The Groomer is a community all-breed dog grooming shop located at 508 Bank Street, at Arlington.  Downtown's only dog grooming shop.  They also serve the Glebe being just North of the 417.

Along with providing quality grooming at an affordable price The Groomer offers grooming supplies, natural home baked dog treats and a variety of dog accessories.

To Shave or Not to Shave

Shaving Down Double-Coated Breeds

Many clients ask me to “shave” down their Husky, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, etc. These are dogs that typically do NOT get haircuts. So why do clients come in requesting a haircut for these types of breeds? They feel this is an easy way to reduce shedding and keep the dog cool.

Wrong! This is NOT the answer. A dog’s coat provides insulation from the heat and sun. Dogs do not perspire like humans do. They only perspire from the pads of their feet and from their noses. They do not “sweat” like humans do. A Husky, Golden, Lab, Malamute, and even a Newfoundland will be cooler with its coat on.

There is one important factor, however. Their coats must be kept thoroughly brushed out. Matted coats or coats with packed-in, dead undercoat will restrict airflow to your pet’s skin, consequently making him uncomfortable.

Shedding:

It may seem like a great idea to shave all the hair off. Sure, no more hair all over the house! Well, shorter hair all over the house anyway… What you are doing when you shave your double-coated dogs is actually interrupting the natural shedding process. You are cutting into the top coat, possibly damaging it, and causing the undercoat to grow uninhibited, as the undercoat grows much more quickly than the top coat, or “guard” coat. Also, this undercoat acts like a sponge. If you want to shave your dog because he/she is in the water at the cottage all the time leaving this undercoat in will take it twice as long to dry as the guard hairs are harder and repel water.

The guard coat is the coarser hair that separates the finer undercoat hairs, preventing it from matting. When this coat is clipped, the hair will appear to grow back softer because you are seeing only undercoat as it grows back. This hair is thick and will matt easily and possibly result in patchy, uneven growth until the guard hairs eventually regrow. By then the coat may be so damaged that it will need to be shaved down again. Also, by interrupting the natural shedding cycle, you can actually be producing MORE shedding. The exact opposite of what you want!
What is the answer?

Keep your double-coated breeds thoroughly brushed & combed out. Keep them well groomed & they will be comfortable even in the hot summer sun.