Maltese Dog Owners: Shaving Your Dog For Summer Will Make Things Worse
Surprising news for pet owners across Malta and Gozo, shaving your dog to help cool them off may actually be doing more harm than good.
As temperatures continue to soar there are plenty of ways to help keep a dog cool, but forcefully removing its fur will have the opposite effect. Some fluffier breeds of dogs have what’s known as a double coat, with some fur used for insulation in winter, and other ‘guard hairs’ that are needed-year round.
When you shave a dog you disturb the natural process of heating and cooling they’ve developed over centuries of evolution.
Double coat breeds include Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Collies and Shepard dogs, and shaving them once could be enough to permanently throw off their growth pattern.
Without the guard hairs, not only are these dogs more at risk of infection and irritation, they’re also not able to properly regulate their body temperatures, making them less resistant to Malta’s heat.
So while you should avoid taking them outside when the sun is high in the sky, and they must be well hydrated and kept in cool rooms, shaving your dog is not the way to go.