Why You Should Never Shave A Golden Retriever
The main reason you should never shave a golden retriever is because of their double coat. If you shave your golden retriever even once, you can do irreparable damage to their double coat and it may never grow out properly again. As well as this, it also opens your dogs skin and fur to a whole host of problems.
Shaving Raises The Chance Of Matting
Shaving your shepherd damages the coat. This can lead to matted clumps of hair that will not be comfortable to your German Shepherd. Since the shaved hair isnt as long and thick it cant repel things as well, like sticks and other things that will get their fur even more tangled up.
This may not look pretty but its also not comfortable at all to your dog. Think about that before you resort to shaving.
When Your Dog Is Going For A Surgery
When an animal veterinary is about to perform a surgical procedure on your dog, he may need to shave a part of your dogs coat for him to get better access. Such a scenario may occur when your dog is about to get spayed or neutered. He will need to shave a small part of your dogs genital area for the surgical procedure to be successful. In such a scenario, the benefits of shaving your dog outweigh the disadvantages.
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How Often Should A German Shepherd Be Groomed
Your German Shepherd should be brushed 3-4 times a week, eradicating any loose, dead hairs and keeping the fur soft and shiny. Like other breeds, you should be careful of overbathing your German Shepherd, too many baths can cause dry, irritated skin which leaves them exposed to other health issues. With the German Shepherd breed you should also be checking their toenails at least once a week, otherwise you could be leaving your pup prone to injury.
Shaving Your Dog Will Not Decrease Shedding
Shaving your dog does not . Your dog will still shed, and after shaving it will just be shorter hair that theyre shedding. Because their top guard layer has been removed , the undercoat is allowed to grow uninhibited which can lead to more shedding.
Ein was still shedding eight pounds of hair each and every day after he was shaved. ;The hairs were just a whole lot shorter! ;So, if this is the reason that you might like to shave your double coated dog think again. ;You will still be vacuuming hair! Danielle at Team Unruly
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Care And Maintenance Of Long
When starting a dog, remember that German Shepherds shed very much. They need to be combed out 3-4 times a week. Also, you need to walk a lot with the dog train it physically and mentally, so if you spend a lot of time at work, and on weekends prefer to lie on the couch than go for a walk, this breed is not for you.
German Shepherds do not require special care, but the owner must constantly monitor the condition of the ears and teeth. The teeth should be cleaned with a special paste or allowed to gnaw on raw bones. Shepherds nails should be trimmed every three weeks because they can be painful when jumping and walking on asphalt.
When you start a German Shepherd in your home, be prepared to fork out for its food. The breed is large, so the dog needs 3-4 meals a day.
If you decide to feed your dog dry professional food, then it must be super-premium. However, many owners prefer to feed the German Shepherd with natural food: offal, meat trimmings, beef tripe, vegetables such as pumpkin, squash, carrots, as well as eggs and cottage cheese work well. If you notice that your dog is starting to gain weight, you need to cut back on portions. If it looks thin, on the contrary, increase it.
Shaving Leaves Your Dog Cold In The Winter And Hot In The Summer
The undercoat and guard hair insulate them from cold air, but also create a ventilation system to help cool them in the summer. Think of their double coat as a self-adjusting heating and cooling system.
In the summer, shaving them puts your dog at risk of overheating. This is because the different fur layers act as an air conditioning system by allowing air to circulate against the skin, which provides a cooling effect.
Without the longer hairs to help circulate the air against the skin, the suns rays burn into your German Shepherds shaved body directly.
The longer guard hair keep the cool air against the skin, and the hot hair away from the skin. This helps prevent overheating.
Unless your vet advises you, its better to find other options to help with your dogs thick coat. Dogs left exposed to the elements are more at risk for health issues and additional skin problems.
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I Made The Mistake Of Shaving My Dog
I made the mistake of shaving my dog Carter when I was younger. He was an Aussie mix that had a thick black double coat that was beautiful and shiny. I thought I could help keep him cool by getting rid of all that extra thick fur in the summer.
Makes sense right? Would you want to carry around a thick coat like that in the summer? So I went to my local groomer and had him shaved no questions asked.
He was three when I had him shaved. When he passed away 10 years later his top coat still hadnt returned. He was left with a thick, unruly coat that became hard to manage. The hair on his back thighs, stomach, and chest were constantly matted after that shave. Turns out an undercoat left uninhibited isnt easy to manage at all.
And to my disappointment it didnt help him cool off in the summer at all, it actually made it worse. He began taking a lot more breaks during our walks and he started panting heavier than usual. Looking at him I knew I had made a huge mistake; I had made the summer more intolerable for him.
So please, take it from me think twice before shaving your double coated dog. Heres 5 reasons why double coated dogs should not be shaved.
Is It Bad To Shave A German Shepherd
German Shepherds should never be shaved because they are a double-coated dog breed. Although we may think that shaving them will help them cool down, this will actually only make things worse. Double coated breeds are dogs who have two layers of fur. Shaving your dog will permanently damage their skin.
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Brush Your German Shepherd
One of the best ways to help with your dogs natural process of shedding dead and loose hairs is to adopt a good habit for brushing their hair. Use a combination of a dematting comb with a deshedding tool and slicker brush to achieve the best results. Do this immediately after a bath and a few other times throughout the course of a week and youll notice a vast improvement in how your dog looks.
Shaving Cats For Summer: Should You
A pet’s coat is designed by nature to keep it cool during the summer and warm in the winter. By shaving your pet you usually interfere with this built-in temperature regulation.
Cats, in particular, are very good at regulating body temperature and “really get no benefit from being shaved,” says Mark J. Stickney, DVM, clinical associate professor and director of general surgery services at Texas A&M University’s veterinary medical teaching hospital.
Because cats are “so much smaller relative to their exposed surface area, they’re just better at getting rid of extra body heat,” Stickney tells WebMD.
Cats are also almost always more mobile than dogs, so they can simply move to a shadier spot when temperatures rise.
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It’ll Save You Green Backs
It’s a definite money-saver over the life span of your dog. German Shepherd’s can live to the ripe old age of 15.
And although there is an upfront investment for grooming equipment, it won’t be long before you win;that money back.
Grooming costs are based on how much fur your dog has. You have a German Shepherd and that equals A LOT of fur.
Here’s an example for 2019:
For a German Shepherd with a double coat that needs regular grooming from an experienced, professional groomer who knows their stuff the prices go something like this
Bath: $40
Extra Brush Out: $16
That’s a whopping;$164 per visit to the groomer per month!
And with a high maintenance coat like the German Shepherd’s, your GSD will need a minimum of 2 visits per month from the start of Spring to the end of Summer. That’s roughly 5 months.
If you have one dog, that adds up to $1620 per year!
So, you see, home-grooming makes a lot of financial sense!
Why You Should Never Shave Your German Shepherd
When people that live in hot climates adopt a German Shepherd, they may be inclined to shave off their pets fur to make them feel more comfortable. However, several experts have come forward and stated a number of reasons why doing so are a bad idea. For instance:
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Managing The German Shepherd Coat
A German Shepherds coat is double-coated, with a dense outer coat lined by a soft undercoat. Due to their thick coats, they shed excessively throughout the year, which makes the German shepherd grooming challenging. Once a year, they also blow through their entire coat, which means that for 1 to 2 weeks, they will essentially be molting.
Generally, you should brush their coat three to four times a week.
As their coat is so thick, you should invest in a rake and other high-quality de-shedding tools to ensure that your pets coat remains in tip-top condition.; However, during shedding season, brushing should be done on a daily basis. A high-quality vacuum will go a long way to help your German Shepherd grooming sessions and can pick up a lot of your pets stray hairs.
Fortunately, the German Shepherd produces natural oils that give its coat a natural sheen. This means that you should bathe them about once a month. Over bathing your pet can strip their coat of natural oils and make their fur dry.
Ways Your Gsd Regulates Body Temperature
Dogs control their body temperature in several ways.
And their fur is as important in hot weather as it is in cold weather
Panting Panting helps dogs cool themselves through evaporation. Dogs sweat differently from humans.
They only sweat through their paws, which does them little good in terms of cooling.
When your dog pants they breathe in and trap moisture. When they exhale through their mouth, heat is released.
This effect is increased when they pants. And the evaporation of saliva from their tongue helps to increase this cooling effect.
In cold weather, dogs keep their mouths closed. And breathe in and out through their nose to conserve heat.
Conduction In conduction, heat is transferred from one surface to another. This is why your dog will lie flat on a cool tile floor when it is hot, but prefers carpet in colder weather.
Convection This is the process of heat regulation when air passes over an object. Sitting in a breeze is a prime example. This is one of the reasons that dogs love sticking their heads out of the car window!
Radiation This is a natural process of the body releasing heat into the environment. Dogs naturally cool themselves in summer as heat is released from their bodies.
In the winter, dogs like to be near heat-radiating objects. My dogs sleep in a sunny spot or next to the radiator or the wood stove in colder weather.
Fur Fur is great at preventing heat loss in the winter and acts as a shield from heat and sun in hotter weather.
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Final Words On Can You Shave Your German Shepherd Dog
I know that some of you will think that shaving your German Shepherd will help to reduce the heavy shedding, it will however but it is very dangerous when done on these double coating dogs. It will cause skin damage, skin infections, heart problems, low self-esteem behaviors will develop, shivers and so much more.
You should only shave your dog if it was required to do by your vet, thanks again for reading our article with us to the end we do hope you have learned somethings that you did not know before reading our article.
Please remember that you can also check out some of the other related articles that we have on here like, 5 best brushes for your German Shepherd, and more. Feel free to visit our buyers guide with the best-recommended thing your German Shepherd dog should have and be using.
Your German Shepherd Is Susceptible To Hotspots
Without their coats, your German Shepherd will be exposed to bugs. Especially blackflies.
Just one bite and your German Shepherd will scratch until kingdom come. Without the coats, the dogs toenails scratch against their skin.;
It leads to wounds or hotspots.;
And the more they scratch, the more they become susceptible to alopecia areata.;Alopecia areata;is patchy hair loss.
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Tips For Keeping Your German Shepherd Cool
As the worry of your German Shepherd getting too hot during summer, which might lead you to wrongly get the clippers out. As weve established, the double coat breeds naturally regulate the heat around their body, as air circulates in the space between the undercoat and topcoat.
However, you could also:
- Make sure your dog is kept in a cooler place, whether it is inside where theres lots of shade or under cover outside. Supply them with enough water to drink throughout the day
- Restrict how much time they spend in direct exposure to the sunlight, particularly on very hot days. Try and take them out for walks earlier in the morning and later at night when the sun is not as bright or intense
- Encourage your dog to go for a swim, if you are near a safe body of water. Always make sure you rinse off their coat using non-salty water to prevent it from drying out.
What About Keeping Your German Shepherd Cool
If youre shaving your german shepherd to keep them cool, then youll be pleased to understand thats not the most effective approach. There are many other means to keep them cool, such as making sure theyre in form, offering plenty of color for them, providing water to consume alcohol, and not taking them out in the hottest times of the day.
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Shaving A German Shepherd For Summer Try These Options First
Your dog doesnt cool itself as you do. They dont have the ability to sweat, and therefore they count on their coats to create a cooling system for them to keep them from overheating.
The undercoat helps to circulate cool air and the topcoat guards against sunburns. When you shave them, you take away their insulation system and expose their skin directly to the suns harmful rays.
Think of their undercoat and topcoat like the insulated beverage cup you love during the summers. Although there are layers, your drink still stays nice and cold.
So, if youre considering shaving a German Shepherd for summer, try thesecooling tips, instead. Your dog doesnt necessarily need a shave when there are other alternatives that will keep your dog healthy and safe.
- Offer them a cooling mat to keep their temperature lower.
A cooling mat absorbs their body heat and disperses the heat more easily with a gel material. Some German Shepherds find a large self-cooling mat a pleasant place to sleep and rest to help them through the summer.
- Provide a small pool outdoors in the shade where they can relax and wade.
Most GSDs love water and will readily run to your small pool to cool off. These pools are inexpensive and easy to move around your yard or garden. Most kid pools will fit a large German Shepherd easily and offer them a safe cooling option.
- Buy a small fan that you can point toward the areas they most often lie down.
- Give your dog refreshing cooling, dog-safe treats.
Metro Air Force Quick Draw Dryer
- 18,000 feet / min.
- Compact and lightweight.
Includes 6 ft stretch hose, air concentrator nozzle, air flare tool, shoulder strap, and mounting hook.
This dryer delivers warm air without an auxiliary heating source. Some users think that this is not as powerful as some of the more expensive models but that it works well.
Some pooch parents noted that the noise level is high. But that goes for any high-velocity dryers.
You cant have a high-velocity airflow without a strong motor, and a strong motor makes noise.
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