Taking Your Dog on Vacation: USA Rules for Dog-Friendly Campgrounds & RV Parks

With summer just around the corner, many dog owners in the United States are looking for safe ways to keep their pets cool and comfortable during the warmer months. One option that many dog owners consider is whether to shave or clip their dog's coat short during summer. While this might seem like an intuitive solution to overheating, the answer is more nuanced and depends heavily on the dog's coat type.

For dogs with single, smooth, or fine coats, such as Greyhounds, Vizslas, or Boxers, summer grooming is straightforward, as these dogs have minimal insulating coat and their temperature regulation relies primarily on panting and behavioral adaptations. For double-coated breeds such as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Huskies, the situation is more complex. The double coat functions as natural insulation in both cold and warm conditions, trapping air to buffer the dog from temperature extremes. Shaving a double coat removes this protection, exposes the skin directly to UV radiation, and can interfere with proper coat regrowth, sometimes resulting in a condition called post-clipping alopecia where the coat grows back unevenly or incompletely.

Most veterinary dermatologists and grooming experts advise against shaving double-coated breeds, recommending instead regular deshedding treatments to remove the thick undercoat and improve airflow. For any breed, providing shade, access to cool water, avoiding exercise during peak heat hours, and using cooling mats or wet towels are effective and coat-safe methods of summer heat management. Dogs that are heavily matted are an exception; in these cases, shaving may be necessary for welfare reasons regardless of coat type, and prevention through regular grooming is the best approach going forward.