Mary Allen
It’s getting colder and while we’re getting our thick sweaters out, the dog is also changing into winter clothes: he’s putting on his winter fur. We explain what you need to pay attention to and why now is the ideal opportunity to strengthen the bond with your dog.
Every year in autumn it’s the same: you’ve barely petted your beloved four-legged friend when you already have a ball of fur in your hand. The vacuum cleaner now has to be started almost every day. But the change from summer to winter coat is important for your dog and its health. We explain why that is.
Why do dogs change their fur?
In the summer, the animal grows a thin coat that does not heat it up too much. This corresponds to the light clothing we wear in summer to deal with the heat. In the transition to winter, our furry roommates grow a thick, curly undercoat consisting of short hairs under the top coat. This keeps the cold out and locks in body heat so the dog doesn’t freeze. Some breeds don’t get an undercoat, instead, their topcoat grows stronger and denser. No matter what kind of winter fur your four-legged friend gets, it is necessary for him to protect himself from the cold.
The change of fur begins punctually with the first cold temperatures. The dog has a kind of internal thermostat that ensures that hormones are released during cold snaps, which initiate the change of coat. For the dog, this process is essential for survival, for the master it’s a pretty hairy affair.
What is the best way to deal with the change of coat?
You have to take special care of your four-legged friend during the change of fur. Only a well-groomed and healthy winter coat can really serve its purpose of keeping the dog warm. The most important thing is regular brushing of the coat. This ensures that the hair does not tangle or form knots and removes dead hair. This is also good for the carpet because the more dead hair is removed by brushing, the less ends up in your home. Regular brushing also allows the fur to grow back healthier more quickly and easily.
What not to do?
But brushing the coat has even more advantages for the dog: It massages the skin and thus stimulates blood circulation. Healthy blood circulation in turn has positive effects on the temperature regulation of the animal. At the same time, the sebaceous glands are stimulated to produce a layer of fat that also serves as a heat cushion. Therefore, avoid bathing your dog whenever possible during the cold season, as this will wear away the natural protective layer on the skin and fur (even if you use moisturizing shampoos).
Instead, rely on increased brushing during the change of coat to make the hair change as easy as possible for your dog. This is especially true if your dog is one of the particularly furry ones, such as the Landseer, Newfoundland, Samoyed, or Husky.
A positive side effect of grooming: You also strengthen the bond between the two of you through intensive physical contact with your dog. A good fur brush is therefore a must for every dog owner.
How do you properly care for the fur?
With short-haired dogs, brushing out the coat more often is enough to help the animal change its coat. For dogs with long hair, you should trim the coat if it gets too long. Because if the hair of your four-legged friend is so long that it reaches the ground, the fur must be shortened with a fur trimmer. Otherwise, moisture, dirt, and above all snow and ice can collect in the head of hair, which can lead to hypothermia in the gastrointestinal area. However, trim only minimally and in a way that will keep your dog dry and snow-free. Trim too much and rob the fur of its warmth function. If in doubt, seek advice from a dog groomer or veterinarian so that your fluffy friend is well and gets through the winter healthy and warm.