Do you trim your long coats feet?

hmeiss · 05-09-2011, 09:29 PM

My trainer told me I should trim Sophie's feet for the summer since dogs sweat through their feet as well as their tongue. I'd never heard that about their feet, so thought I'd ask here. Do those of you with long coats trim their feet? I love the look of her "bunny slippers" but certainly don't want her to overheat.

onyx'girl · 05-09-2011, 09:31 PM

Yes, I think they should be trimmed up in between the pads. Though I've always thought the fur was protective/keeping heat off the pads. I started trimming during winter, to keep the ice chunks at bay, and just keep on trimming now. You can leave the top fluff if you want,to me the fluff is just a dirt/mud collector.

spiritsmom · 05-09-2011, 11:03 PM

Just me but I hate the furry slipper look so I constantly trim their feet. I use clippers for the underside between the pads and scissors for the top.

Lin · 05-09-2011, 11:19 PM

I love my girls fuzzy feet... I do have to comb them though so it doesn't mat. I trim on the underside and between the pads to help with traction, but I leave the fur on the top long.

hmeiss · 05-10-2011, 06:35 AM

Thanks for the replies. I guess i'll trim around the pads and leave the fuzz on top. I was thinking it would be a problem in winter with the ice balls but this past winter it hadn't gotten too long yet. Just didn't want to do anything that would cause her to have hot sweaty feet!

Stosh · 05-10-2011, 08:39 AM

Stosh had his trimmed for the first time and it helped cut down on all the sand and dirt he tracked in the house. I love the fuzzy slipper look too but it was a good idea to trim them

Lilie · 05-10-2011, 09:14 AM

Here in south Texas we have dirt that we call Black Gumbo. When it's wet it sticks to everything and then dries rock hard. I keep Hondo's pads trimmed as short as I can to avoid the gumbo from hardening between his pads. Even a tiny bit can cause irritation to him.

Quinnsmom · 05-10-2011, 09:56 AM

I trim tops and bottoms of Quinn's feet. It helps him with traction on slippery floors, keeps the ice balls minimized in winter and lets the feet dry out in wet weather. If he stays damp between the pads he gets irritated skin and a funky smell, probably part of his allergy situation.

**Cassidy's Mom** · 05-10-2011, 10:02 AM

I've never trimmed my LC's feet.

kiya · 05-10-2011, 10:09 AM

I trim the hair on thier feet for snow & mud. Unfortunately I think it makes them slide on the floors more when the hair is trimmed.

05-09-2011, 09:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
hmeiss Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 37	Do you trim your long coats feet? My trainer told me I should trim Sophie's feet for the summer since dogs sweat through their feet as well as their tongue. I'd never heard that about their feet, so thought I'd ask here. Do those of you with long coats trim their feet? I love the look of her "bunny slippers" but certainly don't want her to overheat.

05-09-2011, 09:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,600	Yes, I think they should be trimmed up in between the pads. Though I've always thought the fur was protective/keeping heat off the pads. I started trimming during winter, to keep the ice chunks at bay, and just keep on trimming now. You can leave the top fluff if you want,to me the fluff is just a dirt/mud collector. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

05-09-2011, 11:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
spiritsmom Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Middletown, Ohio Posts: 5,812	Just me but I hate the furry slipper look so I constantly trim their feet. I use clippers for the underside between the pads and scissors for the top. __________________ Michelle Spirited Shepherds IntCH Blackthorn's Onyx RN BN ~ Nyxie 7/4/10 (LC GSD) Int JuA Spirited Glory of Brick Chapel ~ Glory 5/12/11 (Shiloh Shepherd) Nat BA Spirited's Twilight Sparkle of Lobo ~ Tala 12/20/11 (Australian Shepherd)

05-09-2011, 11:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
Lin Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 3,243	I love my girls fuzzy feet... I do have to comb them though so it doesn't mat. I trim on the underside and between the pads to help with traction, but I leave the fur on the top long. __________________ Sorry dude. I can't live up to your expectations all of the time. Sometimes I'm going drink six miniature bottles of rum and then draw horses. That's just the way the world works. - Allie Brosh

05-10-2011, 09:14 AM	#7 (permalink)
Lilie Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Texas Posts: 6,273	Here in south Texas we have dirt that we call Black Gumbo. When it's wet it sticks to everything and then dries rock hard. I keep Hondo's pads trimmed as short as I can to avoid the gumbo from hardening between his pads. Even a tiny bit can cause irritation to him. __________________ Hondo Von Dopplet L Bauernhof "Hondo"- GSD Lilie's Tug McGraw "Tug" - Golden Retriever Maggie - Mini Dachshund (Rescue) Lonestar - Texas Blue Lacy Funyon, Ashe, Soot - Barn Cats Scooter /1/2 Arabian, Shadow, Katie / APHA

05-10-2011, 06:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
hmeiss Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 37	Thanks for the replies. I guess i'll trim around the pads and leave the fuzz on top. I was thinking it would be a problem in winter with the ice balls but this past winter it hadn't gotten too long yet. Just didn't want to do anything that would cause her to have hot sweaty feet!

05-10-2011, 08:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
Stosh Crowned Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: tyler texas Posts: 8,434	Stosh had his trimmed for the first time and it helped cut down on all the sand and dirt he tracked in the house. I love the fuzzy slipper look too but it was a good idea to trim them

05-10-2011, 09:56 AM	#8 (permalink)
Quinnsmom Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: GTA, Ontario, Canada Posts: 309	I trim tops and bottoms of Quinn's feet. It helps him with traction on slippery floors, keeps the ice balls minimized in winter and lets the feet dry out in wet weather. If he stays damp between the pads he gets irritated skin and a funky smell, probably part of his allergy situation. __________________ Please don't litter. Neuter your pets! Quinn, Mar. 8/2007 Shadow, 1995-2007, always in my heart

05-10-2011, 10:02 AM	#9 (permalink)
Cassidy's Mom No Stinkin' Leashes Moderator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 24,945	I've never trimmed my LC's feet. __________________ -Debbie- Dena 9/12/04-10/4/08 Forever would have been too short Keefer 8/25/05 Halo 11/9/08 Cassidy 6/8/00-10/4/04

05-10-2011, 10:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
kiya Elite Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,907	I trim the hair on thier feet for snow & mud. Unfortunately I think it makes them slide on the floors more when the hair is trimmed. __________________ Carolyn Apache - Shiloh Shepherd 12/15/02 Kiya - Shiloh Shepherd 5/15/04 Lakota - WGSD 1/13/10

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