Trying to find some effective summertime dog grooming tips to keep your pup safe and comfortable during these heated months? If so, you are certainly not alone. All in all, summer is such a wonderful season that is filled with joyous vacations and fun outdoor events. But if there is one thing for sure, sometimes those heat waves can become quite unbearable and the activities you and your dog join in on can lead to them having a lackluster coat in the long run.
In short, summer can be tricky for dogs as they try to stay cool and remain comfortable during and after partaking in the summer fun outside. But luckily, you can help them along by ticking up your dog grooming game with some helpful summertime grooming tips and leveraging high-end tools like found in the Goodbye Matted Hair package - all easy yet effective grooming efforts that your dog will surely thank you for in kisses and tail wags.
Brush Often and Remove The Shedding Undercoat
Brushing often and regularly any time of the year is vital to keep your dog's skin and coat shiny and strong. This is because brushing helps keep the coat detangled, clean and helps distribute your dog's natural oils throughout the coat to keep it healthy. Now, as important as this summer grooming tip is for every dog year-round, brushing more often in the summer months, especially for dogs with double coats, is pinnacle. The reason is that dogs with undercoats shed that more in the summer, and if not brushed out, it can lead to intense dead hair matting that increases the risk of overheating on those hot summer days. So, the takeaway for this summertime dog grooming tip is to continue brushing your dog all year but put a little more hyper-focus on it during their active summer shedding months.
Refrain From Shaving A Double-Coated Dog
After reading the above summertime dog grooming tip, it could be enticing to simply shave your dog instead of brushing frequently. However, shaving a double-coated dog will do much more harm than good. You see, the undercoat of a dog may shed more in the summer, but it also acts as a filtration to keep them both cool in the summer and warm in the winter. When shaved, your dog's undercoat will begin growing back first and the topcoat (aka guard hairs) second and slower, which is what protects their skin from the sun.
What this equates to is your dog not being covered from the sun's rays and becoming much hotter as a result. Not to mention that shaving your double-coated dog does not reduce shedding and can also lead to a sticky regrowth coat that makes it easy for dirt and grass to get stuck in it. In general, shaving might sound like a good idea on the surface, but all it does is remove your dog's natural insulation, takes away their protection from the sun, and reduces the quality of their coat upon regrowth.
Always Brush Your Dog Before Swimming
Much like people with long hair, swimming can become an inevitable catalyst for tangles and matting. Instead of refraining your pup from enjoying the water and cooling down, make it a habit to brush them down before letting them dive in. No, it will not stop their coat from getting a little messed up by the time they are done, but it will significantly help reduce the severity.
As a bonus summer grooming tip, if you have a chlorinated pool that you let your dog play in, try lacing your dog’s coat in a thin layer of conditioner before they go in and be diligent on rinsing them off with clean water when done. Doing this before and after process can help reduce the risk of them getting dry skin and unwanted bleaching effects on their coats.
Invest In High-Quality Grooming Tools
Lastly, always remember that dog grooming tools are not created equal. Not all are made to last or offer the same desirable grooming outcomes as you may have hoped for. Because of that, be mindful of your investment and choose to go with high-quality grooming tools that you can be confident will deliver salon-caliber results. For example, the SHOOBY slicker brush works wonders at drawing out the glow of your dog's coat. Coupling that with the abundant brush for long hair and the natural anti-tangling spray are all cornerstone resources that can help your dog look and feel their best this summer.
On the photo: Goodbye Matted Hair Package 2
Summary – Small Grooming Efforts Now, Lasting Results Later
Owning a dog is an extraordinary commitment and arguably one of the most rewarding and love-rich experiences you will ever have. Between the intense companionship, loving bond, to the endless kisses/cuddles, it all makes for the renowned term, ‘dogs are a man’s best friend’ holding wholesome truth. But as any dog owner knows, owning a pup comes with extensive responsibility, and these summer grooming tips are intended to not only help you along with that, but also showcase that some months require more grooming support than others.
Overall, summer is a great period within the year, but it is often a requisite for more grooming focus than its seasonal counterparts. In summary, you might not have the power to turn down the heat outside in the summer or stop your dog’s urge to jump into a pool of water, but you do have the ability to ensure your dog stays safe, cooled, and comfortable. The best part is that all it takes is adopting key summertime dog grooming tips like listed above and investing in the right grooming resources here at SHOOBY to give your dog the luxurious and effective grooming experience they deserve.
