a groomer, he looked fantastic, looked and acted like a puppy, everyone thought we'd got a new dog. It gave him a whole new lease of life. We just had him clipped in future at the start and middle of summer.

I keep my poodle trimmed very short even on her ears as she hates being groomed and it just makes life better for her to be cut every two months and a quick pass over with a brush the rest of the time. I can't see the point in making her unhappy just to fit in with the breed specifications when she's fourteen years old and not going to be shown.

My Chinese crested,needs a coat,not a haircut,he's already hairless,well apart from his head,feet and tail. And very handsome he is too.

Maybe practical reasons or health reasons (I'm thinking skin conditions). I always liked our Westie longer than most. Most we see are clipped really severely on the body, and some poor sods clipped severely all over, completely losing the Westie look. By god, she took some brushing - daily - and never looked tidy. I mean, I like the scruffy, natural look but she went beyond that and just looked neglected.

I caved at the last grooming appt and agreed to have her shorter on the body - even though I knew I would hate it. I have to say it took me about a day to get used to it but once I did I realised it was the best thing for her. She keeps so much tidier looking with half as much effort. And as it's starting to grow out she's kept the Westie shape that I like all over. Love my groomer!

I like to keep a bit of the breed about them but sometimes you have to compromise for practical reasons. I mean, I admire anyone who can keep show Westies looking the business with skirts almost to the floor but ours would end up bringing half the forest home in her undercarriage if I kept them really long.

Mum is a bit of a stickler. Hers is the only Shih Tzu on her groomer's books who has long hair. The others all want a short puppy clip. But then mum doesn't work anymore so she has the time and loves nothing more than brushing her dogs. A blinking days work in itself! I know I couldn't keep that up.

Mind you, there aren't many 'pampered pooches' round here anyway. It's all labs and spaniels, guttered to the eyeballs, and collies out working in the fields round these parts. I suspect anyone with a diamante collar or doggy hoody would be asked to leave the area. I have a contraband bandana put away for a special occasion but I'm always looking over my shoulder.

Duncan was the only one we had who needed clipping, Yorkshire terrier who was a real boy, loved rolling in stuff and generally smellier the better. So we kept him close clipped was far easier to keep him clean. If we had allowed him to have his full coat we would have had to have stopped his boyish delight in cow poo and fox dirt.

Also I don't know if anyone else has witnessed this after a clipping he was like a puppy for day, like a weight of his shoulders it was !

That's what our Zeus was like after being clipped but it lasted longer than a day but he was more like a puppy than an old man!

I have a jack x poodle. He mostly has the jr short coat but with a mane round his neck.i use my bfs clippers to clip him in summer. Do a good job too