Friday, April 7, 2017

3 Good Reasons Not To Shave Your Double-Coated Dog


As the weather is warming up, we just wanted to remind everyone about the harmful effects of shaving your double-coated dog. Some popular double-coated breeds include German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Siberian Huskies.  Most experts do not recommend shaving your double-coated, which is one that has a soft undercoat (which sheds twice a year) and an outer coat which will only grow to a certain length. 

Contrary to popular belief, shaving your double-coated dog does NOT make them cooler.  Dogs do not have a large network of sweat glands to regulate their body temperature during hot weather.  They only have them in the pads of their feet.  Most of their cooling takes place through panting.  So instead of helping your dog feel better, shaving   can have permanent long-term consequences affecting their health.

3 Good Reasons Not to Shave your Double-Coated Dog

*The undercoat protects the skin from sunburn, sun exposure (increasing the risk of skin cancer) and bug bites.

*The coat provides insulation in the winter and allows air to circulate and cool the dog in the hot summer.

*Shaving can permanently damage the dog’s coat and it may never return to normal.

For a more indepth discussion, please visit our prior article on this topic