To Shave or Not to Shave

Shaving dogs is done for many reasons. There is definitely a time and place but more often than not, it is done for the wrong reason or to the determent of the pet.

Some general rules to think about:

1. Never shave a short coat
2. Shaving a dog hampers its ability to control its temperature, not help it.
3. In many breeds of dogs, when shaved, the coat will go dormant and not grow back normally.
4. Never back shave (against the grain)
5. Never go less than 1” if possible
6. Dematting should be considered first; shave only if dematting is not feasible. Learn techniques and products so you can do this smarter, not harder.