Those dog gone Dog Days of Summer are fast approaching! As the temperature soars please keep in mind a few hints. DON’T leave your pooch in a closed up car. Temperatures in our vehicles climb extremely fast, in just a matter of minutes it is deadly hot in our cars. Some people want shave down their dogs thinking it will make them cooler. This is actually a myth! Dogs only sweat through the pads of their feet, so shaving them really does nothing for them at all. Shaving a dog down for the summer hairdo can be very harmful. Dogs have evolved with their coats way longer than we have been grooming them. Double-coated breeds undercoat acts as an insulator in the winter and an AC in the summer! When you shave them down their internal system no longer knows how to regulate itself. Another unwanted side effect is that even though it may have been before, the next time could be the last. For some dogs shaving them one time can cause their coat not to grow back. Double-coated dogs should not be shaved. Dogs get embarrassed when they don’t look right and it can actually even change their temperament for a short time. Another myth about shaving is that it stops shedding, that could not be further than the truth! All that accomplishes is you have now made all that shedding hair really short. Plenty of shade, cool water and a good de-shedding and grooming is truly all that is needed. I strongly advise against the shaving of double-coated dogs!
