Oban, my dog, is a longhaired Collie . As you can see from the photo below, it has an important fur, which does not have a particular smell (it stinks). It also sheds little hair. Many stop us because many call him Lassie (even if his color is different from that of the protagonist of the films).
Because I am telling you this
Because if it is true that many stop us to admire Oban, in the summer many do it to comment that poor man must suffer a lot from the heat. And they ask me if to make him feel better it would not be better to clip him. And here’s the answer: no, and dogs in general shouldn’t be clipped in hot weather.
To close the argument it would be enough to remember that, given the individual differences, short-haired dogs suffer more from the heat than long-haired dogs, but there is more. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not saying this: it is veterinarians, ethologists, behaviorists and educators who argue that this practice is incorrect. And it is incorrect for reasons related to the nature of dogs . Here are which ones.
Index
- Dogs don’t sweat through the skin
- The coat protects from heat and cold
- Dogs get burned in the sun
- Shearing can have negative psychological effects for the dog
- First dog then hedgehog
- How to help the dog
Dogs do not sweat through their skin
Dogs generally have few sweat glands. They have them under their fingertips (a sign that they are stressed, for example, and that they leave their paws wet on the ground) and do not help regulate their body temperature. In dogs, body temperature regulation occurs through saliva and breath: when they are hot they pant and drool and this is one of the reasons why they need to be protected from high temperatures. Simply put, shearing them doesn’t make them feel fresher. On the contrary. The coat protects from heat and cold
Humans do not have fur and sweat, which is why with the change in temperatures they cover up and uncover. The coat of dogs, on the other hand, has a protective and insulating function, both against heat and against cold. It is no coincidence that the coat of dogs is not always the same: it changes and adapts to the seasons and relative temperatures. Dogs get burned in the sun
As told at the beginning, Oban has a nice thick fur, there are places where his skin is not even visible. Going right to the bottom you find it and it is pink, even white, soft like velvet and really delicate: it is normal having never been touched by the sun . Since the skin of dogs is like that of humans and burns in the sun, it is not difficult to imagine the disaster that would cause exposure to the sun.
That whiteness was born for and has always been protected by fur and covering them with protective sunscreen is obviously not an option. What needs to be done, therefore, is not to shear but to let the protective system (the mantle) they are naturally equipped with carry out its task and manage the outputs correctly . Shearing can have negative psychological effects for the dog
Each dog is an individual in itself, no two dogs are alike, not even two brothers of the same litter and each dog has its own character, tastes and personality, so if someone can appreciate the feeling of, we suppose, lightness deriving from shearing, for others it can be shocking and a source of stress and discomfort not to feel themselves anymore. First dog then hedgehog
Maybe not hedgehog, but the problem is clear. A shorn coat when it grows back is not the same as before. And there is a strong risk that it will no longer be able to perform its insulating and protective functions. How to help the dog
When it is hot, the dog can be helped by brushing him regularly , so as to remove the undercoat and dust and allow the air to circulate on the dog’s body. Another valuable aid is to adapt the lifestyle (times of the walk, food and so on) to the temperatures. Anyone who has doubts, however, can turn to a good groomer.
