Happy summer! With the heat in full swing, it’s time to brush up on grooming tips and tricks for your dog. It is a common misconception that dogs with thicker coats must be miserable in the heat and with all the trips to the beach or park, it’s impossible to keep them clean. So immediately the quickest solution must be to trim or shave them right? Wrong! This can be especially harmful for dogs with double coats such as Huskies or Samoyeds. These breeds hail from colder weather climates where their coats are designed to help them manage cold and warm temperatures. So by shaving or trimming too close to the skin, you’re risking exposing them to the sun’s harmful UV rays. Just like our skin, a dog’s can get sunburned which can lead to skin cancer.

Photo Credit Twitter/Shishou

A viral photo that was circling the internet shows a Husky completely shaved except for its head. Most responses treated the photo as humorous, not understanding the risk the dog was at by being improperly groomed. It is crucial to educate people on the negative effects from these types of situations so that they are not repeated.

If you are unsure whether you should shave or trim your dog’s fur, check with your vet or a professional groomer. The only reason for this kind of grooming would be for medical care such as mange or matting. A good way to prevent these types of things from happening is to brush your dog daily. This helps get rid of clumps of hair that can eventually build up to mats or mange if not properly treated.

More resources: