Many clients come in and ask me to shave down their American Eskimo Dog, Siberian Husky, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, etc. These are breeds that should not be shaved! They feel it’s better to stop or slow down the shedding and keep the dog cool. WRONG!
A dogs coat provides insulation from the cold, heat & sun!
Dogs do not perspire like humans do. They only perspire from the pads of their feet
and from their mouths. A border collie, Chow, Newfoundland, Pomeranian etc. will be cooler with proper grooming …keeping their coats on!
If we shave all the hair off, it does NOT reduce or stop shedding! It will make shorter hair and still shed all over the house anyway!
What happens when you shave your double coated dogs, is actually interrupting the natural shedding process. You are cutting into the top coat & cutting into the undercoat also possibly causing damage to it. Running the risk of areas that may NEVER grow back on your dog!
Most importantly your double coated dogs coat can be permanently damaged by shaving. Sometimes when a double coated dog is shaved the hair does not grow back properly.. Sometimes it does not grow back at all. This is caused when the under coat which usually sheds no longer has the weight to fall out. When this happens, the hair follicle becomes clogged (there are around 30 hairs to a follicle) and no new hair can grow in. The older the dog, the less likely the guard hairs will grow back. The under coat will grow back but the upper hair sometimes will not. This gives the dog a patchy, scruffy appearance. Some have had heat strokes due to no ‘Insulation’ and have resulted in death, some have had no problem, but the hair takes over a year to grow back and to get back to a normal texture. By interrupting the natural shedding cycle, you can actually be producing MORE shedding. The opposite of what you want!
The answer? Keep your double coated breeds thoroughly brushed out. They will be comfortable even in the hot sun. Matted coats or coats with packed in dead undercoat will restrict airflow to your pets’ skin. Therefore, making the animal uncomfortable.
**In addition, no dog should be left out in the heat of the day anyway. But if they are…shaving is NOT the answer! Shade, plenty of FRESH water, and proper grooming IS the ANSWER !!!