Does clipping alter the coat, and does the colour effect the personality like it is said to in other breeds ?
Thanks.

Yes, clipping will ruin the coat, specially in a neutered dog/bitch, where it will frequently change from a flat silky coat which is easy to take care of, into a woolly fluffy teddy bear look which mats almost instantly. :-( Many people do say different colours or sexes have different personalities, but I think it's just an individual thing myself.

Well, clipping will not change the coat because if you clip and then leave until after the next moult it will be no different to an unclipped coat after all a dog that has had a large area of coat clipped for an operation does not have a patch of hair that looked different after the new coat has grown in - neutering is a different matter that is likely to change the coat and in many cases makes it so unmanageable that it has to be clipped out.

Coat colour effecting temperament, I don't know it may I suppose if a colour gene is linked to something that effects the temperament but again all dogs are individuals - mine are all grey and there are all different.

Clipping definitely makes it worse, I've known quite a few people who have had their neutered dogs clipped and the coat grows back woolier and curlier than ever. I admit I don't know anyone who has had an entire dog clipped personally, but I have a friend who is also a groomer and she's seen it happen with an entire dog too.

I agree that with neutered dogs their coat can become impossible and although clipping is the only way to deal with the coat that cannot be groomed it may well not help the condition. But I can't see how clipping a coat that is in good condition would have any effects except to blunt the ends of the hair but once that hair is grown out it will grow back as normal.

This is one of those things that is difficult to say with any feeling of certainty as when we notice a problem it is after the event so we don't know what was there before, I can only say in the 60 + years I have owned dogs many have been clipped for medical reasons and not one that was intact has suffered any change in coat in the clipped area these have all been double coated dogs so may be the single coat is different but I know of no reason why a hair would change in texture or type because it is cut, hormonal change in the hair yes but just cutting, I doubt it.

It definitely does change it -but not necessarily after just the one time, in my experience it is when it has been done a few times. Often it changes the colour as well -spot Blenheim Cavaliers out and about and see how pale some are and they have invariably been clipped. In fact when I worked at a vet's and she specialised in skin problems and many dogs had to be shaved completely, I do remember dogs (in particular Wire Foxterriers) that ended up much lighter in colour than they used to be.

It works the same in cats as well. I am very much against shaving Persians routinely, but some breeders do with their breeding cats that aren't shown. I have done it in a few cats where there has been particular reasons, such as very old age making it kinder than full grooming sessions. After one time, the coat grows back normal. After more clips, the coat will never be the same again and has to be kept clipped as it will be impossible to groom. Cotton wool like, curly etc. Again the colour changes too.

It actually works a similar way in people too -we all know cutting your hair will encourage it to grow and the more you shave your legs, the thicker the hair that grows back will be.

>we all know cutting your hair will encourage it to grow and the more you shave your legs, the thicker the hair that grows back will be.

Old wives' tales, I'm afraid. Cutting hair doesn't encourage it to grow - hair grows to your own genetic length and an internally-determined speed - and shaved leg hair only appears thicker because the ends are blunt and more noticeable. As a girl my legs needed shaving far more frequently than they do now - age and lack of hormones slows the growth (of head hair as well :-( )

However clipping dogs' coats definitely makes them paler, clipped fox terriers are white with wishy-washy fawn and grey rather than black and tan; blenheim cavaliers look almost pink and white.

>but I know of no reason why a hair would change in texture or type because it is cut, hormonal change in the hair yes but just cutting, I doubt it.

Isn't the change due to the dog feeler cooler with a coat that is always clipped, so it produces more undercoat to keep warm?

so it produces more undercoat to keep warm?

Yes I can accept a change in amount or production for climatic conditions but not in the actual type because the way hair is produced could not be effected by cutting of the ends. Can accept that different coats may react in different ways but the reason would not be as straight forward and cutting the end which is after all dead like our own, has no nerve or blood connection to the area of production so until someone can explain how snipping of the end can effect the area of production in anyway except the body reacting to being too cold or more likely too hot I will remain very sceptical.

As for colour affecting temperament all I can say is that I have owned 2 blenheims ,a tri and a ruby and I would say the ruby is generally a lot busier and into everything.She is also a lot faster,is my grade 7 agility dog,and has a finer more managable coat.

However not sure it has anything to do with her colouring as she is the first ruby I have had but have heard(how true it is I don't know) that way back when rubies were introduced red setters were used at some point to give the colour and these lovely dogs are very high spirited and act like young pups for much longer than the average dog.

Underneath though all of the four colours have that billiant,happy cavalier attitude to life

However not sure it has anything to do with her colouring

Too true japmum, you would need at least a dozen of each to start even a basic test of the colour effect on temperament.

Old wives' tales, I'm afraid. Cutting hair doesn't encourage it to grow

It does because you get rid of the damaged ends.

But the ends are dead. Hair grows from the follicles in the skin.

Hair facts

I find the rubies/black and tans and blenheims to be more placcid, in my experience the tricolours are often bossier and more hyper. I know other breeders who say exactly the same, but then there will be others who will totally disagree lol.

I cant say about all dogs, but clipping certain breeds/types does change the texture in a lot of cases - with cocker spaniels (both types) and cavaliers, if you clip them, especially the back coat, it does grow in woolier and often curly too.  This happens with some terriers too.  With American Cockers, my old buff grew a lovely back coat in after each clip, but every other buff I have clipped has lost the correct coat texture forever after a clip and about 50% of the blacks I clipped also lost correct coat texture.  With cavaliers, when I used to groom, every 1 who had been clipped grew fluffy, slightly curly coat where it should have been silky.