Frequently Asked Questions
From The Owners

Should I have my double coated dog shaved?

When a human gets hot, we usually take a layer of clothing off. We tend to have the idea that if our dog is hot, we should shave them.  This is definitely not the case for our furry friends with double coats.  We are actually causing more harm. The dog has a topcoat that consists of guard hairs. This protects the dog from the sun's rays and helps keep the water away for the dog's skin as well. Then there is the undercoat. This provides insulation against the heat or the cold temperatures.  The Coats grows at different times and different stages. A couple times a year, the double coated dogs will "blow their coat" which is different than their regular shedding that we are sweeping up during the week. When you bring your dog in to be groomed, we have special brushes to help take the under coat out, this allows the guard hairs to move more freely letting more cool air reach the skin.   Why was knowing this important?

When you shave off the guard hair and shave the undercoat short, you are leaving just a layer of insolation on the dog, now there's nothing to protect the dog from the sun's rays or the heat.   If you take your dog swimming, there's nothing to repel the water, they can get colder now. A dog's skin is thinner, only having 6-10 layers, while we have 16-20.  This actually causes the dog to become hotter and more prone to sunburns. The texture of the coat will likely change. There is even a chance that the coat might not grow back properly. It may grow back ok the first time or two, but then start coming back in patches.  This is known as post clipping alopecia or black skin disease.  Your dog can be more prone to skin problems and also parasites. Please consult with a professional groomer for more  information.

How often should my dogs nails be trimmed?

Ideally nails should be trimmed every 4-6 weeks, or with every grooming. When the nails are kept trimmed on a regular basis, it makes for happy paws.  Overgrown nails can lead to painful walking, arthritis and the nails puncturing  the paw pads if left unchecked.