To shave or not to shave…

What is a double coat?

Water and mountain dogs, like Retrievers and St. Bernards, have thick coats that repel water, snow and ice. Other examples of double-coated dogs are Akitas, Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Dogs such as these have two coats – a longer outer layer and a softer undercoat.

The dual layers provide protection from the outside elements. A double coat acts as insulation keeping your dog warm in the wintertime and cool in the summertime. The outer layer or “guard hairs” allow cool air to circulate near the dog’s skin after he sheds his undercoat. Many double-coated dogs have pale pink skin and are therefore more susceptible to sunburn. These guard hairs reflect the sun’s rays, protecting the skin from the sun.

The top coat takes on average 2-3 years to fully mature, and will not come back in 6 months. Every time that topcoat is sheared off it comes back weaker, and weaker, and less effective than it originally was. After a couple of times shaving your dog you’ll notice the hair isn’t as soft anymore, or even the same color as it used to be. You can slather your dog in doggy sunscreen, but nothing will ever be as effective as the natural protection it once had.

To shave or not.

If your dog has a double-coat and is shedding a lot, you may think it will be helpful to shave him down in order to move the shedding process along. But in fact, shaving a double-coated dog is the worst thing to do. Shaving prevents cool air from getting to the skin because the undercoat is still present. And a shaved coat doesn’t protect against the sun either, which exposes your dog to greater risks of overheating, sunburn and even skin cancer.