There is one issue that I am very passionate about, and if you learn nothing else from this blog, I hope this sticks with you: There is no reason to shave a double coated dog. Why? Let’s break it down.
First, some basic information, so we all start out on the same page. A double coated dog is any dog with a harsh outer coat and a soft undercoat. The soft undercoat is what sheds and leaves tumbleweeds all over your house. German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Australian Shepherds, and Siberian Huskies are just a few examples of a double coated dog. (Shih Tzus, Maltese, and Yorkshire Terriers are NOT examples of double coated dogs. This information does not apply to them.) These two coats grow independently of one another and to different lengths. The outer coat is longer, and tends to grow slower. The undercoat is shorter and grows faster, and also turns over, or sheds, twice a year. Now that we all understand basically what we’re dealing with, why shouldn’t you shave a dog like this?
1- Dogs with double coats have sensitive skin. This means that your shaved dog is likely to come home with razor burn, irritated skin, and is much more likely to be sunburned. The skin of these dogs is more sensitive, because the thick hair protects it from the sun, bug bites, and anything else that your dog encounters during a hike, a romp in the backyard, or a roll on the carpet. These dogs can end up with hot spots, lick excessively, and are generally miserable. No one wants that for their dog.
2- It does NOT make them shed less. Double coated dogs shed twice a year, and that is under coat. The rest of the time, the shedding is normal hair turn over, and that is seen in all animals with hair (including you, your poodle, your Aunt Sally, and the squirrel in your backyard). Shaving them does not prevent this from happening. It makes the pieces smaller, and damages the coat in the process. Instead of having your dog shaved to get rid of unwanted hair, having the dog professionally groomed on a schedule will remove all the dead undercoat, leaving only healthy coat and stopping those tumbleweeds from rolling across your floor.
3- It permanently damages the condition of the coat. The under coat, as I said before, is short and dense, while the outer coat is longer, glossy, and harder hair. The undercoat is all that is left when you shave a dog, and as it grows faster than the outer coat, it takes a very long time for the outer coat to catch up, if at all. This means that there is no outer coat to protect the under coat, which becomes brittle and breaks off, and that there is no shiny, glossy hair on your dog. On some dogs, the under coat never grows back properly, leaving the dog’s coat sparse and just plain ugly. It also damages the cycle of the hair, making the shedding times unpredictable and in some cases, never end. It can also mean that you’re stuck shaving the dog for the rest of his life.
4- With so many breeds to choose from, it’s easy to find a coat you like. If you don’t like the hair of a Collie, go for a Smooth Collie. If you don’t want a dog with as much hair as a Golden Retriever, maybe a Boxer will be more your style. The hair of a dog serves a purpose, and is part of the package. A little bit of research goes a long way.
5- The undercoat provides insulation in the winter and cools the dog in the summer. If your dog has a well groomed coat, with no dead undercoat, the coat keeps the dog warm in the winter by providing insulation and keeping the dog’s skin dry. In the summer, it provides a sort of air conditioning system to the dog, keeping him cool. Yes, this does mean he needs to be groomed, it just means that he doesn’t need to be shaved. He’s not going to be hot with all that coat, it’s actually keeping him cool and protected. As long as he isn’t shaved or severely matted, his coat will do it’s job and keep his temperature regulated.
6- It just plain looks bad. The under coat is dull and dense and not visually appealing. A dog in a full, beautiful flowing coat is much more attractive. You’re going to spend the same amount of money and I’m going to spend the same amount of effort, so wouldn’t you rather your dog look good? It’s also going to make you stand out as a dog owner who isn’t doing their research and doing the best thing for their dog. No one wants to be that guy.
7- It is never to breed standard. I know pet owners are fond of saying “Oh, I don’t want a show dog!” and I plan to cover that topic all on it’s own in the future, but the breed standard exists for a reason. Be proud of your dog and his glorious coat, and how educated you are on why he needs that coat.
8- It increases the amount of allergens on the dog’s skin. I have heard people say that they shave their dog because they are allergic. That just doesn’t make good sense. The dander of the dog is what you’re allergic to, and having it right on the surface is not going to help your allergies. Having the dog groomed will keep up with the dander and the loose dead hair, and that will help.
I will not be shaving any dogs this summer, or any summer after that. A dog can’t tell you that shaving him makes him uncomfortably hot or gives him sunburn, but I can, and I will try to educate as many owners as I can.
ekcgrooming 
Try living in east KY where few people groom their dogs. Matted dogs are not healthy and the only way my groomer can help them is to shave the dog. There is no hope of saving the hair and just removing the undercoat. I have a retriever that I pay once a year to have shaved and after six months groomed. This dog is not mine and would be a mess but for the shaving. Grooming every six to eight weeks when you can’t afford to feed your family is just not an option.
Brushing the dog regularly will help quite a bit. Thanks for reading!
the malamute in your blog was NOT shaved. He has coat funk, it’s a progressive condition that can take years to get to this point. I do totally agree that these dogs should NEVER be shaved, though.
Then they shouldn’t own a pet if they can’t properly care for it. Period.
I agree.
I brush my golden retriever every morning for 5 minutes. Even though she comes in with burrs and pine needles, no matting here!
Good for you!
Why have a dog you can’t care for properly?
I wonder the same thing.
then choose a breed that doesn’t need regular grooming, such as a Boxer as mentioned in the article?
If you can’t afford to feed your family, how do you feed your dog?
You wouldn’t refuse to get your kid medical care because you ‘can’t afford to’, so why would you punish your animals?
Make sure you can AFFORD any animal before you buy. Also make sure you know how big he/she is going to get before you buy, and what kind of care and expenses they will need.
I could not agree more.
Absolutely! Well said Lacey.
If you have a good groomer who knows what they are doing, of course depending on the extent of the matting, there is no excuse…a good brushing twice a week by a family member while watching TV will help in between grooming…
Look put for my next post 🙂
I am a professional groomer and a pet lover. These are my thoughts, invest in the cost of a good brush and a bottle of shampoo! If these people can’t afford to take the time to maintain their dog with brushing and baithing it themselves, then it’s plain and simple. They should not own a dog OR EVER HAVE CHILDREN!
If you can’t afford to look after a dog the way it should be, you shouldn’t have a dog.
Why don’t the people in east KY buy a dog brush and brush the dog on a consistent basis. This problem will not happen if you look after the dog yourself. It also forms a bond between the dog and his owner!
I live I Australia, am a vet nurse and groomer and have owned two Siberian Huskeys, as well as several short coated dogs, including a black bull terrier cross. I am also member of a local sled-dog club and as such would have known several hundred huskys, mallys and other breeds over the years.
It is very obvious which dogs do better in the routine 40C heat we can have through summer. So long as they are not worked, the huskeys manage outside for a far longer period of time than any, particularly the black bull terrier cross. They ‘sunbake’ for easily three times as long as the others! Given adequate places to escape the direct sun when needed, and plenty of water, my experience is that unshaved northern breeds fair well here.
Obviously they cool down far slower too, so they are far less able to tolerate being exercised than the short coats. As a sled-dog club we simply do not run if the temperature rises above 15C.
If they are not provided with the shade any dog would need, they will struggle, but no, in my experience, they do not require shaving.
(it might be worth mentioning what mechanism dogs use to cool themselves. Too many think that sticking a fan on will do!! People do not know that dogs don’t have sweat glands in their skin, so do not sweat to cool down, like us. Cutting the coat off doesn’t provide a greater surface area with which to get cool, and to remove enough coat to make much difference generally means going really short. Dogs pant. This is their main means of cooling themselves should they get too hot, which explains why humid climates are so hard. )
Thank you for sharing!
The undercoat of a husky provides a form of air conditioning. Obviously, you still have to be aware of the temps and act accordingly but huskies can tolerate more heat than some people realize. It’s also one of the reasons that shaving a husky is dangerous in the summer and makes them hotter than if you leave their coat intact. I have a husky who can tolerate the hot weather as long as she dictates the activity level and there is plenty of access to water. We take our walks in wooded areas that have a pond that the dogs can both swim in and drink from. She is now 11 years old and I have never once had an issue with heat related illnesses. I live in an area where we have extremes of temps and can go below zero in the winter and over 100 degrees in the summer. I groom her at home and keep her coat clear of mats and brush out the undercoat, both during her shedding seasons and year round for the normal shedding that all dogs do. My other two dogs are mixed breeds with double coats as well and I use the same techniques with them. They tolerate heat easier but it just means my husky stays close by while the others are off playing.
Thanks for commenting!
I don’t see why it would be!
THANK you for writing this very informative article. I’m with Central Ohio Pomeranian Rescue, we see so many people shaving their poms or asking us about shaving them. I am saving this information to share on our facebook page periodically as well as share with our adopters. GREAT JOB!!!!
Thank you for reading! Feel free to share!
Are you the Kim Ray with a home on Johnson’s I?
I am not! I am the Emily with the english springer spaniel
Thank you so much for this post. I have Samoyeds and had an impossible time trying to convince a couple of friends to NOT shave their
Sammies. I wish I had had your post at the time. In any case, I would like to add this to my “puppy packet” for my new puppy buyers. This is very correct information. One hint I have recently discovered is that I can use my double motor blow dryer to virtually “groom” a Sam. When I am done with the dryer, all I need do is run a comb or slicker over the top of the coat to put all the hairs in line. I have one Sam with extremely sensitive skin & he will not tolerate a comb or even brush. I can blow his coat past the point of dry until all the hair is coming straight out from the skin the same as if it were to be combed. The first level of drying, I have the nozzle directly in the hair. This gets the water out but tends to tangle the hair. Then, when it is pretty dry, I back off with the nozzle to about a foot away from the coat and continue blowing until every hair is straight with no tangles. I almost never have to touch it with a comb or brush.
Please feel free to share this information with your new puppy owners! Thank you for sharing!
I don’t understand why so many groomers will shave down these double coated breeds when they clearly know they shouldn’t. Is it just b/c of the almighty $$? I do know of a few, very few, groomers who will not shave them down unless it’s medically necessary or due to severe matting. This topic can and does make me crazy!! Especially when the argument used is that it helps with allergies…ummm NO IT DOESN’T! UGH. But, the only thing I can do is to continue to share articles such as this one with people and hope they get it.
All we can do is educate!
I have shaved double coated dogs for YEARS..has NEVER affected any of them and YES it stops the shedding…how can they shed if they don’t have hair? This is just something for groomers to charge more, as shaving is easy…brushing, trimming, blowing out, etc will cost more for the owner, it all comes down to MONEY….*ridiculous*
I charge less for a bath and blowdry than I would for a shavedown.
They shed short little hairs. Plus, when you wreck the coat by Furminating or shaving, the coat it grows back, if any, is undercoat. That’s why Furminated or shaved dogs are not shiny.
Chris, I can tell you that you obviously are not aware what a dog with coat damage looks like. Often the coat comes back nearly the same the first few times you shave it, but as time progresses and they are shaved more their undercoat comes in thicker and they get less of that shiny overcoat back. The reason for this is that undercoat that sheds out has a shorter coat life than the overcoat (which often has a life of years.It takes longer to replace the overcoat and eventually changes the hair that comes back. It is like a person who starts shaving their legs. The first few times they shave their hair still comes in soft and thin. As they continue to shave the hair thickens and comes in darker. I challenge you to see the difference in dogs you don’t shave versus the ones you do. Really look at poms, shelties, and aussies because the change in color of coat is more prominent for them. I have groomed for a long time also, you are always learning and now is the time for you to learn about double coats. As for shedding. Just because you shave a dog does not mean it stops shedding. It is just less noticeable because the hair that is shed is shorter and harder to see. And in the long run if shaving is not kept up with they shed more because of their thickened hair coat from shaving. Unless of course the hair stops growing in which I have seen happen also. Please be informed as a groomer so you can inform your clients.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed reply!
We have hornets in New Mexico, and for 3 years running our golden retriever was stung. We witnessed hornets lighting on her, then burrowing into her double coat. Each year, no matter how hard we tried to protect her, the result was the same, a sweet golden with an infection on her flank. Then the vet shaved her and administered antibiotics. With a cone on she was one miserable dog.
The last two summers we have had the same dog groomed and lightly shaved. The hornets are no longer attracted to her and do not burrow in and nest on her now short fur. Consequently Izzy is a happy and healthy dog. We even note that she has more energy so has more fun. Everyone is happy except the hornets.
And yes, we’ve tried finding and destroying hornet nests, bought hornet attractors, killed every one we can. They’re still around our farm, but at least they are not harming our sweet dog.
Wow! How crazy!
Good information!!
Thanks for reading!
I have 2 Rough Collies and will not let a groomer shave them. Although the last groomer shaved my male in places and I won’t be back. They blow their coat on the birthday, and my female does when she goes into heat or has pups, but aside from those times, they hardly shed. If you cannot care for a long haired, double coated breed, just choose a short haired or non shedding breed.
I agree! Rough collies are beautiful dogs but they require a lot of work!
Oops… Shaved my 3 (Australian Shepherd, Loiusiana Catahoula & white Lab mix) thinkin they would be cooler in the summer. Live and learn!
As long as you learn! We love to hear that!
I had a sheltie. I shaved him every spring and he loved it.
His hair grew back just fine by winter. He would stay out
In the coldest weather. I couldn’t get him to come in.
There are exceptions to every rule.
Any advice on how to keep dogs cool in the summer if you should not shave their fur? We have a chow mix and he is miserable on the boat in the summer months. Last year was the first time in 9 years that we shaved him (not all the way, but gave him a very short pouf cut that almost resembled a boo haircut). We did not do it to reduce shedding, and he did not look nearly as cute as he usually does, but he was in heaven.
Regular grooming and keeping them neatly brushed will make a world of difference!
I added another comment, but it appeared several comments below my original comment. Mi mentioned that he is brushed nearly every day and finds as much shade as he can in the summer months. But he is visibly uncomfortable on hot days, heavy panting the entire time he is outside. When we shaved his top coat shorter last summer due to the extreme heat, he LOVED being outside with us and was able to relax. Maybe it is because he is a mutt that his fur does not serve its natural purpose? We know he has a lot of chow in him, but he is also possibly mixed with sheltie, golden retriever, or samoyed because of other physical attributes. In general, his coat of fur keeps him unbelievably clean and wicks away dirt and even has kept tics away from his skin. However, it is does do a very good job at keeping him naturally cool (as I also mentioned in my other comment, he loves lying in the snow).
Interesting!
Great information, thank you!! I have a St. Bernard and he’s a rough coat. I’ve only bruised him with a slicker brush and clipped some of his fur on his feet. I brush him about every other day and have since he was a puppy, he loves it. What do you suggest to use to get the undercoat brushed out?
I have heard of people shaving them down in the summer and then others that say don’t… I’m thankful for the informative explanations!! I’ll pass this along to his litter mates families!
Let a professional handle the mess of getting that undercoat out! Its well worth it to not have to clean it up 😉
I should also add to my comment above that he is brushed nearly every day, he hates swimming, and he does his best to find shaded areas. He has such a fluffy coat that he prefers to lie outside in the snow, but in the summer, it seems that the only way he is comfortable is with very short fur.
I did shave my moose once. But found out that Petco has a spa treatment that will remove his under coat without damaging his outer coat. It works great. Moose is my dogs name. He is a Belgium Czech shepherd. We give him to spa treatments a year.
..
I’ll bet he is gorgeous!
I am a groomer and have been for 15 years. I shave double coated dog’s every year in the summer months. In Alabama we get into the triple digits most every year. I see dog after dog with hot spots underneath their coat because it’s so matted no air can get to the skin. The Vet will recommend shaving them in this case or if the dog has skin problems where the hair needs to be removed. You cannot say to NEVER shave a double coated dog – there are too many circumstances when it is needed !
If those dogs were properly brushed out, they wouldn’t need to be shaved. I have said that there are exceptions to every rule
Thank you, Diane. Never say never; this stance is not right for everyone. I have a Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix with a thyroid problem who is only comfortable in summer when shaved. I cannot let her suffer to be “attractive.” Also, she is ridiculously prone to hot spots (regardless of hair length), which I can’t properly treat if I don’t see — and hair makes it easier for infection to fester because it harbors bacteria. Once her skin has healed — which sometimes takes a painfully long time — her coat grows back beautifully. You are right that she looks a little scrappy while the top coat is catching up, but I am fine with that. She’s a white-haired dog with caramel-colored eyelashes, freckles, and patches, perhaps thus the more sensitive skin.
There is an other reason shaving could be bad for double coated breeds. It puts a lot of stress on the thyroid trying to grow back all that hair at once. I used to groom dogs years ago and noticed that some dogs had a hard time growing back their top coat or couldnt grow it back at all. Working with the owners and the vet, we found that these dogs had thyroid problems. Whenever someone wanted me to shave a double coated breed after that, I would mention this to them and suggest they get the thyroid tested before they even consider shaving.
I’ve always wondered about that!
My aunt has two corgis and it’s unfortunate that she refuses to listen to me about not shaving them. She shaves them just because she doesn’t want to take care of the coat, and I have asked her repeatedly why she keeps them if she doesn’t want to take care of them. She refuses to rehome them at all. The dogs look absolutely HIDEOUS as their coats are completely destroyed! What’s worse is my grandma shaves her cat and just, -facepalm-.
I will never understand why people get animals they don’t want to take care of.
Keeping dogs cool in Summer…hairconditioner: fill and freeze 2 lg soda bottles…place near dog for cuddleing and switch often!
What a great idea!
What information can you provide for a soft coated Wheaton Terrier on cuts and up keep?
Lots of brushing and a very knowledgeable groomer!
thank you … good article…I have an Aussie…and I always feel bad when someone does that to them!!! they aren’t poodles…if you want one with a “cute” cut…buy one of those!
Exactly! And trust me, my poodle always has a cute cut! 😉
Bless you! I’m a Samoyed owner and that guard coat is important. And, it has beautiful silver tips that gleam in the sunlight. Shave a Samoyed and, in addition to all of your points, you lose those silver tips. And they never come back.
I never knew that they had silver tips! Now I’ll have to look closely next time I see one!
I totally agree not to shave.
I have over time had Pyrenean Mountain Dogs & Saint Bernards & have never shaved either breed.
I live in South Australia, it gets really hot here in summer & my dogs always have coped well.
As long as they have water, Ice blocks, they lay where it is cool.
I just make sure I brush out their dead coat constantly & they are just fine.
Brushing makes a world of difference doesn’t it?
anyone else cringe when they read Chris’ comment!! i will not be shaving dogs like this, and i haven’t before would happily turn the ££ away
Agreed!
Could you please explain why using a furminator is bad? I agree that shaving a double coated dog is never a good idea but I was unaware using a furminator was harmful. Also, do you suggest just a standard brushing instead of using a furminator? If so do you have any brushing tips?
Stay tuned, there will be a whole blog post about it!
I have 5 dogs. A Siberian husky, German Shepherd, English Bull Terrier, beagle mix, and a long coated chihuahua. I would never shave any of them. When I found my Sib puppy on the side of the road, my friend, a professional dog groomer and show dog handler made me promise to never shave her coat. She taught me how to bathe and force dry her coat to reduce shedding. From the age of 11 weeks she has been groomed in this fashion and she has an amazing coat. Shiny and as soft as cotton. My fiance made the mistake of using a furminator on her for 2 minutes before I stopped him. I could tell where he had brushed her with it. Her outer coat was coarse and brittle where he had used it. The furminator is just a blade like that on a clipper. It cuts the hair. I have also found that force drying all my dogs coats has made them softer and fuller. My bull terrier who was prone to skin issues hasn’t had any since I started force drying her after her bath. She is also less prone to sun burn on her white areas now because he coat is thicker and protects her better. Love this article!
awesome I am a groomer and I hate to shave a dog that dont need it
🙂
To shave a dog is cruel it can and will in some cases cause the dog pain at having it’s skin exsposed to harsh sunlight and rough bushesscratching at its body leave it’s coat alone it’s both a skin protector and a thing of beauty .
I do agree that dogs with undercoat shouldn’t be cut down, as it does more harm than good. However the dogs I tend to have to cut down are the ones that come in matted right to the skin. I do feel as a groomer , we are not miracle workers when a dog comes in with hair dripping all over the place and matted right down to skin and is not properly trained! I feel putting a dog through hours of being brushed out , while it hates every second of it and tries to bite you in the process, only does more harm than good. People that get these breeds figure they don’t have to do any training when it comes to grooming and they wait till the last minute to bring them in and expect us to do all their work for them ” oh he doesn’t let me brush him” ok so how are we going to succeed where you failed because your dog is going to go into a panic because it’s not used to being brushed not to mention the constant pulling on its skin . To save the dog a lot of stress I do have to cut them down weather I like it or not, and ofcourse their skin is already in a state of irritation and usually needs a medicated bath. Not every dog owner is like this ofcourse some do the maintenance inbetween trips to the groomer and it saves a lot of time and the dogs are well behaved. People should be prepared for the extra work that needs to be done and the purpose of a dogs coat, their meant to have their standard coat that’s why they grow it ! Not to be cut off because it’s easier on you and you think it looks cute….
I love reading all of the comments. I volunteer for a collie rescue. I have two rescue foster senior collies, plus 4 collies and a sheltie of my own. I cringe when people tell me that either I should or that they have shaved their double-coated dogs. They have a difficult time understanding how a dog’s ventilations system works and think that I’m being cruel by not shaving them. But, they also comment at how healthy and well-groomed that my dogs look. I literally brush dogs every day, plus check nails and clean teeth. I know when a problem is cropping up before it gets a chance to take a foothold. In hot weather, my dogs always have a plentiful amount of water to drink, plus my collies (and sheltie) love to climb into kiddie pools to cool their feet and sometimes their underbellies by lying down. They like playing in the water just like kids do. As long as dogs (whatever the coat) have access to plentiful amounts of fresh water and places that they can go to stay out of the direct heat, they will do fine.
So in your experience is there a way to repair a shave damaged coat over the next few grooming cycles? Something like a coat king, regular brushing and vitamins perhaps? Something that could be recommended to people that now want to do the right thing? Can it be done?
It can with a lot of good brushing and grooming.
I’ve been using Quadruped’s yucca shampoo on dogs with damaged coats/allergies/dandruff, etc., and it has been working very well!
My Dachshund, Neville, has a hard time blowing his coat, and he often has what I call, “buffalo fur”, if you can imagine that, and it is helping with that as well!
Buffalo fur! I love that!
what about Labradoodles
For a mixed breed, it will depend on which traits they show from which breed. As a general rule, they shpuld be kept fairly short and brushed often.
I have to agree that shaving is a no-no. However, I recently adopted a collie that came from a hoarder! That should tell it all–the coat was so badly tangled and matted there was just no way of doing anything but shaving. Another “however”–when shaved they went as close to the body as possible and still were able to leave what appeared to be a smooth coated collie. She did grow her gorgeous coat out fairly quickly (undercoat included).
Poor dog! I’m glad she’s looking better!
Great article! I swear you have stolen my script I have recited to many owners through my last 12 years of grooming. Lol I refuse to shave double coated dogs unless a vet prescribed it for medical reasons. Either Chairs is talking out of their ass or they have such poor grooming skills, not enough clients stay loyal long enough for them to see the damage that their shaving is doing. Also, if you can’t afford to have your higher maintenanced dog groomed appropriately then either, learn to maintain the coat at home, or don’t get a dog that needs regular grooming. As a groomer, it is my job to educate owners and help them keep their pets coats and skin healthy. Every client who has tried to talk me into shaving their double coated hairys, I have made a deal with them after I explained my whole speal why you shouldn’t shave them. My deal always is, let me bathe and brush today and I can scissor up the feathers on the belly and rear and chest to help cut down on them dragging brambles and twigs in on them, and if their dog goes home and is still shedding in a week, they can bring them back to me and I will shave them… I have never had a single dog brought back to be shaved. 99% of those people end up keeping their dog groomed the way I suggest for the rest of the time and the 1% who are idiots go somewhere else and have a neglegent groomer shave down their dog instead. Can’t educate everyone apparently.
Heck yeah! I love to know there’s other groomers out there like me!
Thank you for writing. Very informative article. I’m glad you differentiated. We have 1/2 Maltese 1/2 Silky Terrier. We groom, and we take to professional groomer. Just one note in reply to some of the statements — Not everyone “buys” a dog. Some are rescued or taken from relatives due to illness or death in family, and the receiving family does not really understand the level of commitment they just took on. And yes, there are cultures in sections of this country and others where grooming is not considered standard level of care for pets.
Sometimes these pre-shaved dogs are former fighting dogs that are abandoned to high kill shelters. It is hard to take them in and not observe that they have been abused and miss treated by shaving, but it is even harder to take when a person is actually helping what would otherwise have been a dead dog. I’m not defending shaving for dual coated dogs, just want to state that until you know the situation for that pet and that “owner” or “foster” family, do not judge. Do exactly what you have done – TEACH.
Very informative article. I have a 1st generation Labradoodle (she sheds a little). With a double coat. I had her shaved to her undercoat last summer because we were in an area loaded with deer ticks. She looked beautiful and was so soft! I also have a terrier mix and I had her shave short also. She matts easily and I do brush her but had her shaved because of the ticks also. My girls are both white and so it was very was easy to spot and remove the ticks after each outing/walk before they “attached” to the skin.. My sister shared your article on Facebook. I will not have my girls shaved again because of it. Thank you!
While I agree with the article in general- blaming alopecia x (also called wooly coat, coat funk, black skin disease, etc) on shaving is highly inaccurate. The picture of the Malamute was taken from the Malamute Club’s page on coat funk- this dog has an endocrine disorder that has nothing to do with shaving. This is a genetic condition that is currently being researched. As the owner of a dog with alopecia x, I can’t tell you how many times people have blamed me for my dog’s coat condition. He was never shaved, his coat simply fell out, he looks exactly like the pom in the article. Please get your facts straight. Alopecia X is not cause by lazy spitz owners who shaved their dogs.
A good website in reference to coat loss, coat funk vs post clip alopecia.
http://www.vet.utk.edu/hairloss/conditions.html
I don ‘t have a dog yet but I learned what to look for in the future thank you
For the person that said they could not afford a groomer. Invest in a brush. You will save money, spend time with your dog and the both of you will be better for it. If your dog doesn’t want brushed just do it a few minutes at a time. Give him a treat. Tell him how good he is. I have Shetland Sheepdogs, no groomer involved.
I have a pom/shitz/don’t know what else lol. He looks more like a shitz. beautiful hair with an undercoat. He goes to the groomer every 30 to 60 days and I bathe him inbetween since he can find a mud hole in a drought. I live in Louisiana and he is hot natured but do not get him shaved and his groomer does not want to either, she give him a good trim job the shortest he has ever been cut left his hair at least 3 in long. He is 19 mo old I got him when 5 1/2 wks and has miss very few days getting brushed. Every morning he will jump on my bed and wait for me to bring the brush. Sometimes he get another light brushing at night. When it is hot he loves to lay on the A/C vent. I refuse to go to the groomer at one of the big box pet stores because they wanted to shave him in the summer said would grow back I did not let them groom him.
What about Pekingeses?
They are a double coated breed and super adorable!
I had my Pomeranian shaved because it seemed he was too hot in the summer and thought I was doing him a favor, but it ruined his coat. I’ve had to keep him in sweaters and jackets all winter since his coat is growing back very very slowly. There are areas that aren’t growing back at all yet. I will never have his hair cut again and hope that it will all eventually grow back.
I have a long coated Rottweiler who is groomed daily after his morning walk, he looks forward to it and so do I as his coat is magnificent! After a good brushing I run him over once with the furminator and throw the fluff in the garden so the birds can use it in their nests. I notice in a previous post furminator is not recommended, can I please ask why?
Look out for a future post about the furminator!
DAMN. I just had my 9 month old Pekingese shaved for the first time. I hope to God I haven’t destroyed him!!
Just dont do it again!
I hope it grows back!
Hopefully it will. 🙂
We’ve always brushed our pups as part of their daily routine. They learn that they have 5-10 mins of quiet time with one of us before they have breakfast. Just like our children know to brush their teeth.
My response to this article- Exactly! I have seen a maremma shaved once. His coat never recovered.
Is it ok to shave cavalier King Charles spaniels?
I wouldn’t, because they have such beautiful coats!
I have shaved my golden retriever the past two summers and I will continue to do it. I do not do it to make her cooler or to deal with her hair, in our instance, the ticks are so bad around our house we feel it is healthier for her to shave her rather than put nasty flea and tick chemicals on her (they don’t work on our ticks anyway). Like a previous poster (the one with the hornets) ticks are rampant in our area and it takes the spot where they have attached a LONG time to heal. If we keep her hair short it is much more difficult for the ticks to imbed themselves.
I have a cocker spaniel and was told by the dog groomer to shave him . He is only 1 year old
Why would you shave him? A cocker spaniel has a world of cute haircut options
Should I not shave him and just get him trimmed.