SHAVING bulldog in keep. (Only reply if you've exp or have knowledge in it.)

[S_B]

The only way to accurately answer how much a dog's hair will weigh when shaven is to weigh it like Gotap_d has done and the dogmen who practiced this method that I know and asked to make a response to this post.

Also think about this, how does a woman's prickly leg, or something else feels in your mouth when she is not clean shaven?

To think dog hair is armour against the pearly whites is kind of laughable to me, protection from the elements yes.

S_B

[Officially Retired]

The only way to accurately answer how much a dog's hair will weigh when shaven is to weigh it like Gotap_d has done and the dogmen who practiced this method that I know and asked to make a response to this post.

I will call anyone who says dog hair weighs 0.5 lb a liar.

[Officially Retired]

To think dog hair is armour against the pearly whites is kind of laughable to me, protection from the elements yes.
S_B

To think hair not a form of protection is laughable to me.

My face is a lot more protected with a beard than without.

There is also a sense of irritation, and extra sensitivity right after a shave, that I do not have with a growth of beard.

Jack

[S_B]

I will call anyone who says dog hair weighs 0.5 lb a liar.

I tend to agree with you on this, that is a stretch. I know some of the dogs that were shaven had rough, long wavy hair. I'd lean more to what Gotap_d said 3-5 oz. just based on pure common sense. I've never weighed the hair to make a 100% factual statement though.

I personally have never been so technical to need every ounce of weight to use as an advantage. I was never in that lane and never will be. But I know men who were in their day and it is fascinating to discuss their methods of gaining even the smallest of advantages, whether scientifically or just in their mind.

S_B

[S_B]

To think hair not a form of protection is laughable to me.

My face is a lot more protected with a beard than without.

There is also a sense of irritation, and extra sensitivity right after a shave, that I do not have with a growth of beard.

Jack

Jack I would not dispute that with you, sure coarse beard hair will offer much protection for your face. Our dog's hair would be more comparable in my mind to our head, arm or leg hair.

Shaving a dog down as I've witnessed was not with a razor blade, but with a guard on an electric razor. Like when a dog is prepared for surgery, a vet shaves the hair (they do use a razor on the belly tho) I'm not sure which # guard but if I remember correctly it is a 10 which leaves a stubble.

S_B

[FrostyPaws]

IMO there is a benifit. If my dog weighs 37 at weigh in after i took 5oz of hair off of him and your dog is 37 with a full coat. My dog should be a 5oz bigger dog as far as weight is concerned. That 5oz whether it is solid mass of fluid should be something extra that my dog can burn that your dog can't. This is just my belief on the matter.

If 5 ounces plays THAT much of a part in a quality dog, then that's just sad. How many times are dogs schooled with 1-3lb bigger dogs, quality dogs, and do quite well. Five ounces doesn't make the dog any better or give it any bigger chance of winning. It is simply five ounces. It is not uncommon for dogs to be ounces more, or less, than their opponent. While I do tend to echo your sentiment about something I have your dog doesn't (paraphrasing), it's generally the better dog, 5 ounces or not, that does the winning.

I've never seen five ounces make any significant change in a show's outcome personally.

[FrostyPaws]

You can shed an 1/8 to 1/2 lb by shaving depending on the coat density of the dog. If folks were still over it was because they didn't call their weight correctly. Same thing rings true with running hot.

It has nothing to do with cosmetics.

S_B

If you need to lose 1/2 a pound, it's because you didn't call the weight correctly to begin with.

Whatever factor hair has in running hot is very minimal at best.

Again, cosmetic OR not able to call the right weight OR silly superstition. Thought I'd toss that out there in light of other comments.

[gotap_d]

If 5 ounces plays THAT much of a part in a quality dog, then that's just sad. How many times are dogs schooled with 1-3lb bigger dogs, quality dogs, and do quite well. Five ounces doesn't make the dog any better or give it any bigger chance of winning. It is simply five ounces. It is not uncommon for dogs to be ounces more, or less, than their opponent. While I do tend to echo your sentiment about something I have your dog doesn't (paraphrasing), it's generally the better dog, 5 ounces or not, that does the winning.

I've never seen five ounces make any significant change in a show's outcome personally.

#1 I never said 5oz plays THAT much of a part in a quality dog but it IS AN ADVANTAGE.

#2 You are right it isnt uncommon for dogs to be a few ounces over or under their opponent and quite frankly it isnt uncommon to have dogs 1/2lb to 1lb over or under their opponents weight but that dosent mean the smaller dog isnt still at a disadvantage.

[gotap_d]

IMHO it’s a waste of time.
I have seen it done, it’s like most things in keep, and you want to establish and maintain consistency. If you are going to shave him/her the day of the race, it makes since to do it through the keep. So you know if you are shaving 3 ounces vs a half pound off the poor dog. I am pretty damn sure, you could shave a bulldog down from his head to his nuts and never get close to a half pound of one.

That is incorrect thinking. Shaving a dog for weight purposes only needs to be done once and it will be near the end of the keep.

There are two reasons someone would shave a dog for weight purposes. The 1st is the day of the race they see that they wont make weight and start shaving their dog to get off whatever they can. The 2nd way is what i do and it is for an advantage. For example lets say im bringing in a 40lb male and he is sitting at 41-1/2 a week out. I already know how much feed and water to gelive the rest of the keep and come show night i will be 40lbs on the nose. I'll empty my dog out and weigh him he weighs 41-1/2 then i shave him and he weighs 41.3 i removed 5oz of hair. If i continue with the current feed plan i will fall under weight on show night so the food and water intake is adjusted accordingly. Show night comes and i still fall dead on 40lbs but i was able to give my dog more food/fluids than i would have been able to had he not been shaved. It may not seem like a big deal but it is an advantage. If you bring Gr Ch Buck and hook into my Gr Ch Buck with identical keeps but my Buck weighs 5oz bigger I would win.

[Officially Retired]

If you bring Gr Ch Buck and hook into my Gr Ch Buck with identical keeps but my Buck weighs 5oz bigger I would win.

Not necessarily.

1) Who says dog hair weighs 5 oz?

2) The idea that a 5-oz advantage of two otherwise identical individuals = a 100% success guarantee is insane.

3) You cannot ever be guaranteed to able to beat yourself, twice in a row. The other "you" has the same chance.

Jack