Shaving Your Lab Is A Bad Idea – Here’s Why

Shaving your Labrador retriever has become increasingly popular lately. Labradors are smart, beautiful dogs with thick coats, but some people don’t like the idea of dog hair on their clothes and furniture. Whether you’re thinking about shaving your lab or just want to learn more about it, read on to learn why this practice may not be such a good idea after all.

Hair Does More Than Keep Your Dog Warm

While many people know that hairless animals feel cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather, many don’t realize how important hair is to your dog’s health. Hair traps water near your dog’s skin, which keeps his coat clean and dry. In addition, a thick coat protects against sunburn and windburn—which could lead to painful rashes or chapping if your dog isn’t wearing a sweater.

Dogs Are Supposed To Have Hair

It’s kind of weird to think about, but you can actually learn a lot about your dog’s health and well-being by simply observing his coat. Hair is more than just something that grows out of your dog’s skin—it serves as insulation and protection from infections, too. Dogs with thicker hair have an easier time staying warm in cooler temperatures, while those with thinner coats need warmer environments to stay healthy.

Skin Conditions Are Common In Dogs With No Hair

Let’s face it: Having fur is a pretty sweet deal. It protects us from diseases, parasites, and even bad weather. Not to mention that it also helps keep us cool in warm weather. Without fur, we’d be pretty vulnerable to some nasty stuff out there.

The DIY Grooming Myth About Shaving Your Dog

Some dog owners mistakenly believe that shaving their dogs helps them stay cooler during the summer months. In reality, most pet experts agree that shaving a dog can cause health issues. Those are just a few of many reasons why you should not shave your Labrador retriever.

Sensitivity To Sun And Heat Is An Issue For Shaved Dogs

For Labrador Retrievers, hair is a major contributor to their ability to stay cool. Their dense coats act as insulation against heat, keeping them comfortable in both cold and warm weather. Also, their hair has a water-repellent quality that helps prevent heat loss when they’re wet from swimming or rainstorms. While you may think shaving your dog will help them to be cooler in hot weather, in reality, it makes it more difficult for your dog to stay cool because of these things.

The Real Reasons People Shave Their Dogs

People shave their dogs for a number of reasons, with appearance being one of them. From a practical standpoint, many people choose to shave their dog because they feel it improves their dog’s coat health and increases shine. People also do it because they believe shaving removes dead hair that can cause tangles and mats or just makes brushing easier.

So is there any merit to these beliefs? Read on to find out what veterinary professionals have to say on dog grooming in general and about shaving your lab specifically. You might be surprised by what you learn!

1. There are no benefits to shaving your dog except an aesthetic one: The only reason anyone would ever consider giving their dog a buzz cut is if they like how it looks—and that means aesthetics are driving decisions. For some people, short-haired dogs are cute; others prefer long-haired pooches; still others like something in between. If you fall into any of those categories, go ahead and get your dog groomed as often as necessary to keep him looking his best. But don’t shave him unless he has a medical condition that requires it.

2. Shaving doesn’t improve your dog’s coat health: It may seem counterintuitive, but shaving does not improve your dog’s coat health. In fact, it can actually damage his skin and fur over time! That’s because when you remove a significant amount of fur from your dog, it exposes more of his skin to sunlight and elements like dirt and pollen. This can lead to sunburn, dryness, irritation, itchiness and flaking skin. Additionally, without all that extra fur protecting his skin from dirt and debris (like grass seeds), your pup could end up with irritated eyes or ears caused by foreign objects getting stuck in places they shouldn’t be.

3. Shaving won’t make your dog shed less: Many people think shaving their dog will help reduce shedding. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. While it is true that dogs who are shaved will shed less than before they were shaved, it isn’t because they’ve lost hair; rather, most of their fur was already gone so shedding isn’t really affected at all.

4. Shaving your dog’s tail won’t stop it from dragging on the ground: Some people choose to shave their dog’s tail because they want to prevent him from dragging it on surfaces like carpeting or wood floors. While shaving a tail certainly stops it from dragging, what happens next is probably not what you had in mind. Without its furry covering, a dog’s tail becomes much more sensitive and painful when it comes into contact with hard surfaces. So, instead of preventing your dog from leaving marks behind, shaving his tail can actually increase how much damage he causes.

5. Shaving doesn’t eliminate dog odor: Believe it or not, there is no way to permanently eliminate dog odor—whether it comes from sweat glands, urine or anything else. So even if you shave down your dog completely, he will continue to smell exactly as he did before.

6. Shaving can actually cause your dog to smell worse: Shaving your dog can backfire on you because it can leave his skin vulnerable to bacteria and other contaminants. When that happens, his body’s natural response is to produce more oil, which results in a stronger odor.

7. Your dog’s coat protects him from parasites: Yes, your dog’s fur keeps bugs and other creepy crawlies away from his body. Shaving him can actually make him more susceptible to infestation because his skin is now exposed.

8. Shaving your dog’s paws won’t keep him from tracking in mud: Many people shave their dog’s paws because they don’t like seeing evidence of his outdoor adventures inside their home. However, shaving your dog’s paws will not protect your floor from dirt and mud; it will simply force you to clean them more frequently.

9. Shaving your dog’s coat won’t keep him cool in summer: Shaving your dog in summer can actually be harmful to his health because it exposes more of his skin to direct sunlight. And, as we mentioned earlier, exposure to direct sunlight can cause a variety of issues including sunburn and overheat.

10. Shaving your dog’s coat won’t make him more comfortable in hot weather: Dogs’ coats are naturally designed to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer. So, when you shave your dog, he will be more uncomfortable during both seasons because his fur is no longer there to insulate him from extreme temperatures.

11. Shaving won’t make your dog less attractive: Many people think shaving their dog will make him look better or more appealing to others. While that may be true, it’s not worth risking your dog’s health to achieve a certain look.

12. Shaving won’t make your dog less likely to bite: Despite what you’ve heard, shaving your dog won’t make him less likely to bite. Just like humans, dogs are more likely to bite when they’re afraid or in pain. So, if you shave him and he bites someone, it will be because he felt threatened or hurt—not because his fur was removed.

13. Shaving your dog won’t make him look like a puppy again: We hate to break it to you, but there is no way to turn back time and restore your dog’s coat to what it looked like when he was a puppy