With spring fast approaching and summer around the corner a question we sometimes get from clients with double coated dogs is about shaving their dog. In this article we hope to explain some of the reasons why we strongly discourage this practice as we explore the benefits, risks and myths that exist about it. This article is the first of many we intend to write to help pet owners with making informed choices when caring for and grooming their dogs.
As dog groomers our first priority is the health of the pets in our care. As one of my old instructors used to tell us in grooming school that stays with me to this day, “Animals cannot speak for themselves so we must speak up for them even when it’s not what our clients want to hear.” Our team consists of 6 professionally trained stylists from 3 different grooming schools in Alberta. Some of us, myself included, have worked at grooming schools as instructors. Formal education in grooming is not a requirement in Canada, anyone can set up shop and call themselves a groomer without the textbook education or the hands-on experience under the trained eye of a dog grooming instructor. Our team has a combined experience of over 50 years and every one of us has taken the formal training to become as knowledgeable as possible in our field.
*Please note: This article applies to long haired double coated dogs IE: Pomeranians, Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Collies and all less common breeds and mixed breed shedding dogs. This article does not apply to Poodles, Maltese, Shih Tzus, etc. If your dog is a mix of a single coat and double coated dog IE: Shih Tzu x Pomeranian please speak to a qualified grooming professional about the specific needs for your dog’s coat since mixed breed dogs can have any variation between 100% Shih Tzu coat to 100% Pomeranian coat in this example.
The Downsides of shaving a double coat
- Sunburn
- Poor cooling in the summer
- Shave Alopecia
- Permanent coat damage change (Changes in color, shine, texture, and overall manageability)
- Itching
- Increased allergens
- Increased susceptibility to insect bites
- Increased skin issues
- Haircut usually looks uneven since it’s sometimes not possible to get a smooth finish
Benefits of shaving a double coat
- A veterinary need
- Coat was shaved before and now becomes matted in very short time and unmanageable to maintain
- Coat has been severely neglected and in order to remove matting the best course of action is to shave the matted hair off
Common Myths about shaving double coated dogs
“Shaving my dog will help keep them cooler in the summer.”
FALSE
-A bath and blow-out with deshedding will remove remaining winter coat and any undercoat the dog is releasing at that time. The coat they are left with is their summer coat which does keep them cooler in the summer. The cause of coat related overheating is a usually lack of maintenance of the coat, while brushing does help it’s no substitute for a groomer’s deshedding products and high velocity dryer.
“Shaving my dog will stop them from shedding.”
FALSE
-Clipping a dog shorter, but not to the skin will just result in shorter undercoat falling out. If you’ve had this done before it’s likely you noticed a drastic reduction in shedding. However, since the dog must be bathed and blown out to facilitate clipping at a length the reduced shedding was likely caused by the regular grooming they recieved prior to be clippled down.
“Shaving my dog will help me save money by requiring less grooming.”
FALSE
-A damaged coat often grows back in a way that tangles and matts quickly, requiring frequent brushing, detangling and continued shaving of the coat to maintain the pet’s health.
“I’ve had my dog shaved before and it grew back fine and will continue to grow back fine”
FALSE
-Each time a dog’s coat is clipped down there is a new risk of shave alopecia and coat damage, this could be the time your dog’s coat is permanently altered or has bald spots where hair will not grow.
“Shaving my dog will stop the allergies.”
FALSE
-Allergies are caused by dander which is released from the skin. Shaving only increases the dander released from the skin. The best course of action is regular grooming to reduce allergy symptoms.
A final thought…. ‘We’ve always done it.”
There’s many things we’ve always done as a society and science is always teaching us something new. While there are many dog groomers out there who will shave down your pet without a second thought of the long term consequences, it’s important to realize the body of knowledge on this has been consistent for many years. The practice of shaving double coated dogs is not recommended to keep your double coated dog healthy. It’s also important to note that shaving isn’t the only cause of alopecia in dogs, but it is a common cause and completely preventable. Don’t be too quick to pass judgement on someone with a patchy haired dog, they’re all lovable.
For additional resources and information please see:
American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/is-it-ok-to-shave-your-dog/
Google Image Search “Canine Post Shave Alopecia”
https://images.google.ca/search?q=canine+post+shave+alopecia
Questions about this article? You can reach us by e-mail at info@beast2beauty.ca
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