Help Hot Hair!

[human friend]

It's really hot weather here and my new red male Irish is much hairier than any previous setters I have had. I want to thin out his hair but I don't want to ruin how he looks - where abouts do I thin his coat down to around his neck/chest and ears? Any suggestions how to make him comfy but not ugly are appreciated! I have never shown dogs so I am not familiar with this stuff.

[Catherine Carter]

For shows, we thin ( with fine thinning scissors) around the neck area and tidy up around the feet. I think if you search on this site through different blogs you will find some very detailed explanations.

[Jennifer S]

We have our groomer shave Bentley's back really short then blend it down his sides to his feathers to make it look natural. Looks fantastic and he tolerates the heat much better that way. We have this done once in the late spring and once mid summer. By the time winter rolls around it's grown back out.