So summer is officially here (whoop whoop) and it is time to start preparing our pups for the summer. Before you shave your poor pooch, check out these top 5 grooming tips from celebrity dog groomer Louise Hamilton from 1066 Dog Grooming
1. Don’t shave your dog
“Shaving my dog short will keep it cooler”. This is actually a myth and will not work. Dogs need their coat to help regulate their body temperature naturally and reflect the light from the sun. The coat works as a protection for all weather conditions and as long as it is correctly maintained and brushed through, the coat allows a good circulation of air between the skin and top of coat.
2. Dirty Dog!
With summer here it means a lot more running and walking for your doggies outside. This means exposure to the sea and sand and dirt. It’s important to keep your dogs clean and groomed through during the summer as this will mean regular baths you need to ensure you use a dog friendly shampoo and ideally one from the sensitive range, be sure comb through your dogs coat before and after the bath and to rinse out completely and dry correctly.
3.Pawdicure’s
As you will be spending more time outside with your dog’s during summer it’s important to ensure their nails are kept well-trimmed. The longer they are the more likely they are to catch them causing a lot of pain and also if long it could result in incorrect placement of the dogs paws due to pain from the nail pushing back from the ground. The nail has a blood vessel inside so the nail can only be trimmed back to this point without causing pain. Regular nail trims can encourage the blood vessel to recede so you can keep the nails shorter.
4. Those pesky parasites
With the extra time outdoors and exploring different places for walkies, please be vigilant for fleas and ticks on your dogs. Regular treatment to prevent against these is key such as spot-on treatments and household sprays. However it is especially important after walking through long grass to check over your dog’s coat, paying close attention to ears, armpit/groin area, shoulders and hips for ticks. If any found you can use a ‘tick-o-tom’ to remove these correctly and safely or if in doubt your groomer or vet should be able to assist you.
5. Keep your cool
Here’s a few additional tips to keeping your dog’s cool during the summer! Keep out of the sun during peak times – walk early morning and evening. Do not leave your dog’s inside a car, at all. Take water with you, you can pat the groin area, pads, and ear leather with water to help keep cool or there are cooling jackets available on the market. Lay a damp towel down for your dog to lay on in the shaded area of your garden. Lastly, if you are ever in doubt that your dog may have heat stroke seek veterinary attention immediately.
Louise Hamilton has been grooming for 3 years now where she started off working in a local boutique grooming salon and now owns her own salon 1066 Dog Grooming.
She competes regularly within the industry and placed 3rd in her class at the British Dog Grooming Championships 2012. She has worked alongside top Grooming Suppliers such as Christies Direct/Dezynadog and Groomers at Crufts and The London Pet Show, providing grooming demonstrations and advice. Louise owns a Bichon Frise and an English Springer Spaniel. Grooming is absolutely her passion.
Thanks Louise
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Thanks so much.
Great tips for the summer
My dog has matts. Should I cut them out?
Hi Janis,
I would recommended you take your doggie to the groomers as they have safe ways to remove matts and products to help. I wouldn’t recommend taking a pair of scissors to the coat as you may cut the skin as matts are normally close to the skin and your dog may wriggle more so than when with the groomer.
Your groomer can also give you tips to keep the coat Matt free in future 🙂
Louise Hamilton
1066 Dog Grooming
Thanks so much Louise
Very helpful tips for dog care. I like this post and all the puppies. Thanks for sharing this. Dog care is very necessary.
Thank you for sharing these great summer grooming dog tips. Pet parents really need to know that shaving their dogs in the summer isn’t good for them. Do you have any tips to help make a dog less afraid of getting a bath?
The best way to do that is to start creating positive associations with the bath and bathroom. Reward your dog every time they go near the bath, start feeding them in the bathroom.
If every time they went in the bath, something horrible happened to them (ie getting wet is something most dogs don’t like it), they won’t want to repeat that experience again. However, it is easy to change a dogs mind if you find something they really like (chicken, turkey, treats) and use that to help them overcome the fear. so they then start to associate the bath with something positive. Take baby steps and soon your dog won’t just associate the bathroom with getting wet.
Hope that helps
I’m thankful my dog is low maintenance with grooming for the most part! Our worst problem this year has been parasites so far. I like your graphic and explanation of why not to shave. Very interesting!
Thanks so much. We are really thankful for Louise and her help with the 5 tips.
The parasites are a nightmare in the summer. Damn fleas
It drives me nuts when I see people shave their dogs!
It’s really easy to understand why they do it but hopefully by education we can teach them otherwise
The images of what happens to a dog’s hair when it’s shaved are really interesting! It’s amazing how well animals are created to adapt to different weather conditions. I think us humans get in the way a lot when it comes to that. Excellent tips!
Thanks so much Robin. Louise did a great job explaining this.
Great tips! The one about shaving your dog is very useful. I will be telling people about that one, and hopefully changing their minds!
Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Great tips! Also, a great reminder about the shaving myth! That is a very large misconception!
SO glad you enjoyed the tips. We are so grateful for Louise for helping our dogs for the summer