Let me tell you about an incident that has happened to me countless times, but this summer was the final straw. Tangot and I are walking to the beach, after which a middle-aged man speaks to us... As we walk, he greets us and asks a rhetorical question: "It's hot, isn't it?" I give him a friendly smile and reply in the affirmative by saying, "It's a little true." Then the man (still in a state of fast walking) says, "Cut his hair." and rushes forward. Somehow I didn't know how to react at that moment, because I was speechless. Certain people allow themselves to command strangers in a certain way. Instead of the casual conversation ending with a positive 'goodbye or have a nice day', it ended with an observation and, in a way, an order.

Why did the gentleman say that and many other people in the past that we met?

Tango is a Shih Tzu breed, which means he has thick and long fur. The breed does not tolerate heat and large temperature changes in any way. In the summer, they prefer lounging in the shade rather than being active. Well, I believe most other breeds do too. However, I must emphasize something: a short haircut is by no means a solution. Quite the contrary – the hair is its protection against the cold and also high temperatures. Several times we have had an observation about why I don't cut him - but he is hot in the summer. However, this time the matter went beyond all limits with the comment of a gentleman who clearly has no knowledge about dogs. So I want to say 'I've had enough!' and end people's 'ignorance' about dog care once and for all.

A dog's coat is protection

"Just shave it", "We don't like hair around the apartment", "We cut it every summer, otherwise it gets hot", "We don't have time to comb it regularly, so we prefer to cut it short" ... you can hear all these excuses and arguments only from people who don't really know the breeds very well or simply can't be bothered to take care of them. In no way am I pointing fingers at individuals, but I want to make people aware of dog hair care. More and more experienced and educated dog groomers will tell you the same thing - it is not a solution to cut your dog short and therefore not be hot. Unfortunately, today it is still somehow considered that only a groomed dog is a groomed dog. This is not the case at all! Dog hair has a much deeper meaning than many people realize. A dog's coat is protection. Dogs need their fur for normal temperature regulation and normal body function. But the most important thing is the fact that the fur acts as a kind of protection against the weather. Be it cold or hot. Yes, in both cases! What's even worse: when you shave your dog and expect it to make him less hot - you are very wrong here. The reality is just the opposite. Doing so will only give him an additional chance of sunburn, overheating and injury. Dogs are furry by nature and that's actually why they're so cute. However, his hair is not for decoration.

Let's learn about the role of dog hair

Dogs have much thinner skin than humans. Because of this, they have a higher density of hair on their skin. Their skin is much more exposed to the weather due to its thinness. That's why hair is so important. Regardless of the season. Humans have one hair per follicle, while dogs have an average of 5 to 22. They have hair and a so-called undercoat. Primary and secondary hair. Their coat is in a constant cycle of growth and shedding. Old hair falls out and new hair grows at the same time. An extraordinary amount of activity takes place in a single follicle. To make matters a little more complicated, there are about ten different types of hair. These types are: Smooth (Boxers), Long (Shih Tzu), Flat (Golden Retrievers), Curly (Poodles), Fringe (Scottish Terrier), Cropped (Puli), Very Thin (Chinese Hairless Dog), Mixed (Labradors) and the most common – with a lot of foundation that works waterproof. Dogs with a lot of undercoat fall into three groups: short (Labradors, German Shepherds), medium (Siberian Huskies) and long (Samoyeds and Collies). Each type of hair requires different care, approach and tools. The most sensitive coat is the one with a lot of undercoat. Such dogs should never be shaved, as this causes so-called alopecia, which means damage to the follicles. It can lead to permanent hair loss and thus skin damage. So, shaving a dog that has a lot of undercoat won't prevent it from shedding. You will only cause the hair to be much shorter. Below is a nice graphic representation of why, say, you should never shave a husky (the text is in English):

If you're still wondering if you should shave your dog, take a look and answer the following questions:

I hope that with this entry I have at least in some way helped to better understand dog care and dog health in general. Things are not always as simple and easy as we humans think at first glance. Just look at a simple test where the puppy was shaved and what the skin surface temperature was in those areas...

But I emphasize - love your puppy as it is - from nose to tail ... with hair, of course. And a nice dog greeting*