Shave the Dog its summer!

Summer time is definitely upon us in full force here in the DFW area of Texas! Thus, making our furry friends hotter than usual and in danger of overheating. It is a common misconception to leave heavily coated breeds and Nordic breeds in full coat this time of year with the belief that their coat will keep them cooler. N O T!!! I don't see you walking around in wool sweaters, fleece clothes and overcoats on.

If we lived in a nice climate of 70 degrees during the day and cooler at night our dogs coats would do what they were designed to do. But, since we live in a hot humid climate all that heavy coat does is make your pet hot, uncomfortable and miserable along with the danger of heat stroke which can cause permanent damage or be fatal.

Most breeds are double coated, meaning they have a soft undercoat close to the skin and a wirey or silky exterior coat away from the skin. The undercoat should keep warm air (body heat) next to the skin in cold months to keep our dogs warm. This is why dogs grow a heavier undercoat in the fall and winter months. In the spring dogs (and all animals) shed the undercoat so cooler air can reach the skin to cool them off. The caveat for most of the states is that we do NOT have cool air in the summer months. We have hot air that makes our furry friends even hotter. Dogs do not sweat like we do so they cannot get cooled off as quickly as we can. Dogs can sweat from the pads of their feet but not enough to cool down body temps if they get over heated. Dogs pant to cool off but that is always enough either. Keepng dogs coats short or even shaved is the best way to prevent heat stroke and make your pet comfortable in these miserably hot months.

Intelligent (educated) pet owners realize that shaving their dog or keeping their dog short during the hot months makes life easier and much safer for our furry friends! Not to mention the ease of maintaining a cute clip when Fido likes to swim and go to the lake with the family.