Grooming a hairy puppy

Question
Hi Doreen,
I recently adopted a very large puppy. He's probably around a year old and although the shelter gave him a haircut and did the best they could, he's in definate need of grooming. And to compound the problem, we are having a terrible problem with fleas in my area. My question is do I need to shave him and start from 'scratch' to battle the fleas?  I have tried everything but I think the fact that his coat is so dense, I'm fighting a losing battle.
ANy suggestions?

Answer
Kaye,
 Hello !
 I don't know what breed your puppy is but if you say he already has a choppy cut and you're battling fleas then you can definitely shave him down and start "fresh" so to speak.
 Ask the groomer to give him a flea dip/bath, whichever they use. Then you should purchase a preventative flea product such as K9-Advantix or Advantage for dogs. I usually don't recommend Frontline ,I find it is to strong and can cause skin irritations, especially on light or white
colored dogs.
  Wait 24hrs after the bath to put this on the puppy. Then it is a good idea to wash all the puppy's bedding and your's
if he sleeps with you even occasionally. Vaccume the entire house thoroughly. And if the problem is really bad you might want to bomb the house.
 All this should give you a good fight against the fleas.
If this doesn't work you'll probably have to call an exterminator. But it usually doesn't go that far.
 Good luck and God Bless !