The dog undercoat sounds like a second coat under the outer coat, which keeps your dog warm in winter and cool in summer.
Dog breeds from the cold regions usually have undercoats, including the German Shepherds, Pomeranian, Golden Retrievers, Chou, Siberian Husky, and so on.
Double coated dog breeds have long and coarse outer coats, which usually protect the soft and smooth undercoat. While dogs remove their outer coat throughout the year, the undercoat is usually shed from time to time.
Undercoat species require a lot of maintenance throughout the year but require a complete desk and blowout with each change of season.
Also Read: How to Take Care of German Shepherd Dogs in Summer
You should brush your undercoat throughout the year to prevent any matting and to remove loose fur during shedding. This can be done with a rake or de-shedding tool.
Shaving a double-coated dog is very rare for the following reasons:
- The purpose of the undercoat is to keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
- A topcoat with sturdy guard hair will protect your dog from the sun’s rays and insect bites.
- In the summer, your dog removes the soft undercoat, leaving the guard hair. Without the undercoat, air will not circulate under the outer hair and will not keep the skin cool.
- All Single-coated breeds have hair, while double-coated species only grow their fur to a certain length.
- If you shave for a single coat species, the coat will grow back without any change. Shaving the double-coated strain really destroys the coat.
- If you shave your double coated dog breed, the new hair will grow back but the undercoat will grow earlier. Guard hairs grow slowly.
- The nature of the new coat could be sticky and all kinds of grass seeds, twigs, and plants will stick to the dog coat.
- The texture of the soft undercoat absorbs the sun’s rays, keeping your dog warm in the summer.
- Shaving does not reduce shedding in double coated dog breed
The best way to keep your dog cool in the summer is to have a de-shed at the beginning of each season to keep your dog beautiful regularly and to remove all dead hair and keep the outer coat intact.
Brushing alone does not get all the undercoat. Brushing with a regular bath promotes shedding and then drying with a high-speed dryer to remove most of the undercoat.
It is best to groom your furry dog regularly every 4 weeks.
Why You Shouldn’t Shave Your Dog in Summer?
The dog coat offers an advantage based on what the dog wants to do.
Terriers often have soft coats that penetrate into small holes without getting caught on their fur roots and rocks.
Water and mountain dogs like Labradors and St. Bernards are thick-coated dogs and their coat repel water, snow, and ice.
Other examples of double-coated dogs are Akitas, Siberian Huskies, and Alaskan Malamutes.
Dogs have two coats, such as a long outer coat and a soft undercoat.
Dual layers provide protection from external elements.
The double coat acts as insulation, keeping your dog warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The outer layer or “guard hair” allows cool air to circulate around the dog’s skin after the dog has thrown on the undercoat.
Most double-coated dogs have pale pink skin and are therefore more prone to sunburn. These guard hairs reflect the sun’s rays and protect the skin from the sun.
If your dog has a double coat and spills too much, you may think shaving him is helpful to move the shedding process forward. But in reality, shaving a double-coated dog is a very bad thing.
Shaving prevents cold air from entering the skin as the undercoat is still present. And a shaved coat does not protect you from the sun, which puts your dog at greater risk for overheating, sunburn, and skin cancer.
Single-coated dogs can be shaved repeatedly because the shaving process does not change the shape of their hair. The hair just keeps growing and growing, while the double-coated dog hair grows to a level and stops.
The shape of the double-coated dog changes after you shave it. Beard hairs, once shaved, can become coarse and stick to them like hairs and twigs.
The shaving process can also put your dog at risk for skin irritations such as uncomfortable mats and hot spots. Please note, you should not bathe a matted dog, as bathing will tighten the mats, making your dog more uncomfortable.
It is always a good idea to consult a professional groomer before shaving any dog.
A good groomer will be skilled at figuring out what kind of service best meets your dog’s needs.
If you do not have a Groomer that you use regularly, check with your veterinarian at the office, as they may have a service to recommend.
