Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ludi on July 11, 2012 at 9:38pm

No no no no. Please don't shave him!! He is a double-coated breed, which means that his undercoat works by trapping air against the skin and keeping it there to cool the dog off. When you shave him, you get rid of that natural "AC" AND expose his skin to severe sunburns in the open sunlight. Make sure he has a lot of water available to him at any time, stay only in the shade, keep off of hot pavement/asphalt, and if it's too warm to walk, don't bother. Stay inside and burn off excess energy with interactive doggie toys and playtime. :-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mark Sleith on July 11, 2012 at 10:01pm

I agree!  This article was just in the Washington Post the other day - I think it explains the situation well.. Dogs, Cats and Heat

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on July 11, 2012 at 11:07pm

Hi Vic, please read the FAQ on shaving. Our members who live in Arizona, Texas, Florida and Singapore do not shave theirs either.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on July 12, 2012 at 2:39am

Double coated dogs (such as the Corgi) are those breeds that have both a soft, layered undercoat and a tougher, heavy guard coat of hairs on the top.
Determined coat length is one that will shed out when the coat reaches a certain length. This then makes way for the new coat to come in.  This is a natural and necessary process.  Shaving these breeds will affect this process and in time, can cause other health issues.  

Here are some facts about shaving 'determined' coat lengths:

    Shaving these breeds will not stop shedding.  It may seem that way because the hair they are shedding is shorter and might be less noticeable.
    Constant shaving of these breeds can ultimately affect their shedding ability, which will affect their natural heating and cooling capability.  Shaving these breeds will not make them cooler in the summer months.
    Skin issues can develop.  This could be issues like rashes or ingrown hairs.
    Their coats may become dull, brittle and very rough.
    Their natural color and shine may be lost.
    Bald spots may develop on the body.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Vic on July 13, 2012 at 3:41am

thanks everyone for the info.

I guess Moe can keep his fur a little longer. And he will not have any long walk anytime soon. I was thinking to take him for hiking but I guess not in this weather. 

thanks :)

VIc

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Wolff on July 13, 2012 at 4:04pm

Try getting him wet before walks (this means getting yourself wet, too).  If you're hiking in heat, that means you're in shorts, so put him between your legs and pour copious water over his belly.  Hand-feed snow when you can if in the mountains.
Make him drink plenty water.  Watch for heat stroke.

If you're out in shadeless places, I recommend trying the Chillybuddy cooling vest, or something like it.  The only time I have to wait for mine is in summer heat above timberline with no shade.  You have to keep the vest damp or wet.  Not a cure-all but it helps, I think.

I was just up in Banff climbing!  Stay tuned for views of Lac Louise/Mt. Victoria photoshopically desecrated with The Great Corgi rising above the skyline.  It was, alas, not a corgi-friendly trip.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nancy, Victor & Kabu on July 13, 2012 at 4:34pm

Didn't know it got hot in Alberta ^_^. 

But lots of water and I placed some tiles in a shaded area in the back yard hopefully to give a cool place to sit or lay but on the really hot days the AC is on and we sit under the vent.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Vic on July 14, 2012 at 12:41am

for some unknown reason, Moe doesn't drink after walk. I am sure he is hot but he just don't want to drink. I even point to the walk and tell him to drink. just doesn't work.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on July 14, 2012 at 8:37am

Sage does not like to drink so I always add water (1/3  cup?) to her food so I make sure she is getting extra.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Snickmom on July 14, 2012 at 9:48am

Does he like ice cubes? Some dogs love to crunch them. Or you can add a little chicken broth to his water to make it more yummy. I like to make my own broth by boiling leftover bones. The store broth has SO much salt in it! My dogs have a small wading pool with 2 inches of water in it that they always jump into after exercise.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Starkey on July 17, 2012 at 12:47pm

Hi Vic.  I wrestled with this as well.  I talked at length with the vet and the groomer.  They both said don't cut them down to the skin.  I did take a chance and we tried a top coat cut, taking off the top fur.  The groomer called it a 'summer cut'.  I'll post my blog at the end of my reply.  We got her cut down on St. Patty's day and her hair has more than grown back.  She did enjoy the relief and still kept her corgi color.  The hair that has grown back is the same texture and thickness as before.  We enjoyed less hair in the vacuum. I think it's your call.  The vet said a full cut wouldn't grow back and that's why we were against it.  This hair is the same as before.

http://www.mycorgi.com/profiles/blogs/my-shaved-corgi-experience

• ▶ Reply