I keep mine in short cuts, simply because they love to play outside and would always get a bunch of stuff stuck in them
They're tomboys
But when I want them to be princesses, we just put a dress on them
If you're going to dress your baby a lot, keeping them short will help keep the mats away. There's always sweaters and coats for cold weather.
It's a person choice, really. If you don't have the time for frequent brushing, or the matts keep coming back,then a shorter do is easier on you and the doggy