Does shaving your dog help in hot weather?

Think twice before shaving your dog. For single-coated dogs, it can be OK. But for double-coated breeds, shaving can make overheating worse.

When summer comes in hot, single-coated dogs like poodles, Yorkies, Maltese, and shih tzus often get their summer cuts. Their hair grows a lot like human hair, and trimming it won’t interfere with how they regulate temperature. If anything, it will help.

Double-coated dogs do not work the same way. That includes dogs like huskies, golden retrievers, Australian shepherds, and Great Pyrenees. They have both a dense undercoat and a coarser outer coat. That undercoat insulates in both directions. That means that in summer, it blocks radiant heat from the sun and helps regulate body temperature. So shaving it would be a mistake.

If you're Googling this in June because your golden retriever looks miserable, you're not alone. It seems logical, too. Thick fur equals hot dog. Remove fur, problem solved. But double-coated breeds don't work that way, and a well-meaning shave can create more problems than it fixes.

Removing a double-coated dog’s coat takes away the one system keeping them from absorbing heat directly through their skin. And heat alone isn’t the only problem either, because sunburns can be an issue with shaved coats, particularly on backs, ears, and noses.

There’s also a risk that the double coat won’t grow back correctly after shaving. The undercoat tends to return first and grows in thicker and patchier. Some dogs never fully recover their original coat texture. That's a permanent change from a decision that was supposed to be temporary.

Regular brushing and professional deshedding is a safer option here, because it’s a good way to have loose undercoat removed. This helps by opening up airflow through the coat without destroying its structure. A proper deshed treatment can reduce shedding for four to six weeks, and this can make a bigger difference in your dog's comfort than a clipper ever would.

Woofie's® of Austin Hill Country groomers are AKC S.A.F.E. certified and trained through Woofie's Academy, a 240-hour program that covers safety, handling, and breed-specific coat care. They'll recommend the right summer approach for your dog's coat type, whether that's a trim, a deshed, or just a good bath and blowout. And the mobile van comes to your driveway, so neither of you has to sit in Austin traffic to get it done.