Grooming Aussies

Question
I am moving from southern California to Southern Florida. It will be 80+ degrees year round and very humid for four months out of the summer. We will have a pool, but my dog will be spending a lot of time outdoors with me and my horses.

I want to shave her completely for her comfort and also to avoid the cocklebur tangles in the forests. We won't even have to own a jacket or pair of jeans for this hot and humid area.

How should I have my dog shaved? She pants hard enough already out here in California. She has also never been shaved.

Thanks for your help,

Tania

Answer
Although there will be a signicant change in the environment,your Aussie should adapt without the need to shave her coat. The moderate Australian Shepherd coat is designed to accomodate a variety of climates and was intended to hold up to work in cattle and sheep country where cockle burrs, cactus, cat claw and the like are common fauna.

I live in a similar climate zone (Houston), where summer temperatures soar into the low one hundred degree mark and the average humidity is above 70 percent. I provide the dogs with lots of water, small wading pools and plenty of shade during the day. We curtail aerobic activities in the extreme heat, but the dogs do work once the temperatures drop below 95 degrees.

The guard hairs of the outer coat are moderate in texture and are weather resistant to rain and protect the dog from scratches and cuts while passing around, under and through thorny underbrush. The undercoat is soft and dense, creating additional protection from the elements and against sunburn.

Your dog will adapt by naturally carrying less coat in general and especially during spring and summer in the very warm climate of Florida.

Shaving your dog would remove her protection against sunburn and thorns, burrs and grasses. How hot a dog gets in warm weather depends on how thick his undercoat is - not how long his hair is. Shaving down the coat short does not reduce the thickness of the undercoat or remove dead hair and therefore will not make the dog any cooler. Shaving can also affect the texture of the coat, making it wooly or cottony and even more prone to matting and accumlating debris.

Long hair can act as an insulator, keeping the warm air off the dog while allow body heat to escape. The best way to keep your coated dog cool is to ensure he is groomed regularly to remove excess undercoat.

Good luck to you on the move!

SAH