A Good Article on Shaving Dogs with Double Coats

Truths and Myths About Shaving Dogs with Double Coats

by Jil Peruga of PurestPets.com

Double coats, also known as down hairs, ground hairs, or undercoat, are very fine, fluffy hairs closest to the skin on some mammals. The hairs are short and crimped, which makes them highly efficient at trapping air and insulating the animal. This keeps them warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
This brings us to the first myth: Long-haired, double-coated dogs need to be shaved in order to be cooler during the summer.
Double-coated dogs are dogs that have a heavy undercoat. The lighter, softer coat that sheds naturally does not need to be shaved.
Unless the dog has passed the point of no return in the matting department, the best type of grooming for these dogs is a vigorous undercoat raking with a special tool that helps remove the undercoat. This raking, followed by a bath, and a blow dry, will help separate the hair so the groomer can get to the rest of the undercoat. Once the undercoat has been thinned out, the dog does feel cooler. The guard hairs on the top, which do not shed out, provide protection against the sun’s rays and actually insulate the dog from the heat. However, one might consider shaving a strip on their belly, so that they can lay on cool surfaces, and get maximum coolness. If mats are your main concern, then it’s best to simply keep up with them so they don’t get bad to the point of having to shave your dog.  You may wish to try a product like Mud & Mat Remover made by PurestPets.

Another myth is that cutting a dogs hair off will cause the dog not to shed. This is not necessarily true. Dogs with undercoats shed. After a cut, it may shed shorter hair, but it will still shed. The most harmful myth, as far as the dog is concerned is ”Don’t worry, it’ll grow back.” Well, sometimes it will. However, the older the dog is, the less likely the guard hairs will re-grow. While the undercoat will re-grow, the upper hairs sometimes do not. This gives the dog a patchy, scruffy, frizzy appearance.

Also, a shaved dog is more susceptible to sunburn – skin damaged by UV rays. These are rays that the dog would not otherwise be exposed to. This, unfortunately, can be painful and take a long time to heal. The dog may have scaling and dandruff for quite some time, even after the hair has re-grown.

Dogs like poodles, Maltese, Shih Tzu’s, and other dogs, which do not have undercoat, require regular grooming and haircuts. But dogs with undercoats rarely do. So shaving your long-haired, double-coated dog in the summer is not really necessary, according to some veterinarians. But there may be just as many veterinarians and groomers who hold the opposite opinion and this needs serious consideration, too. To shave or not to shave? This controversy is sure to continue.

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It is very difficult to get people to understand why they should not shave their double coated dogs.  Hopefully this information will help viewer to understand why that is.  They were born with it for a reason and just because it is a little messy in the house is not a reason for taking it away.  The benefits to the dog out way the extra vacuuming time that needs to be spend. I know everyone would agree that their pet is definitely worth the extra time.

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Doggie Day Care Reminders

It is hard to believe that we are at the half way point in the month of August and September is just around the corner.  With all of our days off and family vacations sadly coming to an end. As for manyof us it is "back to school time".  This is not only for us humans but our canines as well. 

September is the start of a very, very busy time here at Doggie Day Care.  As families get back into a more consistent routine and your pet tries to figure out why the change has happened.  It can be a confusing time for them.  Like us our dogs thrive on routine.  They enjoy making friends at day care and like us have a certain "best friend" that they enjoy being with more than others.  So choosing your dogs days at day care and sticking to that routine is very important to them.  They make bonds with friends to help pass the time while their loved ones are at work and/or school until you can be together gain in the evening. 

It is also very important to the staff who need to know who will be coming on any given day so that we can plan appropriately.  As you know (but maybe have forgotten) there is a limit to the number of dogs we will take on any given day.  If you reserve a spot and are unable to keep that please, please call ahead or leave a message anytime so we may give that spot to someone else.

As well if you do not reserve your days there the possibility that you could show up with your dog and be turned away as much as would hate to do that.  Safety is Always the Number One Priority here and not the fact that we love having your pet here with us.

Always remember that drop-off is from 7:00 to 9:00 and some of your dogs friends have been waiting since 7:00 to go out and start play so please be courteous to others.  Dogs are pack animals and are let out as pack for their free play time.  It is a safety issue to just allow a late dog go into a room where the "pack" is already at play.  So the staff must recrate everyone and restart the day over taking the pack out as a group again.

We all hope that everyone has a great summer and always thank you for your co-operation.

Happy 2nd Birthday Teddy!!!

 

Happy 2nd Birthday Teddy!!

Teddy is a very energetic little guy.  Who LOVES to come to day care. As his parents state "he just get's so excited when we go to the closet to get his leash, he knows it is Day Care Day."  He is good friends with his look a like Tuba.  We all hope you have a fantastic birthday!

A Diamond In The Ruff Attends Trade Show

The Staff from A Diamond In The Ruff recently attended the New England Pet Grooming Professionals 32nd Annual Summer Fest Trade Show in Warwick Rhode Island.  There the staff attended a wide range of seminars presented by some of the top groomers in the world.  Just to name a few:

Sue Zecco a Master Groomer with the National Dog Groomers Association and International Proessional Groomers Association with 30 years of experience in grooming, showing and breeding.

Jodi Murphy a National Certified Master Groomer and Master Pet Sylist Meritus.  Ranked top pet stylist in 2005 and 2006 landing the number one spot on Groom Team USA and attained World Grand Champion title in 2006.

Teri DiMarino was a member of three Groom Team USA, multiple Cardinal Crystal Achievement award nominee and has achieved awards for contest Judge of the year in 1990.

Melissa Verplank is an award winning author and Certified Master Groomer.  Groom Team USA, opened two schools (White Dog Enterprises and The Paragon School) and is a respected judge and speaker.

Joey Vallani who is President and Director of Nash Academy of Animal Arts in New Jersey and has been involved with Intergroom International for 25 years.

Lynn Wunderli Owner and President of Wunderdog K-9 Care and Training LLC.  Lynn has 35 years of experience, breeds and shows Giant Schnauzers.  Member of Giant Schnauzer Club since 1995, Re-homing evaluator/training for GSCA, and AKC Certified "Canine Good Citizen" evaluator since 1999.  She is also a behavoira evaluator/trainer/foster for Paws of New England since 2009 and has help evaluate and retrain problematic rescue dogs thus resulting in a high success placement rate.


As you can see this was a very informative and well rounded field of other professionals.  Who passed on not only a lot of information to all that attended but many "tricks of the trade" for the staff to take back with them.   In all it was a great opportunity!