Why do you not shave a husky?

Good grooming practices are essential for maintaining health and happiness for you and your dog. This is a forum to exchange tips and advice for proper care of your dog's hygiene needs.

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Maggie (I'm- Moms Angel- Now)

Punish the DEED- NOT The Breed!!!

Barked: Tue Jun 7, '11 6:40pm PST


	In the town we just moved to there is a couple who have a beautiful black and white husky. Well the other day they were walking the dog past the house and they had shaved the poor pup. All the fur the poor dog has is on its head and tail. I was wondering why its wrong to shave the fur off a husky. I know some dogs it just doesnt grow back right but why not shave a husky?

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Bruno CGC

Honorary Kelpie

Barked: Tue Jun 7, '11 7:06pm PST


	Because double coated dogs have two types of hairs- soft, short, insulating inner coat, and long, coarse weatherproof outer coat. They grow at different rates- the inner coat is shed once (or twice in some dogs, like intact females) a year and it mostly all comes out at once. (Blowing coat, I'm sure you've seen it.) The outer coat does NOT all fall out and grow back at once- individual hairs may last as long as several years. The problem when you shave a dog is that BOTH kinds of hairs are cut. The inner coat will grow in faster than the outer coat, and without the outer coat protecting it, it will get matted and lose its softness. Without the outer coat hairs to give it structure, the coat just doesn't lie right either. Shaving a dog can lead to a cycle that repeats itself- shave the dog because it's matted, but shaving leads to even worse matting in the future, so you have to keep doing it.

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Samson

Work? What's- that?

Barked: Tue Jun 7, '11 7:09pm PST


	The thicker the undercoat is the more difficult it is to grow back correctly - and that is already a length and unpleasant task in ANY double-coated breed. Huskies have among the thickest undercoats so it can take a couple years before they even begin to look proper again. It's rather pointless to shave a double-coated dog. As long as they have water and shade, even if they live outdoors, the double coat offers them some level of protection from summer heat. Coyotes live in extremely hot, desert-like conditions and they just blow out their winter coat like any double-coated dog breed does. Coyotes don't even look like the same species of animal in the winter!!! I'm of a firm mind that no double-coated breed should ever be shaved (baring extreme conditions like having a horribly matted coat that can't be worked on any more). Samson is a long-haired double-coated dog and has no problems with summer heat (we have already had 100 days here in Indiana). He is uncomfortable of course but no more than any single-coated breed would be. Jake is of course a short-haired GSD and he was MISERABLE until I brushed his undercoat out for him then so far he's had no problems with summer heat (and he has a BLACK body). Edited by author Tue Jun 7, '11 7:10pm PST

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Rocket

Rocket Dog!

Barked: Tue Jun 7, '11 7:42pm PST


	Maybe I'll see if I can post a picture. Rocket got a nasty wound that required a small area be shaved. It's been at least nine months since he has gotten that cut (possibly a year, I can't remember) and it still hasn't grown back correctly. It basically looks like he's missing his top coat there, and for a long time it looked like only the undercoat was growing. Imagine that all over a husky, less protection from water, cold, and the sun. Not to mention they shed their undercoat yearly or bi-yearly so thats even less protection.

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Chloe

OG- Original- Goberian

Barked: Wed Jun 8, '11 7:46am PST


	We were at the dog park this weekend and there was a yellow lab who had been shaved almost bald, and the poor thing was terribly sunburnt! I felt horrible for him, I mean his skin was RED! His owner ended up taking him home because he was getting so badly burnt, and I heard her remark that his hair was cut "too short". Well no duh, he shouldn't have been shaved in the first place! I can tell a night and day difference between Chloe's winter and summer coats. She is still blowing out her undercoat, but you can visibly tell that her coat has thinned out all on it's own. I don't mess with nature, especially not in double coated breeds!!!!!!

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Milton

Im just a little- guy

Barked: Wed Jun 8, '11 9:39pm PST


	Coyotes live in extremely hot, desert-like conditions and they just blow out their winter coat like any double-coated dog breed does. Coyotes don't even look like the same species of animal in the winter!!! >>>>>> These wild dogs live in a variety of climates. They live in most of the U.S states. They don't live in Hawaii. Where I live it seldom ever gets warmer than 85 degrees. They live here year round. They where making a racket last night.

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Bianca CGC- TT HIC Thd- ♥

What big ears- you have...

Barked: Thu Jun 9, '11 12:45am PST


	The coat protects them from wind, sun, heat, and cold.

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Fritz

Fritz, cats are- fun when they- run

Barked: Fri Jun 10, '11 4:00am PST


	It takes two years for the coat to grow back. If you get trimmed every year for summer the coat will never come all of the way back. However, I don't think there are any health reasons why a well cared for dog couldn't be shaved if the owner keeps him out of the sun and doesn't care if he has a full coat. For some reason, many people are very emotionally involved in this issue and will react like one has beaten one's dog when they hear you shaved him. I was shaved when I came to my current home due to mats. It took two years for my coat to come all the way back in. It didn't ruin my coat or me.