Should I Shave My Dog for Summer? The Truth About Double Coats

It is one of the kindest-looking mistakes an owner can make. There is a heatwave, your dog is panting on the kitchen floor in what looks like a thick winter coat, and you think the obvious, loving thought: they must be roasting in all that fur, I should get it shaved off for the summer. It feels like common sense. You would not want to wear a fur coat in July, so why should they?

Here is the part that surprises almost everyone. For a great many dogs, shaving the coat off in summer does not cool them down. It can actually make them hotter, expose them to sunburn, and leave their skin worse off for months or even years afterwards. The instinct is loving. The outcome, for the wrong dog, is the opposite of what you intended.

This guide explains why, which dogs it applies to, and what to do instead to keep a fluffy dog genuinely comfortable through the summer.

First, understand what a double coat actually is

Not all dog coats are the same, and this is the whole crux of the matter. A large number of breeds have what is called a double coat, made of two very different layers that do two different jobs.

Underneath is the undercoat: soft, dense, often fluffy hair that sits close to the skin. Above it is the topcoat, made of longer, coarser guard hairs that you can see and stroke. Together, these two layers are not simply keeping your dog warm. They are a sophisticated, self-regulating climate control system.

The secret is air. A healthy double coat traps a layer of air against the skin, and that trapped air is what does the insulating. In winter it holds warmth in. But insulation works both ways, exactly like the loft insulation in a house or the wall of a flask, which keeps a cold drink cold just as well as it keeps a hot drink hot. In summer, that same trapped layer of air slows down the heat of the day and keeps the fierce sun off the skin. The coat is not a jumper your dog is trapped in. It is a barrier that works in both directions, and it is doing more to keep them cool than you would ever guess.

Breeds with double coats include the obvious fluffy ones, the Husky, Malamute, Samoyed, Pomeranian and Chow Chow, but also a huge number of everyday family dogs: Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, Border Collies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Newfoundlands, Australian Shepherds and Corgis among many others. If your dog sheds heavily in clumps a couple of times a year, they very probably have a double coat.

Why shaving a double coat backfires

Once you understand that the coat is climate control rather than a burden, it becomes clear why taking it off can do harm.

It removes the protection that keeps them cool. Strip away that insulating layer and you have not freed your dog from a heavy coat, you have removed the barrier that was slowing the sun and the heat from reaching their skin. Many shaved double-coated dogs end up more prone to overheating, not less.

It exposes the skin to sunburn and sun damage. Under a double coat is skin that has never had to cope with direct sun, often pale and always shaded. Shave the coat away and you leave that delicate skin exposed to UV, with a real risk of sunburn in the short term and longer-term sun damage over the years. This is not a small point. It is one of the most serious reasons groomers and vets advise against it.

The coat often grows back wrong. This is the one that breaks owners' hearts. When a double coat is shaved, the soft undercoat tends to grow back faster than the coarse guard hairs. The result is frequently a patchy, fluffy, dull coat of the wrong texture, and in some breeds, the spitz and Nordic types especially, the guard hairs may never fully return. The coat can be permanently changed by a single summer shave. Groomers have a nickname for the strange, uneven regrowth: coat funk. It is not always reversible.

It removes a layer of protection against everything else. The coat is not only about temperature. It is a physical shield against biting insects, grass seeds, allergens and general irritation. A shaved dog meets all of those with bare skin, which for a skin-sensitive dog is a recipe for more trouble, not less.

The part that matters most for your dog's skin

Here is where it comes home for anyone whose dog is prone to skin problems in the first place. A healthy coat and healthy skin are not two separate things. They are one system. The coat protects the skin, and the skin grows the coat. When you remove or damage the coat, you leave the skin barrier underneath exposed and vulnerable, and a vulnerable skin barrier is the starting point for almost every skin problem there is: dryness, irritation, sunburn, insect bites and the hot spots that thrive on damaged summer skin.

So for a dog who already struggles with their skin, shaving is doubly risky. The very layer that was helping to shelter that sensitive skin is gone, right at the time of year when the sun, the insects and the allergens are at their worst. Far from giving problem skin a break, it can throw it wide open.

What to do instead

The good news is that keeping a double-coated dog cool and comfortable is genuinely easy, and it works with the coat rather than against it.

Brush, and brush again. This is the real secret to a summer-ready coat. Regular, thorough brushing and de-shedding removes the dead, loose undercoat that has built up, and that is what actually improves airflow to the skin. A well-brushed double coat is light, ventilated and doing its insulating job properly. A neglected, matted one traps heat and damp against the skin and cannot breathe, which is the problem people are really trying to solve when they reach for the clippers. The answer to a heavy coat is a de-shed, not a shave.

Let a professional groomer help. A good groomer can carry out a proper de-shedding treatment that thins out the dead undercoat without ever taking a blade to the protective topcoat. It is the safe, effective version of what shaving pretends to be.

Manage the heat directly. Keep your dog out of the midday sun, walk in the cool of early morning and evening, and always provide shade and plenty of fresh water. Cooling mats, a shallow paddling pool and access to cool indoor floors do far more for a hot dog than losing their coat ever would.

Dry them properly after a swim. A double coat that stays damp against the skin is exactly where summer skin trouble starts. After any swim or bath, dry your dog thoroughly, right down to the skin, especially in the thick fur where moisture hides.

A word of honesty

There are genuine exceptions, and it would be wrong not to mention them. Sometimes a vet or groomer will advise clipping, for instance when a coat has become so badly matted that it is pulling at and damaging the skin, or for a medical reason, or before surgery. Severe matting is itself harmful, so if a coat has reached that state, clipping may be the kindest option, and the real lesson is not to let it get there in the first place. Trimming for tidiness, the feet, the sanitary areas, a little feathering, is also perfectly fine. That is not the same as shaving the coat down to the skin.

And crucially, this whole discussion is about double-coated breeds. Single-coated dogs, such as Poodles, Bichons, Maltese, Shih Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers and many others, are a completely different story. Their coats grow continuously and do need regular clipping, so if your dog is one of those, none of the warnings above apply to you in the same way. If you are not sure which kind of coat your dog has, ask your groomer or vet before making any decisions.

Where DERMagic fits in

Because coat health and skin health are one and the same, keeping the coat in good condition is one of the best things you can do for the skin underneath, and this is where a good skin and coat routine earns its place, especially in summer.

Bathing with the DERMagic Peppermint and Tea Tree Oil Shampoo helps keep the coat and skin clean and healthy and can make de-shedding easier, lifting away the dead undercoat and leaving the skin soothed rather than stripped. During regular brushing through the summer, the DERMagic Skin Rescue Grooming Spritz in Lemongrass Spearmint is a simple way to condition the coat and freshen the skin, particularly after walks and swims when the skin is most exposed.

And if your dog has already been shaved and the coat is struggling to come back as it should, that patchy, slow regrowth we talked about, the DERMagic Coat Restore Starter Kit is designed to support healthy skin and encourage the coat to return in the best condition it can. It is also the natural choice for any dog whose coat and skin need building back up to full health.

A word of honesty, as always: no product can replace a brush, and none can undo a bad shave overnight. What good skin and coat care does is keep the skin barrier healthy and the coat doing its protective job, so your dog is better equipped to handle the summer whatever their coat has been through.

The kindest thing you can do for a fluffy dog in a heatwave is not to reach for the clippers. It is to brush out the old coat, keep them in the shade with plenty of water, and let that clever double coat do the job it evolved to do. Their comfort, and their skin, will thank you for it.

Frequently asked questions

Is it bad to shave a double-coated dog?
For most double-coated dogs, yes. Shaving removes the insulating layer that keeps them cool as well as warm, exposes sensitive skin to sunburn, and can cause the coat to grow back patchy or permanently altered. It usually does the opposite of what owners intend.

Will shaving my dog actually keep them cooler?
Usually not. A healthy double coat traps a layer of air that shields the skin from heat and sun, so removing it often makes a dog more prone to overheating, not less, as well as leaving the skin exposed. Brushing out the dead undercoat is what genuinely helps air reach the skin.

Will a double coat grow back normally after shaving?
Not always. The soft undercoat tends to grow back faster than the protective guard hairs, often leaving a patchy coat of the wrong texture, and in Nordic and spitz breeds the guard hairs may never fully return. A single shave can change the coat for good.

Which dogs should never be shaved for summer?
Double-coated breeds, which include Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, Pomeranians, Chow Chows, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, Border Collies, Bernese Mountain Dogs and many more. Single-coated breeds like Poodles and Shih Tzus are different and do need regular clipping.

How do I keep my fluffy dog cool in summer without shaving?
Brush and de-shed regularly to keep the coat light and airy, walk in the cool of the morning and evening, provide shade and fresh water at all times, and use cooling mats or a shallow paddling pool. Dry the coat thoroughly after any swim.

Can I shave my dog if they are badly matted?
Sometimes clipping is the kindest option when a coat is so matted it is damaging the skin, and a groomer or vet can advise. The better goal is to prevent matting with regular brushing so shaving never becomes necessary.

This is general guidance for dog owners and not a substitute for veterinary or professional grooming advice. If you are unsure about your dog's coat or skin, please ask your vet or groomer.