Dog Breeds That Don’t Need To Cut Their Fur
When spring starts or the hottest times of the year approach, canine hairdressers put the machines to work and groom many dogs. However, more and more hairdressers warn that there are breeds of dogs that should not cut their fur and that, instead of keeping them fresh, it harms them.
Hair types
First of all, we should keep in mind the fact that dogs cool themselves when it’s hot: dogs sweat through their tongues and pads, not through their skin like humans do. To cool off or regulate their body temperature, dogs are caulked: whether they have a lot of fur or not, it hardly affects them.
Also, not all dogs have the same hair type. The fur can be long or short, curly or straight, but above all we are interested in distinguishing dogs that have a single coat of fur from those that have two coats:
Some breeds have a coat composed of two layers of hair: the outer layer , which determines the external color of the dog, and the undercoat composed of a more woolly, shorter and finer hair, which is seen as away from the main layer of the coat.
This underlayer remains hidden between the main capillary layer as it helps to form an air pocket at a suitable temperature: it protects the dog from cold, but also from heat. Dogs that have a single coat of fur do not create these air pockets. Next, we’ll talk about dog breeds that don’t need to cut their fur.
Dog breeds that don’t need to cut their fur
When a dog has this fur undercoat, although it is long and looks like it will heat him up too much, we should not cut the fur : we would be destroying its natural weapon against extreme temperatures, exposing the fur undercoat to the outside.
There are many breeds of dogs, as well as crossbreeds, that should not have their fur clipped for this reason. Some examples of these breeds are the Nordic breeds, such as the husky, the malamute, the German shepherd and the Swiss and Belgian shepherds, the border collie, the mastiffs… And many hunting breeds, such as water dogs, labradors and dachshunds. These are just a few: many other dogs also have a double coat of fur.
However, many mestizos of these races, despite not being similar to them, inherited the double coat of hair. If you want to know if you shouldn’t cut your dog’s fur, examine it closely. If you discover a double layer, you now know how it protects itself against high temperatures.
Cut or clip?
Dogs’ fur, in addition to helping them cope with the cold and heat, has many other functions: for example, protecting the skin from the sun. Dogs’ skin is not ready to be exposed to the sun’s rays and helps them not to burn.
So, even if your dog has a single coat of fur (like many terriers), it ‘s best for them not to shave them in summer: the skin is very exposed to the sun’s rays, so they become prone to burns and even even skin cancer.
However, these dogs can have their fur cut as long as it is a friendly cut. That is, work with scissors, not machine, oriented for aesthetics or just to trim the hair if it grows too much. You can also do this work with dogs with long, curly hair: for them to have a more comfortable mobility.
If, in your case, the electric machine is not advisable to cut your dog’s hair, then you should never shave it that way. Your dog’s skin will be completely exposed to the sun and water irritation. Only a veterinarian should shave part of your dog’s body for some surgical intervention.
Alternatives
Even if your dog is on the list of dog breeds that you shouldn’t cut his fur, there are alternatives to help you get rid of whatever is left over when coat changes occur or when it’s too hot: a streak. The streak is a deep brushing that affects both layers of hair and helps to get rid of all the dead fur that is left over.
You can buy a special slicker to make it at home or take your dog to a canine hairdresser and ask for this service expressly. You will be amazed at how many of your dog’s hairs, trapped in the main coat, are eliminated with this brushing!
Examine your dog’s coat to find out if it has only one coat of fur or, conversely, if it has a shorter, more protected, woolly undercoat. If he has only one coat of hair, tell the hairdresser to cut just the length with scissors. If he has both, do a good brushing with a slicker to help him in the warmer months.
