Best Haircuts for Dogs: Summer Styles are in!

Dog Grooming, Dog Services, Pet Health, Pet Safety

Responsible Pet Grooming Can Cool Down your Dog for the Summer with the Best Haircuts for Dogs

The summer months are full of vacations, barbecues, and the blazing heat of the sun that has us all shedding into swimsuits and cranking up the air conditioning. If us human are stripping the winter layers, doesn\’t it make sense for our panting dogs to cool off too? Yeah, Fido could probably use a trim down to contend with the oppressive heat. What are the best haircuts for dogs this summer?

First a word of caution. Many pet experts advise against shaving your pet. Shaving down to the skin can be harmful to dogs and downright useless for cats. Depending on the breed, shaving can damage their coat irreparably. Both dogs and cats have a natural temperature regulation system built into their coat. So when it comes to the best haircuts for dogs, it\’s better to let professionals give your dog a cooling trim before shaving them down.

Brushing is one of the most important things you can do for your dog. It removes dead fur from their undercoat. This helps circulate the air flow to their skin. Brushing also prevents matting—tense knots of interlocked hair. A daily brush and having a professional trim your dog\’s hair will be a lot less expensive than a trip to the veterinarian.

Responsible Grooming: Dangers of Shaving

For the last 15,000 years of doggie domestication, humans have been breeding dogs to develop thicker coats than other breeds. Northern breeds like the Husky, Samoyed, Chow Chow, American Eskimo and their lap dog counterpart—the Pomeranian—have double coats. These dogs still need dog grooming, but shaving them can begin a condition called clipper alopecia.

This condition develops when the hair follicles of the outer coat are damaged. When the outer coat, or guard hairs, are damaged the coat will never grow back the same. Most owners of Northern breeds that are not \’lap dogs\’ do not want this to happen. These double coated breeds need the second layer of fur to insulate their heat during the cold months. Coats also grow back patchy, thinning, and balding spots are more prevalent after shaving. During the summer a regularly brushed coat will \’loft\’ as the dog walks, circulating air to the skin to cool him down. Northern breed dogs only need light trimming and have their hygienic areas tended. This will leave them comfortable without possibly endangering them.

Shaving a pet down to the skin also leaves them vulnerable to sunburn. Always leave at least one inch of fur as a protective barrier from the sun\’s rays. Clippers need to be well lubricated to keep cool. If a clipper gets too hot, take a break and let it cool down before continuing the groom. Pet parents can talk to their groomers about the best haircuts for dogs that \’choose humanity over vanity.\’

If you have a Pomeranian and want to have the stylistic \’teddy bear look,\’ make sure you\’re content to keep this style for life. If done properly, this trim will not be harmful to a dog. There are various techniques to pull of these popular haircuts without full shaving. Sculpting with a #7 blade combined with scissoring is the most common methods for the \’teddy bear\’ or \’puppy cut.\’

Summer Haircuts

The difference between shaving and a trim is the extent of hair that is removed. Professionals groomers have the training and experience to know how much fur to take off.

Breeds like the Poodle, Bichon Frise, and Cocker Spaniel must be trimmed. These breeds have hair that grows constantly and needs regular attention. The best haircuts for dogs like these are the bikini clip, continental clip, standard puppy clip, or standard kennel clip. Because dog grooming is so individualized, most groomers refer to general haircuts as puppy clips or kennel clips.

A kennel clip is most common for poodles but can be applied to all dog breeds with the same fur texture. It involves trimming the face, feet, and tail with a scissored topknot and poofy tail pompon. The kennel clip got its name from use hunting dogs. During the offseason, most dogs were \’kenneled\’ and needed a short cut with less maintenance. Thus, the kennel cut was born. The kennel cut is one of the best haircuts for dogs during the grueling heat of the summer.

Dogs that need to meet breed standards like Schnauzer, Wirehaired Fox Terrier, and West Highland Terriers are going to need expert trimming. These dogs have a harsh wire coat that needs stripping to fit the aesthetic criteria for a show.  Stripping will make hair threads more wirey. This is ideal for pet owners who want to have their dog look as close to the breed standard as possible. If your dog isn\’t a show dog, you can have their groomer clip them for the summer. Clipping the coat makes fur soft and silky.

Your dog\’s summer cut depends on your vision and dog\’s needs.

Safety Tips for the Heat

Never leave your dog in the car. Even if you\’re just running into the store with the windows cracked, a parked car’s heat can swelter in just a few minutes. The temperatures can reach deadly numbers quick. The last thing you want to do is injure or threaten your pup\’s life to save a few minutes.

Keep him hydrated. All our pets need to have access to clean and cool water. If your dog is a fan of ice cubes, by all means, add a few ice cubes to their dog bowl to encourage hydration.

Chill in the shade. Instead of sweating, dogs pant to regulate their body temperature. They draw air over their tongue which cools from the moisture. This panting process is nature\’s air conditioning. Dogs have an easier time panting when they are under shade.Shady place’s air temperature is much cooler without direct sunlight.

Don\’t leave your pets outside. Most dogs keep a core body temperature in the range of 100 to 103 Fahrenheit. When it\’s baking outside, it is much harder for dogs to maintain this temperature. Don\’t leave your dog outside for too long. The hot concrete can also burn your dog\’s paws when the sun\’s rays are concentrated on the street for hours.

Know the symptoms of dogs overheating. Heatstroke can be deadly, This is what it looks like:

  • Heavy Panting
  • Excessive Thirst
  • Glazed Eyes
  • Vomiting
  • Bloody Diarrhea
  • Bright or Dark Tongue & Gums
  • Staggering Posture
  • Fatigue
  • Seizures
  • Excessive Drooling
  • Unconsciousness

If you suspect your dog of overheating, get them to a veterinarian! Acting fast can save your dog\’s life!

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique hope you and your dogs can look cool, and stay cool, with the best dog haircuts and making informed decisions!

Play Dirty! Live Clean!

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