Can you shave labradors

The undercoat is the insulation the lab needs to keep cool during the summer and warm during the winter. It also protects your dog against getting sunburn from damaging UV rays. Instead of shedding the fluffy and soft undercoat, your lab will shed short prickly hairs that are harder to clean up and hurt if they poke you.

Grooming your Labrador Retriever is preferable to shaving their coat. A lab typically blows its coat twice per year. Yellow labs tend to shed all the time. Regular brushing will remove the loose hairs, which helps circulation to keep your dog cool. And the dander flows in the air more easily and you will more be affected with allergies. Hence shaving will not improve problems for anyone allergic to dogs, and can even make those problems worse.

Hence instead of shaving your Labrador, you must adopt other methods to keep your dog comfortable and to deal with its coat problems. If anyone tells you to shave your Lab to reduce shedding, they are wrong. So if you have this thought of shaving your Labrador just because of its excessive shedding, regular grooming is the best alternative solution.

Even my Labrador had excess shedding, and I was irritated with fur everywhere in the house. But as soon as i started a regular grooming schedule, the amount of excess shedding reduced greatly.

Hence proper grooming with proper grooming tools will minimize the shedding to an extent that you no longer feel uncomfortable. After my research, i personally recommend two best tools for your Lab. Have a look at this and this. Also, Let me suggest you the best brush for Labs which i use for my Labs too. This tool removes loose hair and undercoat without any skin damage. This can be used as a final grooming step after using Furminator. Use this bristle brush below that seems like a perfect brush.

In the case of excessive shedding, you need to adopt proper methods to minimize the condition. Have a look at our article to stop labrador hair fall with proven solutions. If you feel that your dog is being excess heated in summer, then shaving is definitely not the option. Because shaving away the coat cannot keep your dog cool. Always provide your dog with a sufficient amount of clean water in its water bowl.

Because proper hydration is the key to cool your dog. A dog with sufficient hydration cools its body naturally and more efficiently by way of panting. You can also use a Dog water dispenser to ensure that water is available to your dog all round the clock. Make sure that your dog is resting under the shade. Also, prefer to keep your dog indoors especially during summer months. Avoid play and exercise when it is too hot outside. When you want to shave your dog to deal with issues like fleas and other skin conditions shaving is not the right solution.

The undercoat provides a fantastic summer cooling mechanism and winter insulation. In essence, the undercoat is protection, and when you shave your Lab, you strip them of this vital protection. Image Source. Each hair follicle is attached to a muscle known as erector pili, which raises and lowers the hair in an ingenious natural ventilation system. Worse still, you could risk pulling back the follicle and opening it up to exposure through shaving. This is a prime gateway for bacteria or fungus to slip inside the skin.

For breeds like Labradors, a double layer of dog fur is a good thing. Here are a few things that may help you appreciate how nature has helped your pup evolve perfectly:. Primary or topcoats protect the undercoat while the undercoat protects the skin.

Both layers are controlled by muscles that move the hair follicles up and down. Using these hair follicles, air moves through the primary and secondary coats.

When you shave both layers, the quality of the fur that grows back is not as effective at conveying air in this natural cooling system. Undercoats insulate a Labrador against cold weather.

Melanin is crucial to protecting the skin from sunburns and the effects of UV rays. The undercoat of your Lab sheds just as much or more as the outercoat, so it is very important to make sure that you get to the undercoat when you are grooming your Lab. Make sure to use a soft comb and one that will not hurt your Lab when you comb their fur. When brushing or combing, make sure to go in the direction of the hair growth so that the grooming can be enjoyable and helpful to your pet.

Also, be careful around the leg area when combing because the fur is not as thick, and it could cause skin irritation. Bathing your Lab is important for many reasons, but when you do bath your Lab, make sure that you work your fingers through their fur to help remove some of the loose hair.

If you feel that your Labrador is shedding more than they should, go to the local vet and have a health check done on your Labrador. A Labrador that is constantly scratching or seems to be uncomfortable might have something going on more than just a little shedding. Make sure that your lab does not have any type of underlying health issues that are causing them to shed.

You should not shave your Labrador Retriever, but you can help to keep them healthy and clean by bathing them, brushing and combing their fur, keeping their nails clipped and by taking them to the vet on a regular basis.

By doing these things, you can help to make sure that your Labrador Retriever is healthy, cool and that their fur and the rest of their body is as healthy as can be! Search Search for: Search. Does My Labrador Need a Haircut?