I’ll admit, it’s common to feel a bit sorry for Newfoundland dogs in the summer. Even though they aren’t overheating – and their double coat can actually help keep them cool – it’s hard not to think they’re too hot under all that fur.
Fortunately, research shows that giving these dogs a summer shearing is not advisable.
If you’re curious about why shaving your Newfoundland won’t keep them cool, or if you’re considering shaving to reduce shedding, then read on before making a potentially big mistake!
8 Reasons Not To Shave Your Newfoundland
With one or two exceptions, shaving a Newfoundland is almost always a very bad idea.
I’ll address those exceptional circumstances later, but first, let’s explore eight reasons why shaving a Newfoundland is not recommended, and why I strongly advise against shaving these dogs.
1. Shaving Your Newfie Will Make Them Warmer, Not Cooler
The main reason why you should never shave a Newfoundland to cool them down is that it will actually have the opposite effect. Shaving a Newfie will make them more likely to overheat.
This is because Newfies have a special double coat, which includes an undercoat that traps air near the skin. In hot weather, the trapped air is cooler than the surrounding air, which helps the dog to maintain a cooler temperature.
2. Increased risk of sunburn
A Newfoundland’s double coat also protects the dog from the sun’s UV rays. The top coat – known as the guard hairs – is particularly good at this.
If this coat is shaved off, a Newfie’s skin is much more exposed to this harmful UV radiation, which may result in dangerous and painful sunburn.
3. Increased risk of heatstroke
Being too hot is about more than just being uncomfortable. It can be really dangerous too.
Because a shaved Newfie won’t be able to cool down as easily, their body temperature could keep increasing to dangerous levels. Combine this high temperature with dehydration or heavy exercise and you have a recipe for heatstroke.
Heatstroke is very serious and if you suspect your dog may have heatstroke then you should see a vet immediately. It’s said that 1 in 7 dogs with heatstroke die, so it’s crucial that you act quickly.
4. Increased risk of mosquito bites
Another benefit of the Newfie’s double coat is protection from bug bites. Mosquitos and other biting insects usually struggle to get through Newfie’s thick coat to reach their skin.
However, if you shave their coat, insects will suddenly be able to reach the skin, which could result in irritating insect bites.
5. May encourage scratching
Skin irritants such as insect bites, dirt, and debris may cause your dog to start scratching.
This scratching can lead to even more skin irritation, which will make them scratch more.
These irritants can make it through to the skin more easily when the dog’s coat is shaved, and if something isn’t done to stop this vicious cycle, your Newfie could end up doing real damage to their own skin.
6. Makes them less safe in the water
You probably know that Newfies love to swim, but did you know that their oily double coat makes them more buoyant in water?
If you shave their coat, they won’t be able to swim as easily, making them less comfortable and less safe in the water.
7. Increased Shedding
People sometimes think that shaving their Newfie will mean that the dog sheds less, making the house tidier and the Newfie easier to groom. However, the truth is that shaving your Newfie will not stop them from shedding. It will simply mean they shed shorter hairs!
In fact, rather than reducing shedding, shaving can actually interrupt the Newfie’s natural shedding cycle and cause them to shed even more than usual.
8. It doesn’t look right
This may not be the most important point on this list, but I think it’s worth mentioning. A shaved Newfoundland simply does not look right! This breed is supposed to have a thick, luxurious double coat.
Are There Any Exceptions?
Shaving a Newfoundland is almost always a very bad idea. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:
- Serious matting: If extreme matting is causing discomfort or skin problems then shaving may be necessary. You should seek advice from a veterinarian and, if you do have to shave your Newfie, keep on top of grooming once the coat grows back, as you don’t want to have to resort to shaving them again.
- Medical issues: A Newfie may have to be shaved in order to tackle skin problems, allergic reactions, or to get rid of parasites such as fleas or ticks.
- Surgery: The veterinarian may shave part of a Newfie’s coat in order to perform surgery. However, this shaving is usually localized to a small area of the body.
In all of these cases, it is important to seek professional advice. Shaving a Newfoundland has some serious downsides and should always be a last resort, so you should only ever shave a Newfie if advised to do so by a qualified veterinarian.
How A Newfie’s Double Coat Works
As amazing as it may sound, a Newfie’s double coat keeps them warm in winter and cool in summer.
This works because the undercoat traps air close to the skin. In the summer, this trapped air is cooler than the surrounding air, while in the winter, the trapped air is warmer than the surrounding air.
The air trapped by the undercoat therefore helps your Newfie to stay cool when it’s hot and stay warm when it’s cold!
If you’re struggling to understand how this works then it may help to think of a thermos flask. If you put a warm drink in a thermos, it will stay warm for hours. However, if you put a cool drink in a thermos, it will stay cold.
The principle is similar with a Newfie’s coat. Because the air is trapped below the coat near the skin, heat transfer from below the coat to above the coat is limited. This helps to maintain the Newfie’s temperature, whether that is warmer or cooler than the outside air.
Will a Double Coat Grow Back If You Shave It?
By now, you’ve hopefully decided that shaving a Newfoundland’s coat is usually not a good idea. But what if you’ve already shaved your Newfie, or you really have to shave them for medical reasons? Will their coat grow back?
The answer is that a Newfie’s double coat will grow back if you shave it. But it might not grow back the same as it was before.
You may find that the new coat is patchy or a different color. You may also find that the new coat is more prone to matting, as the undercoat may grow back quicker than the guard hairs.
How To Keep Your Newfie Cool In The Summer
Shaving your Newfie won’t help to keep them cool in summer, but there are other steps you can take to help.
Below are four rules to follow to help Newfoundland dogs cool down as the temperature increases.
1. Regular grooming
Grooming is essential for removing excess hair and spreading natural oils, keeping the dog’s fur and skin in good condition. A healthy coat contributes to a cooler dog.
2. Shade and cool surfaces
It’s important to find cool places for Newfoundlands to relax on hot days. They often enjoy relaxing in a shaded area, like a patch of grass under a tree.
3. Water & ice
Ensuring they have plenty of water is key, and adding some ice to their water bowl on hot days can lower the drink’s temperature, making it more refreshing.
4. Avoid hot surfaces
It’s easy to forget that dogs are walking around in bare feet! And, as resilient as their paws can be, they can get burned on hot surfaces. For this reason, I take extra care to avoid hot pavements on sunny days.
In Conclusion: Shaving A Newfoundland Is (Almost) Never The Answer
Shaving your Newfoundland in the summer may seem like a good idea, but it definitely is not!
A Newfie’s thick coat actually helps them to stay cool, as well as protecting them from bug bites, sunburn, and heatstroke.
Unless you have a really strong medical reason to do so, and are following professional veterinarian advice, you should never shave a Newfie.
Instead, help them cope with the summer heat by regularly grooming them, providing plenty of shade, giving them a drink of ice water, and taking good care of their paws.
Trust me, your Newfie will thank you for letting them keep their beautiful, protective coat all year round!