Don't Shave That Dog
When the weather gets warm, it can be tempting to have your dog’s coat clipped down to keep him cooler. While “less fur keeps a dog cooler” sounds like common sense, this isn’t always the case. Not all dog fur is created equal and shaving or cutting the fur of some breeds of dogs can damage their coat for life.
Double-coated breeds of dogs have two types of hair; the outer guard hair and the inner, soft undercoat which is naturally designed as insulation that keeps dogs warm during the colder winter months and cooler when the weather is hot in the summertime.
Shaving a double-coated dog removes the long protective guard hair and much of the undercoat leaving little undercoat for protection. The shaved coat doesn’t protect against the sun, which exposes your dog to greater risks of the sun; overheating, sunburn and possibly even skin cancer. Shaving a double-coated dogs damages the hair and changes the texture. The coat can grow back patchy or in some cases, not at all, called post-shaving alopecia.
In the United States, almost 3 out of 10 people with allergies get allergic reactions due to dogs. It is not the fur that causes allergies but the pet dander. When you remove the fur by shaving your dog, you are exposing yourself more to the pet dander. This dander flies in the air and you are at a greater risk of allergic reactions. If you are allergic to dogs, then shaving increases the risk of these allergic reactions.
Unless your dog has an underlying skin condition and your veterinarian recommends shaving your double-coated dog down for medical reasons, this is something that you will want to avoid doing.
Double-coated breeds of dogs have two types of hair; the outer guard hair and the inner, soft undercoat which is naturally designed as insulation that keeps dogs warm during the colder winter months and cooler when the weather is hot in the summertime.
Shaving a double-coated dog removes the long protective guard hair and much of the undercoat leaving little undercoat for protection. The shaved coat doesn’t protect against the sun, which exposes your dog to greater risks of the sun; overheating, sunburn and possibly even skin cancer. Shaving a double-coated dogs damages the hair and changes the texture. The coat can grow back patchy or in some cases, not at all, called post-shaving alopecia.
In the United States, almost 3 out of 10 people with allergies get allergic reactions due to dogs. It is not the fur that causes allergies but the pet dander. When you remove the fur by shaving your dog, you are exposing yourself more to the pet dander. This dander flies in the air and you are at a greater risk of allergic reactions. If you are allergic to dogs, then shaving increases the risk of these allergic reactions.
Unless your dog has an underlying skin condition and your veterinarian recommends shaving your double-coated dog down for medical reasons, this is something that you will want to avoid doing.
Double-Coated Dog Breeds
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Akita
Alaskan Husky Alaskan Malamute American Eskimo American Water Spaniel Australian Cattle Dog Australian Shepherd Australian Terrier Bearded Collie Beauceron Belgian Malinois Belgian Sheepdog Belgian Tervuren Bernese Mountain Dog Black Russian Terrier Bouvier des Flanders Boykin Spaniel Briard Cairn Terrier Canaan Dog Cardigan Welsh Corgi Chesapeake Bay Retriever Chinook – a rare breed Chow Chow Dandie Dinmont Terrier Finnish Lapphund Finnish Spitz German Shepherd Dog German Spitz Golden Retriever Havanese Icelandic Sheep Dog Irish Terrier Keeshond Komondor Korean Jindo Kuvasz Labrador Retriever |
Lakeland Terrier
Leonberger Miniature Schnauzer Newfoundland Norfolk Terrier Norwegian Buhund Norwegian Elkhound Norwegian Lundehund Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Old English sheepdog Parson Russell Terriers Pembroke Corgi Polish Lowland Sheep Dog Pomeranian Puli Pyrenean Mountain Dog Rough Collie Saint Bernard Samoyed Scottish Terrier Sealyham Terrier Shetland Sheepdog Shiba Inu Shih Tzu Siberian Husky Skye Terrier Smooth Collie Swedish Lapphund Swedish Vallhund The Entlebucher Mountain Dog – a rare breed Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan Spaniel Tibetan Terrier West Highland White Terrier Wheaten Terrier Wirehaired Fox Terrier Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Yorkshire Terrier |
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