Does your canine look uncomfortably sizzling? Think twice earlier than reaching for the canine clippers. Your canine’s coat is completely engineered to guard from the weather, and shaving them may do extra hurt than good.
1. Shaving a Dog with a Double Coat Can Lead to Permanent Hair Damage
Most canine have double coats. Dogs just like the Newfoundland and Australian shepherd have fairly thick coats, however even smooth- and short-haired breeds just like the basset hound and the whippet sport a double coat.
When you shave a double-coated canine, you run the danger of inflicting alopecia. This can current as patchy or widespread hair loss. Alopecia is commonly congenital, however injury to hair follicles can even set off hair loss.
2. Your Dog’s Coat Insulates from Heat AND Cold
Your canine’s coat acts just like the insulation within the partitions of your own home. Closest to your canine’s pores and skin is a comfortable, downy undercoat that helps to maintain your four-legged buddy comfy when the mercury rises or falls. The outer hairs, or guard hairs, are stiffer and shield your canine from components like wind, water, solar, and particles.
3. Shaving Can Cause Itching
Your canine’s outer guard hairs develop a lot slower than the comfortable undercoat. After shaving your canine, their hair will develop erratically, and your pup will really feel fairly uncomfortable. And in the event that they scratch to alleviate the itch, then they might injury their hair follicles and trigger hair loss.
4. Sunburn Is a Risk
Just like people, canine can get sunburned. And like people, canine with lighter hair are likely to have gentle or pink pores and skin that’s extra inclined to sunburn. However, a canine’s fur protects them from the solar, and that is one more reason to not shave your pup.
5. Dogs May Experience Embarrassment
Any groomer is aware of that praising a canine with a brand new haircut is necessary, and a few canine even appear to really feel embarrassed in entrance of their canine buddies in some conditions. Telltale indicators that your canine is embarrassed are a tucked tail, flattened ears, and hiding.
Shaving a Dog’s Hair Might Be Okay if They Have a Single Coat
While most canine have double coats, some have single coats solely, and so they don’t shed almost as a lot. A number of breeds with single coats embody:
- Poodles
- Shih Tzus
- Silky terriers
- Affenpinschers
- Portuguese water canine
Dogs with single coats do have to be trimmed and sometimes even shaved. Their hair grows repeatedly, and if it will get too lengthy, then it might wrap round present hair and grow to be painfully matted. Talk to your groomer to resolve what’s finest on your pup.
Steps to Keep Your Pup Cool
Shaving your canine may not be an choice, however there are nonetheless a lot of issues you are able to do to assist your pup beat the warmth throughout the summer season months. Here are some concepts:
- Brush your pup every day to take away lifeless or free hair
- Exercise throughout the coolest components of the day
- Offer loads of pure shade
- Keep water bowls cool and recent
- Add ice to their water
- Freeze their favourite treats
- Buy an elevated mattress for higher air circulation
