Hello. I have a 8 month old husky malamute mix and I was thinking about shaving him for the summer. It's only 70 degrees in the house and he pants in his kennel like he's sooooooo hot. But my friend told me that her vet said to not shave a husky because they will get depressed??! Now I will tell you. He is fluffy as crap and has not lost his second coat yet. Can anyone shed some light on this.

I think the depression part is an urban legend.

BUT....shaving a Husky or a Malamute is dangerous and very bad for them because it allows too much sunlight to hit their skin and they are very sensitive to it.

The fur and coat actually keeps them cooler in the summer just as it keeps them warmer in the winter.

That's not a legend, just physical facts.

Thickly coated dogs have more sensitive skin than shorter coated dogs.

Never shave a husky or mal!!! For the reasons jeff listed above!!

As Jeff and Eric said, do NOT shave a Northern-breed dog (Siberian husky, Malamute, etc.)!!! Their skin burns in the sun very easily, and their fur naturally insulates them against the heat to an extent. Shaving will only cause them pain.

Here are some links to back up what everyone is saying:

http://siberescue.com/Common/DontShave.html

http://pets.thenest.com/hurt-husky-dogs-hair-shave-summer-4850.html

http://www.siberrescue.com/Flsibes.htm (I work with this rescue, used to live in and have Huskies in Florida)

Short answer though, please don't do it

A graphic someone posted on this site a while back that explains it very well:


NEVER shave a double-coated breed. It does more harm than good.

Nice Nicole, thanks. I tried looking for that. It was posted by Lani, our resident sledding expert.

Depresses the hell out of me to see a poor dog shaved who shouldn't have been shaved.

Shaving a Siberian will actually put them at higher risk for heat stroke. Aside from the increased risk of skin cancer and sun burns (Siberian have very low melanin in their skin). Panting is how dogs sweat (also through their feet), so don't be alarmed if they are panting. Just be sure you are allowing access to plenty of drinking water, shade, and a kiddy pool can be a nice break from the heat as well.

glad you ask here before take the action.

speaking of undercoats, I live in Michigan and lately it has been 50s-70s and Nala hasn't started blowing her coat and I'm not sure why, it seems like this time last year we were inhaling fur but not so much yet this year any particular reason why? she is also in heat right now (not breeding) just haven't gotten her fixed, could that be a factor?

She'll blow coat once she's through her cycle-

THANK YOU!

Also the damage that can happen to the fur after you shave them over and over. I work at a dog daycare and there is a Pomeranian that has been shaved over and over again for years and it has ruined his coat. It's now super thin looks like a bad comb over and it will never grow back or look right. He gets sun burns in the summer is to cold in the winter and you can see his skin.

Now because they can get sun burned and over heat when you shave them I can see that people would think they are depressed. If you are sunburned and overheated you feel sick and are going to act depressed and unhappy.

There are a lot of things you can do to deal with the heat. Frozen kongs, my pup loves ice cubes but if your pup doesn't like just water you can freeze chicken broth or put treats in ice cube trays and then they munch the ice to get the treat. Also we put a fan on our pup so he can have the cool air when he is stuck in his kennel.

Everyone here made some great points!

Its a pretty huge decision to make when it comes to shaving any dog that should be shaved and you need to consider the big list of downsides involved.

A dog pants to cool down, just like we sweat to cool off. Dont think about the thick fur and the panting as uncomfortable just because if you as a person had all that hair, you would be very uncomfortable. That coat, like everyone else mentioned, helps to regulate the temperature on the dog.

Instead of spending the $80-100 to shave the coat off, I'd work on the daily brushing to keep the coat clear of undercoat and looking up some creative ways to keep a snow dog cool in the warm summer months (:

I'm so glad I found this page! I was on the fence about shaving mine since I live in Florida. I always thought it was cruel and unusual punishment for a husky to be in such a hot climate, but now I know better! While on the subject of coats, does anyone use something specific to make it soft? I feel like Loki's has gotten rough since her last bath.

Liz how often do you bathe Loki? What are you feeding? Those 2 things can make a huge difference where their coats are concerned.

Renee, I really only bathe her when she's really dirty. About two weeks ago (before I got the kennel divider) she would go in the kennel so I'd have to give her a bath when I got home. That was a three day battle. Food wise, I'm mixing Bil Jac sensitive formula and Purina Pro Plan savor puppy.

Better food, something that is grain free and has real meat as the first ingredient, will do wonders. You can also supplement fish oil or coconut oil into her diet. Age makes a difference too. You won't see the real fruits of your labor until a coat blow when the new fur coming in is healthy.

Chicken is the first ingredient in the Purina, and it's shredded. It was hard to find something she liked, and she seems to like that. I can look into other food, but it makes me nervous to keep switching her. =/ The oils are a good idea though, thanks!

Liz, if her only issue is her coat not being soft I would use the oils as Jenn mentioned, I use them too, you could also try adding a small amount of raw to her diet as well, say 3 or 4 ounces of raw 80/20 hamburger, turkey burger, chicken (all boneless) can really make a difference. If she is itchy or is biting at her fur some then I would suggest a different diet. Yes huskies do far better on grain free, but anymore I have noticed how hard it is for people to find the right food, that if there is no actual allergy suspicion and poops are great, why not add supplements vs changing food. Just my take, if you had asked a week or two ago I would have said change the food. If you are unsure what allergy symptoms look like in dogs, please ask.

She has been itching herself a little more, but nothing too crazy. I've checked for fleas but haven't found any. Plus, she's on Trifexis. It's so hard to narrow down the actual causes. Lol she always rolls around in this one particular spot on the grass, so I'm wondering if that could be affecting her..?

Liz, sand fleas don't seem to be particularly bothered by "anti-flea drugs" since they mostly use the animal as a carrier to get from here to there. Your comment about her rolling in the yard reminds me of a few trips I made with Misty to the beach. She'd be scratching on the way home but within a few hours - as the sand fleas dropped off - was okay again.
I hate those little buggers - they're small enough that you almost can't see them and will irritate the blaze out of someone when you're around where they are.
Just a thought ....