Those of you with grooming experience, is it as bad to shave a Golden Retriever as it is to shave a Husky? I ask because my soon to be brother and sister in law who are stationed in Okinawa have a Golden, and they have been routinely shaving her since they got her in August. I guess the wife is allergic but they got the dog anyway, and they see shaving her as a solution. My first instinct was "you did what?!", but I want to line up facts before I decided to say something or not. Thanks!

Trimming is one thing but shaving is a no go all the time unless your a Chinese Crested.

i saw a labradoodle at the vets the other day - my mate has one and i think they are lovely dogs but i didn't even recognise that this one was a labradoodle! He had been shaved but his tail and face were still bushy! he looked like a horse! i didn't say anything as I'm still new to the doggy world but it was a lovely dog and very playful - just a shame he doesn't have that lovely coat that they normally do.

I don't think it is as bad, but shaving the dog will do nothing to help the allergies. It's the dander that people are allergic to, not the hair. I personally think goldens look beautiful in their show cut and just look like labs when they are fully shaved. They don't have a double coat like sibes, but I'm sure having the extra hair does help protect their skin much better than being shaved.

Meredith - what Sara said - it's the dander.

I'm actually allergic to dogs and consulted with a very awesome allergist prior to deciding to get dogs. He said that with my nasal spray and some precautions, I'll be fine and that he has many patients who are able to keep their dogs. Just to be sure, we dogsat and spent a ton of time with our neighbor's husky for 9 months and then volunteered at a rescue. Apparently husky hair affects me less! I have more of a reaction when handling my best friend's Chihuahuas or any of the rescue dogs I help (usually GSD or Jindo). I'm usually stuffed up for a few days after picking up a rescue in my car (which I then vacuum).

Allergies are calculated on a 0-4 scale - I'm a level 4 on dogs and a 4+ on cats. My parents have a cat, and I control my reactions with Claritin D when visiting. BTW, she should get fully tested to ensure she controls ALL her allergies. Someone else may be making the dog allergy worse. I was also a level 4 to feathers and had to get rid of all down comforters/pillows!

Some tips from the allergist (one of the best in the country - love my HMO!):

1. Wash the dog every week for the first 4 weeks, and then once a month after that. He reports it reduces allergens by almost 90%. THIS IS HUGE!!! Makes a big difference.
2. Keep the dog off sofas and beds. Remove all carpets - hardwood is better. Keep the dog out of the bedroom, if possible. Run a HEPA air purifier at night. Cover the mattress, duvet and pillow in allergy covers (the mattress and pillow cover made a BIG difference for me too).
3. Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum as much as you possibly can.
4. Wash sheets and all fabrics in hot water once a week to remove floating dander.
5. Have the non-allergic person groom the dog frequently.
6. Shower at night before bed to remove all allergens from your body and hair.
7. Rinse out your nose to rid the nose hairs of allergens (a neti pot works great)
8. Wash your hands after handling the dog.
9. Consider getting allergy shots - it takes a couple of years but works well.
10. Keep the house clean and dusted.

I was totally stuffed up and lost my voice the first week we had Chili - but after a good wash and grooming session later in the week and getting accustomed to him I was fine. When allergy season hits, I do rinse with the neti pot more frequently and also use Mucinex to thin out the phlegm (gross, I know!).

Sam, thanks a lot for the information, I will pass it along. I'm lucky that I'm not allergic to animals, though I am allergic to something environmental down here. I thought I was going to die the first few weeks we lived here. Aaron is allergic to cats but controls his with Claritin as well.

I about died when I saw a picture she posted on Facebook last night of the dog, and someone else was like "is she shaved?!" so I have conformation that they do it. I'm going to discuss this with Aaron on the way to NO this afternoon and try to figure out a way to tactfully say "your groomer is a f***ing idiot if he lets you guys do this". Intervention time!