These photos show what may happen to your dog's coat if you choose to have him/her shaved and it grows back patchy or stops growing all together. |
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With the exception of hard-coated terriers, dogs come in one of two coat types: single coated and double coated. Examples of single-coated breeds are poodles, shih-tzus, bichons, etc. This type of coat will continue to grow longer and longer, much like human hair, with genetics being the final determination in reference to length. Double-coated or fur-bearing breeds have coats that grow to a predetermined length. These double coats can be further divided into open and closed double coats. These breeds have a hard, protective outer coat (guard hairs) and a soft, dense undercoat. Examples of open, double-coated breeds are any of the spitz-type breeds, such as Siberian huskies, Pomeranians and chows. This coat is designed to shed snow or ice and provide maximum protection against freezing weather. Closed, double-coated breeds have noticeably longer guard hairs, which lay down over the undercoat, sort of like a blanket. While the outer, or guard, hairs get wet, the undercoat works to keep the dog's skin dry. Examples include golden retrievers, Australian shepherds and Newfoundlands.
Single-coated breeds can be clipped down to the skin, and the coat will grow back pretty much as it was before. The same is not true for double-coated breeds. For this reason, shaving these dogs down is not a solution to summer heat or shedding. |
So, what are the potential consequences of shaving my double-coated dog?If you choose to have your dog shaved, one of two things may happen. The first being that the shaving may disrupt the complex growth and shedding cycle of the coat, thereby causing the coat to grow back thin or patchy, and sometimes not at all. The second is what is called Foliculitis. This is when the hair follicles of the harder guard hairs get clogged and/or infected due to the unnatural shaving of the slow growing guard hairs. Also, the act of shaving a double coat removes the dog's natural insulation and causes his system to kick into high gear. He'll now have to produce coat at an accelerated rate to protect himself from extreme temperatures, sunburn and sharp objects. Since the top coat or guard hairs take a long time to grow, what the dog's body produces first is soft undercoat. That's why we hear people say, “I shaved my dog, and it grew back twice as thick and really fuzzy!” In reality, what happens is that the original coat isn't restored at all. What grows in instead is thick, prolific undercoat mixed with short new guard hairs. We call it false coat or coat funk.
It is important to note that these changes to the coat can arise at anytime, even if they have been shaved many many times before. |
The photos below show "COAT FUNK". This is what it looks like when the dogs body kicks into high gear producing extreme amounts of the heavily shedding, faster growing undercoat in order to protect his/her skin from the environment. |
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It's 90 degrees outside. You're getting dressed to go work in your yard. Are you going to put on a light cotton T-shirt and sunblock or thermal underwear and a sweatshirt?
A dog's shaved-down false coat is like that sweatshirt. It's dull, soft and soaks up water like a sponge. Burrs and foxtails stick like Velcro. Above all else, it's way too thick for hot weather. By the time that false coat grows out enough to protect the dog from sunburn, scrapes and bites (the usual job of the top coat), it is so thick that the poor dog might as well be wearing thermal underwear and a sweatshirt. |
Think of the healthy double-coat as an old-growth forest. |
There is a balance with different parts providing different benefits. If you clear-cut an old growth forest, there will be immediate regrowth of a lot of young trees very soon. Unfortunately, they won't initially be the same kind as those you cut down. Instead, the forest has to start from scratch and spend decades, first growing ground cover and softwoods that provide an environment for slower growing hardwood varieties. It takes generations before the natural balance is restored. While on a much shorter timeline, it's the same thing with a double-coated dog. Guard hairs represent old growth, and undercoat represents ground covering vegetation.
Remember, Mother Nature designed the undercoat to be extremely heat-retentive. |
In conclusion |
If your sole motivation for shaving your dog in the spring is to “keep him cool,” or "reduce shedding" you need to know that you're actually creating a far worse situation than you think. Aside from destroying coat integrity, shaved dogs are susceptible to a multitude of complications, including, but not limited to, alopecia, heat stroke and skin cancer, specifically Solar-induced Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Dermal Hemangiosarcomas.
Sometimes, these complications are not reversible. |
TRY THIS INSTEAD: Deshedding Treatment
Instead of having your dog shaved, we strongly suggest you try a DESHED TREATMENT instead. Your groomer will literally blast away all of the dull, dead, undercoat that is shedding all over your house and making your pet hot and uncomfortable. Using professional shampoos, conditioners, and brushes, the undercoat will be removed leaving just the gorgeous and shiny top coat intact.
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This treatment greatly reduces shedding by at least 90% for about 6 weeks or longer, as well as keeping your pet cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The DESHED TREATMENT cares for the coat naturally, as it is meant to be cared for, thus keeping your pet happy, healthy, comfortable and gorgeous.
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