Should You Shave Your Dog To Keep Them Cool? Absolutely Not.

When the months get hotter, it’s easy to wonder if your dog’s long coat of fur is getting in the way of their lives. You may even notice a lot of people shaving their own dogs and think that you should do the same. But this is absolutely not something you should do. Here’s why.

Insulation

The fur coat of a dog catches and keeps air in order to insulate the body. So yes, in the winter, your dog’s coat keeps heat and blocked old cold, but that means that in the summer, it’s actually keeping cool air in to keep the heat out. Without fur, your dog will be unable to regulate the temperature of their body.

Pointlessness

Dogs don’t sweat like humans do. Their cooling via evaporation is limited to their footpads, and it doesn’t happen to their skin. Their ears also release heat through blood vessels. This means that shaving your dog’s coat does absolutely nothing for them.

Sub Exposure

A fur coat keeps your dog safe from sunburn. The lessened exposure to sun also reduces skin cancer risk. You can use dog sunblock to help with these efforts.

Regrowing Fur

Double-coated breeds who are shaved may wind up with wonky regrowth. This is because their undercoat regular sheds with the seasons, while their outer coat is longer and doesn’t shed. Shaving means their undercoat will continue to grow, but their outer coat won’t.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay