My Dog is itching all the time………

My Dog is itching all the time Why?

Well this month with damp and warm weather still with us, and the autumn leaves falling, the rain and wind lashing all around, all waiting for our dogs to have fun and run riot through them, I’d like to be a bit serious in addressing skin problems in dogs.

Seasonal dermatitus, Autumn hay fever, Mold and Staph infections are amongst the common names for skin problems at this time of year, and with the unseasonably warm damp weather at the moment, both myself and many Groomers across the UK have seen a high rise in these skin conditions, especially skin problems that appear seasonally.
So I though it might help to explain just what can cause these problems so every dog owner can be aware of then and avoid them where possible.

Furunculosis is an acute skin disease characterized by boils or successive crops of boil like lesions that are caused by staphylococci or streptococci bacteria.

The Staphylococcus group of bacteria

are present in vast numbers all around us, especially in the soil, as they are a major player in the decay of organic material such as plants and animal waste. So during autumn when all those leaves are falling, the soil is still warm, and the autumn rain adds moisture, it is the perfect breeding ground for this group of bacteria, hence why a sudden rise in skin reactions and infections are seen at this time of year.
And again in the springtime when the warming sun begins to heat up the soil and wake the dormant bacteria into action, feeding on all that lovely organic matter such as decayed leaves around the trees in the park. Just the spot our dogs love to go, both dogs and bitches scent trees to see who’s been there, and of course leave their scent for the next visiting dog.

This group of bacteria are frequent inhabitants of the skin and mucus membranes of mammals and humans.
It is part of our make up and are needed for us all to survive, they only become a problem when our immune systems aren’t working up to speed, or our diets aren’t providing us with enough fuel to keep it in tip top condition.
In us and in dog’s, the bacteria are found within the nasal passage, saliva, in our ears, under our fingernails and the genitals, but because of the use dogs put their feet, nails mouth and tongue to during their cleaning, the risks of infection is far greater.

So lets look at the way dogs pick up the infection in the first place, how then they can end up suffering this painful condition and what we can do to help prevent and treat it by regular grooming and a diet that boosts their immune system, thus making their skin healthy and the last place this bacteria wants to live.

Contact furunculosis.

Dogs live by their noses, both dogs and bitches love nothing more than sticking their noses into things we just wouldn’t or couldn’t imagine doing. But it’s their way of finding out just what or who is there, or has been there, what they need to be aware of, and what delicious tasty morsel just “Might” be hidden or left there by another dog or fox.
In doing all this rummaging around they come into very close contact with this group of bacteria. It enters into their nasal passages where is sets up home, quite happily surviving on the organic matter that gets taken up regularly by the dogs constant “Sniffing”.
During the best suitable seasons of the year like spring and Autumn, the bacteria multiply because the dog is coming into contact with both it's feet and nose with the organic material the bacteria thrive on, and with the added bonus off Autumn's falling leaves, you would think sugars needed for the bacterias expansion was in short supply, but the falling leaves as they dry expel all the pollens they have collected during the summer giving the bacteria the much needed sugar they need from the pollen and the added risk to prone dogs of hay fever!

All from the dog’s wonderful time of routing and rolling through all those lovely Autumn leaves!

Seasonal Allergic Dermatitis or Hay fever

Now lets bring Christmas into the equation, when we humans bring in Christmas trees, holly, and ivy into our homes, all covered with pollens caught in the leaves over the past year, which then as the greenery dries out in our centrally heated homes, the pollen is released, the dog starts itching and scratching, breaks the epidermis layer of the skin, allowing the bacteria to enter and away we go again!
Dogs are clever though and they still have buried deep inside just what natural plants can help in various health situations to ease the problem and maybe alleviate the symptoms such as itching.
Taxus Baccata (Common yew) and Spruces contain a local anesthetic in the leaves and bark, which is why some dogs can't resist rubbing themselves on these trees, due to the "Feel good" factor they get from them.

But again they also risk friction rashes that then allow the same bacteria present feeding on the sugars in the pollen to enter the skin.

Contact Dermatitus - Mange Group

All those lovely fallen leaves, the low branches and fallen twigs, invite a dog just to roll around and enjoy themselves, because its just natural and gives the dog such pleasure especially if it can add “Essence of Fox pooh” to enhance its attractiveness to other dogs it comes into contact with, as Fox Pooh is likened to our human equivalent of perfumes we use to attract or compete with both sexes.
But un like our innocent perfume, fox pooh also holds hidden risks, and yep you’ve guessed it bacteria, especially the ones that are commonly grouped into “Mange” group.
Again this group is carried in dogs and hardly ever cause problems unless the animals immune system just isn’t up to it’s peak condition.

So it’s not a case of forgetting those lovely walks in the parks or woods, letting our dogs run happily in the fallen leaves, and keeping them safe at home away from the risks because the risks are already carried within our dogs.
What we should all be aware of recognizing just when the risks are around, and preventing them from ever getting hold.

Self infection by dogs own cleaning regime.

Dog’s use their nails to clean out their ears, then like good dogs, they clean their feet with their tongue, they then proceed to lick and clean ALL over their body, removing as much dirt and dander (shedding skin) as possible, so they stay clean, germ free and healthy.
We’ve all seen them happily nibbling away at hard to reach dirt or grit on those short hairs on their legs, or tummy, and we’ve heard that classic yelp, when they’ve maybe been a bit too enthusiastic and nipped their own skin with their teeth! Especially when it’s in those hard to reach or stretch areas like the rump, their backs of their legs and for the sake of easy recognition, their arm pits!
The bacteria that’s been happily living on the skin, gets pushed into the pores and finds it’s even nicer there, and begins to multiply, in doing so, it’s secretions begin to kill off the good bacteria present and the hair follicles that hold the hair in the skin, and we maybe notice a tiny area of bald skin and hair loss, then as the bacteria increases, the characteristic redness, and oozing tiny spots. The skins surface is now the right PH for the bacteria to run rampant through the skin.

Post Season/Menstrual furunculosis

In bitches some of the bacteria living naturally on the skin and within the mucus membranes needs the hormone rush of a season to make the skin just right or them to explode, and feed on the epidermis and the hormone filled secretions that are produced as the bitches body prepares for the pups by shedding her hair to line the expected nest, these bacteria hide in mouth nose and ears, and first feed over the skin around the thyroid,
Many dogs are miss diagnosed and treated as having an over active thyroid at this point, but the treatment doesn't work, and the hair loss continues until the hormone levels subside, normally around 12 weeks after a season, or in spayed bitches around 6 weeks after a season would have occurred had they not been spayed. So again, this was caused by normal bacteria already present in all dogs but got the boost they needed to take hold.

Ear Infections

Ears can almost be classed as the number one place for bacteria to hide.
Unless our dog’s ears are washed out and cleaned with ear cleaner weekly by us owners, those pesky mites hide deep down, and excuse the pun “Snug as a bug in a rug”, ready to march out and take over your dog’s body. If you watch your dog going through its cleaning regime, it’s easy to see just how this happens. Dog’s use their back feet to clean out their ears, then they lick clean those feet and nails, then they clean their front feet, and then move onto their legs and body. In doing so, bacteria hidden in the ears gets transferred onto the dog’s feet and pushed into the nail beds, from there it gets transferred to the dog’s lips, and from there, to its front feet, legs and body. And hey presto normally the first thing noticed is the “Smell” coming from our dog’s, next we notice the gungy feet, and the gravy coloured staining in between the toes, next comes the tell tail patches that start start appearing in the hair, on the legs and rump.
A way of distinguishing this cause is the places NOT affected are the places our dog’s can’t reach with their cleaning!Now remember, any Ear infections really need daily cleaning for at least 6 months to totally clear them, 2 weeks isn’t enough if those pesky mites, it just means they move down further into the ears to hide!

Flea dermatitis

And then we have the “Flea bite” or “Tick bite” causing the dog to itch, so it scratches, risking bacteria entering the area that way, this is common around the rump area as well all know.
But a real common way of this occurring is when the dog has been treated by the groomer for fleas, but the dog’s home or worse the car, hasn’t, because as soon as the dog is out in the car travelling home, the hungry fleas are on that dog within minutes, and the dog’s vigorous scratching can mean by the time the dog is taken out of the car even if its only a 10 minute drive, the dog can present with red raw areas where its scratched or bitten it’s self, now as an owner what would your first thoughts be?
Mine would be the Groomer caused it…..after all what owner would think their car is a breeding ground for fleas? So when treating your home, don’t forget to treat your car too, even if the dogs don’t maybe travel in on of your cars, you do, and fleas like nothing better than hopping on you for a free ride to their next meal ticket, even if it means staying in that car for a while!

Knotted Hair and neglected coats

So now let’s think of a dog that is not brushed frequently enough, there is a layer of moulted hair trapped in the growing hair, and like the falling leaves of autumn, they have formed a layer over the skin, trapping moisture and dirt in, and within that dirt bacteria too. It’s now a nice warm perfect breeding ground for the Staphylococcus group of bacteria, and they breed and multiply quite happily.
As they multiply the dog begins to feel uncomfortable with all that damp skin, and the hair getting tighter and tighter against it and the itching it feels. So the dog tries it’s best to groom its self to remove the moulted hair and let the air get to the skin.
Again, it can either bite its self, or in its manic scratching to get to the itch, scratch its self with it’s claws, both allowing the bacteria to enter under the skins surface and away the infection goes.
We maybe notice the dog’s incessant scratching and think its time finally for a hair cut and bath so away to the groomers for a pampering.
But hidden under all that hair the infection is just waiting for all that hair to be removed and oxygen to reach it.
Now if a Groomer, is still brushing all those knots before bathing,
(Something which is now not allowed due to The Animal Welfare Act 2006) again there is the risk of the brush scratching the surface of the skin, and sending the infection already present before the dog was groomed into the skin. Then, if harsh shampoos are used on the skin, with the action or rubbing the shampoo into the hair forces even more bacteria into the pores.
The skin is already infected, and now free of all that hair, the bacteria now down in the hair follicle begins to multiply and explode, and sometimes within hours the dog is reacting.

Now was this the fault of the Groomer?

Or was it the fault of us owners, not realising our dog had already got this problem, because we were not grooming our dogs daily and in doing so inspecting the coat and skin, which would have prevented the hair from becoming knotted, and because of the neglect, causing the right breeding ground for the bacteria? It’s also a good idea to have informed the Groomer before hand of every symptom their dog had exhibited in the past few weeks and why they had decided it was finally time for a haircut.
So, if the Groomer had been aware of the symptoms, they could have forewarned the owner of the risks of “Post grooming furunculosis” caused by the underlying bacteria present on the skin BEFORE grooming, and what the Owner would have to do to treat this condition, once the dog was groomed.
As for Grooming and clipping a dog with this condition, this involves grooming the dog in a way that does not impact on the dog and causes the minimum risk of the bacteria getting a hold once the coat is removed.
Bathing the dog straight away WITHOUT pre brushing,
Using fresh natural and gentle shampoos, never pre diluted shampoo more than 24hrs old.
Not using hands and friction of rubbing the shampoo into the coat and skin, but a patting and massaging action, or even better a bathing system that runs water and shampoo through the coat without the need of friction to get the shampoo down under all that hair onto the skin.
And with CLEAN coat and skin, now the hair can be clipped with sterilised blades, ONLY used on that dog before sterilising again and re bathe if necessary using a shampoo that not only kills off the bacteria but leaves the skin slightly acidic rather than sweet, like a lemon or vinegar rinse, so that the bad bacteria cannot survive, but the good bacteria can.

The advice must be to ALL owners to keep their dog regularly groomed and at home, this way, whilst brushing and combing that hair, problems will be found before they can become a serious issue.

NOT allowing our dogs to go running out into the garden or park or worse the river or sea for the first 24hrs after a professional grooming appointment, whilst the pores are still open.

It’s amazing just how many owners take their dogs straight out for a long walk after grooming, and then question why their dog is suddenly scratching?
Even Vets ask innocently “When was your dog at the Groomers?”

Now, can you see that even though it might have been the last place your dog went, it wasn’t just where your dog “Caught” the infection, it was where the infection was bought to your attention.

In ninety nine cases out of a hundred, you will never know just where your dog picked it up, in most cases dogs carry these bacteria in their bodies since they were born, and it’s only when their immune systems can’t cope, the bacteria can, and that advantage of the situation and take over.

A nutritious Diet

The main cause of this rise in dogs being unable to cope with these bacteria appears to lie with their diets not being nutritious enough to provide the fuel that keeps their immune system at peak condition.
Add to that the colorants and additives used to make the food attractive to our eyes, yet can cause the tears glands of our dogs to over work in trying to expel them and causing that typical
Just taking time to look and watch a dog can make one aware that things aren’t quite right. One of the first signs of this is the dog’s coat, its eyes and nose. A dull coat without a shine, and slow sparse hair growth, dull eyes that have lost their sparkle, and a nose that appears dry pitted and pale in colour. You’ll maybe notice a lack of energy and seemingly emotional tiredness and lack interest in its surroundings.

For a holistic Groomer, it’s not just a case of taking the dog in, giving it a haircut, and sending it home gain.
There are so many things to think of that can affect the dog’s life that must be taken into consideration before grooming can begin.
This is why good Groomers like to give their visiting dogs time to move around and settle before they start grooming a dog and the initial assessment is so important whilst the owner is present, as it can reveal to a Trained Groomers eyes more in minutes than the owner may have seen in the past few weeks.

A holistic Groomer asks the owner so many questions about the dog before they take the dog in for grooming. Many times thing come out that can alert the groomer to problems or situations that may be or could be affecting the dog and it’s grooming.

The main one is diet, no amount of treatments creams, shampoos, conditioners, extra vitamins etc, will help the dog if the underlying cause of an improper breed specific diet, isn’t addressed.
This is why a groomer will ask if the dog has ever had skin, ear or immune system problems in the past, as this could be clue that one of the thousands of bacteria both good and bad that the dog carries just like us, might be the reason for the dog’s persistent skin problems.

All that will happen is the dog will continue to present with further ailments, and conditions, possibly requiring more Vet treatments and drugs that also have a dulling affect on the immune system, reducing its working capacity even more. Sadly, don’t believe the hype on those ads or food packets, its there to sell that brand of food, believe your dog’s appearance, behaviour, that alone speaks volumes.

But remember any change of diet means upset tummies as the dog gets rid of the toxins it built up on the old food. Skin flaking and yep, itchiness as the toxins exits through that way. And don’t expect a change over night it can take up to 6months to see an improvement. But what an improvement!

No more skin infections, a lovely clean skin, glossy hair and shinning nose sparkling eyes, and a far longer, happier life.

So the next time our dogs get a skin infection, remember, there’s a good chance, it was there all along, it just needed the right situation to take over.
But with regular daily inspection of your dog’s coat during brushing and combing your dog you’ll be more likely to catch it before it becomes a problem. And if your dog starts scratching, take a look straight away.

So there you are, now you know a few of the causes that “Could” be the origin of that sudden rash or skin infection, and whilst Vet’s have told many an owner it “Might” be caused by grooming, as it stands because the cause is so hard to track down, this statement might be seen as untrue, because of all the above possibilities, and without proof, even a Groomer making a suggestion that the skin problem is caused by a particular reason, they too do not have concrete proof.

Sadly it’s only our dog’s who knows just when it started, Wouldn’t it be lovely if they could talk?
Oh boy, I bet they’d have a few tales to tell! © JackieGrimmett 2010.

The Importance of Daily Coat Care

Believe it or not, the physical state of a dog influences the way he feels and the way we look at our dogs as well.

At around the month of March and April, all of the dog grooming salons are full of dogs with dirty, rough or greasy hair, a lot of them come in limping because their nails are too long and they have teary eyes and dirty ears. Obviously a dog that comes in this way has not been well taken of all winter. Incredibly enough after a nice grooming these dogs look like different dogs and they seem to have more life in them. Their owners definitely think so too.

There are extreme cases in which lack of proper care, cleaning and grooming can directly affect the behaviour of a dog. An example of this is when a dog has long nails; if the dog normally enjoyed running around and getting a lot of exercise, he won't be able to anymore and it will even affect the way he walks causing him pain and he may even become depressed.

Another example of this is a dog whose hair has grown too long and is in front of his face blocking his eyes. This situation can actually affect some animals to the point where they become fearful and untrusting of people and other animals, and on some occasions even aggressive. A dog that cannot see well feels threatened and he will impulsively go on the defensive. Put yourself in this dog's shoes and imagine yourself in this situation.

It’s a false economy to put off grooming appointments, if some owners don’t keep their dog well brushed at home, because it takes longer to remove an un-brushed coat than it does to remove a well brushed coat, and as the cost of grooming is based on an hourly rate, it can be 3 or 4 times more expensive to repair the damage.

Health issues go un-noticed under all that fur, which when revealed, may cause very expensive Veterinary Costs and suffering to the dog.

And in all of this the poor dog suffers. How would it be if we turned up at our Hairdressers having not brushed our hair for 6months? Would they go ahead and brush it out? Or hand US the brush to sort it before they would consider touching it.

Please let the Groomer sort it in the humane way and clip it all off quickly. Though remember, all those knots have been pulling on the dog’s skin making it very tender to touch. Once the knots have been removed, it will be a few days before the dog will feel happy about being touched or cuddled, until the tenderness dies down.

This is NOT the fault of the Groomer, but the owners, in allowing the dog to get into this condition.

Hair does grow again, and a Good Dog Groomer is only too happy to show owners how easy it is to keep their dog’s coat well brushed and knot free at home.

Dog Groomers and Owners must abide by The Animal Welfare Act 2006, and not cause any animal suffering or distress. This includes the distress caused by NOT brushing our Pets daily ourselves, as Coat Care begins at home.

xxxDoggy Licks & Kissesxxx Jackie

Posh Pawz Dog Grooming Studio
Home of The Dog House

Where warm Kisses Greet Cold Noses!

In The Salon this Month - Puppies & Coat Care

We’ve had a couple of interesting things occur, that I felt were worth passing on.
The one I feel is really important, is about the number of puppies aged around 9months of age, who turn up for their 1st EVER grooming appointment, with a coat that is full of moulted un-shed puppy hair, and full of tangles causes by Bathing that mucky puppy when they’ve been doing what puppies do best, getting into mischief!
This isn’t because the owners are negligent, but because of misunderstood instructions from the breeder of their precious pup.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard;
“Oh but the breeder said not to touch the coat until he’s at least a year old”
Or;
“But the breeder said his coat mustn’t be clipped until his adult coat comes in.”
Both of these statements are correct, but not in the way most owners would think.

Let’s address the 1st one; “Oh but the breeder said not to touch the coat until puppy’s at least a year old”.
This doesn’t mean the puppy’s coat mustn’t be brushed and combed daily by the owner,
Nor does it mean the puppy should not be introduced to professional grooming at around 12 weeks old to allow it to get used to all the new experiences of being handled and examined, noisy clippers, dryers etc. they have what’s called a “puppy intro trim”. This involves gently introducing them to the clippers, trimming around their privates, and in between their pads, toes, and the hair in their ears. To keep these areas hygienically clear of hair, so mud and dirt don’t accumulate causing skin problems etc. Nails are trimmed to avoid those growing bones from being put out of line by the wrong gait, caused by overgrown nails. And the puppy fluff is gently carded out using specialist tools, and then the tips of the puppy hair, where its beginning to die is gently trimmed, without going down into the growing adult coat.
It’s so important to daily groom your dog, to spot pest problems or health issues from developing, and it gets the pup used to being handled, so it doesn’t fear Vets visits etc.
So you can see, these appointments should be around every 4 to 10 weeks depending on the breed of dog, and make the daily home grooming by “Mum or Dad” so much easier.
In-fact, pups need to be brushed and combed daily by their owners, so that all that puppy hair that is moulting out is removed allowing free and easy access for the adult coat to grow through.
Failure to do this, can mean that the adult coat has to struggle to grow through the dense puppy fluff, and in some cases, the adult coat gives up and also dies, thus giving the signal to the puppy coat to grow thicker and quicker! By the time the pup is 9months of age, the coat is a felted mess, and resembles a sheep’s fleece, and we all know sheep are impossible to brush out, they get clipped off once a year, and then the coat is left to grow out untouched, for another year. The same goes for a pup, if you don’t touch (brush/comb/groom/bath) the coat, the ONLY option is to clip this off, and start again with a clean sheet, so to speak. But doing this whilst puppy is going through this stage means the time for the adult coat to come through is extended, or even halted until both recover.
All dogs go through around 4 coat changes between the age of 12 weeks and 2 to 3 years. And a complete coat change can take up to 18months to complete. So get it wrong at the very start, it’s not an instant fix, having the dog clipped off, but the start of a long road to get it back growing properly, into a coat that is easy to brush and comb, and doesn’t knot up easily.

Now let’s sort the 2nd statement. “But the breeder said puppy’s coat mustn’t be clipped until it’s adult coat comes in.”
This is true again, but the breeder means clipping down the body and leg hair whilst puppy hair is still present.
This is because if this is done, the message goes to the hair shaft of both puppy fluff and adult coat that they BOTH need to grow twice as quick, twice as thick, because they have been cut down! So they both do, and this is where the problems start. The puppy coat is finer, there is more of it, and was designed to keep the puppy both warm and its body protected from accidents etc, whilst it was immobile, and unable to run from danger.
The adult coat is designed for streamlined speed, protection from danger, and the extremes of cold and heat, hence shedding and moulting 6 weeks before either cold or hot weather is predicted. It was perfect, until us humans came along! I’ll explain;
Once the puppy is mobile, it needs to shed that “Puppy fluff” as soon as possible, its holding puppy back, preventing the adult coat from growing, as there’s only room for so much hair!
In the wild, twigs, brambles whist running through the undergrowth, tumbles with brothers and sisters, and the grooming by the bitch Mum, would take care of that puppy coat, so by 9months of age, the pup would be sporting a glossy “teenage coat”. So we as owners have to take on this puppy fluff as soon as the pup arrives to live with us at 8weeks. Daily care, checking toes, removing hair inside the ears, checking inside the mouth, brushing and combing, right down to the skin, always starting with the brush, ending with the comb being able to get right down to the skin throughout the coat, ALWAYS ensuring that has been done BEFORE bathing the pup, because if not, that shed puppy fluff is going to turn into a solid knot that will be almost impossible to brush or comb out without causing the pup a lot of pain. It’s this pain and discomfort that can turn a pup into hating being handled or grooming, because of the discomfort the knot cause them, pulling constantly on their skin. Sadly, through misinformation, this is the owners fault, not the groomers.
If daily correct brushing and combing is done, with regular professional grooming visits, the puppy enjoys grooming, is easy to keep clean, and by 9months of age your pup will be sporting an almost adult easy care coat!
If the above has left you at all concerned, or you are at this moment struggling, because you are daily brushing your dog but the knots and tangles are still there. It might just be the case you are not brushing and combing correctly. I’m happy to show you just how easy and quick it is to groom your dog correctly, and for free, as this benefits all concerned.

Firstly, your pup who will feel so much better and happier being groomed well, and will enjoy the close bonding time with you its owner. And it will enjoy its Spa time and playtime with me.
You, because it will no-longer be a struggle both you and your pup will enjoy the experience, and you will both release those endorphins called happy hormones, making you both feel so good!
And me, because I know the puppy will be relaxed and happy about grooming, so will enjoy coming for its pampering with me and its playtime with the doggy friends they’ll makes whilst visiting. And you the owner will be happy about leaving a relaxed pup for its pampering grooming and playtime with me.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries or wish to book an appointment for a puppy brushing demonstration.
If you’re out of our area, but still want advice, or want details of how to contact a Groomer in your area.
Email me I’m only too happy and willing to help.

As always, your dog’s wellbeing comes first.

To Clip, or not to Clip - Summer Shave downs

To Clip or not too Clip; That is the Question…
Should I have my dog clipped off really short in this heat?
With this Heat Wave Summer we are having, the temptation to have our dogs clipped off skin short is alluring.
But look at it from this point of view, what do we do when we get hot?

We seek the coolest place; we cover up to stop the suns rays from burning our skin.

The last thing we do is to is strip off naked and walk around in the sun, with NO WAY of choosing to cover up when the heat is too much for us.
We realise that flimsy loose clothing that flaps and moves as we move, cools us quickly, and provides us with our own generated breeze, however slight, that keeps the suns heat away from our skin, like a thermal barrier.

The same goes for our dogs, choosing the right level of hair to remove is a must!
Take too much off, and our dogs Cook!
Too little and you achieve little, or the dog is even hotter, especially if the thick undercoat is not thinned out to allow the “breeze effect” to work.

The ideal choice is to take the hair back to a length whereby the hair is still protecting the skin, but allowing the hair to bend and form thermal pockets of cooling air against the skin.
Each breed of dog has specific needs.

For example;
The Labrador, bred to help catch fish, etc, has a short dense but coarse coat just the right length to protect it from freezing temperatures and the blazing sun, the coat bends, provides thermal pockets against heat and cold, and water.
The northern breeds, Gsd’s Huskies, etc, They too have a coat designed to protect against heat and cold, and being so closely related to the wolf, they still do it naturally, shedding their coats 6 weeks before any weather change.
In summer their dense undercoat almost disappears to allow their top course coat to provide a cooling system from the snatched cooling air in summer breezes against their skin.
Even Chihuahua’s bred as rat catchers in their country of origin, have coats made for extremes of temperatures.
Shizu’s and Lhasa’s too bred for the extremes of heat from the sun and cold from the night time and winter temperatures.

The common denominator is the way these coats have been developed by breeding from the canine design for practicality to the human design for looks.
What has been overlooked and not fully explained during this passage from practical hound to pawfect pooch is the need for human help in keeping the pet happy and its coat fully in working condition.
This HAS to be done to every dog, regardless of coat type, be it the short haired Labrador or the fluffy Lhasa. They are no-longer charging through undergrowth, swimming daily in water, or play fighting and group grooming with pack mates.
We as owners are their Pack mates, and as such, should take care of the daily brushing and combing to remove the excess hair that stops the coat from being able to perform its job.
We can also help by having our dogs clipped down for summer, but to a length that will still allow the coat to do the job it was designed for. Not something that simply looks good to us, or saves us time.
I know I’m guilty of that with my 3 dogs, I got caught out this May, clipping my Maltese and my Yorkie TOO short, thinking by summer’s heat, their coats would be long enough to protect them……hmm
Poor things were so hot!
Didn’t know what to do with themselves.

Consult with your Groomer the best length for your particular breed, and your lifestyle.
I tend to stick to around ¾” inch and no less with most breeds.
And just thinning out and scissoring back to the under coat with the northern breeds or retrievers, though you can go shorter, but not skin short, this can cause the hair the grow back twice as thick, twice as quick, or in some cases, only the fine undercoat re-grows, not the top coarse coat. And this then means it could take upto 3years for the coat to return and before the dog looks like its breed again.

Poms, are a breed that one really takes a gamble with, most are ok, but if you get them clipped down during a shedding stage, they can remain almost bald for a good couple of years! Something I don’t think is fair on them at all.
Far better to take on board your groomers advice and not have certain breeds clipped down, but just groomed out to thin the coat right out, as this is just helping nature speed up a bit.
as this is just helping nature.

Groomers have to follow owner’s instructions, even if they have warned the owner it may ruin the coat afterwards or risk sunburn, sadly then, it’s the Groomer that gets the blame.

But the last thing a Groomer wants is to cause distress to their doggy client, by taking them too short, and maybe allowing the risk of sunburn or heatstroke.
Yes its harder work wise, on the groomer to leave the coat longer, but oh so much better for their client, whose true needs and welfare must ALWAYS come 1st!