All too often pet owners who are in search of low maintenance companions turn to short haired dogs. They figure; "this will be easy, the dog has short fur, the coat will be easy to bathe and dry quickly and the best part I won't need to take him to the groomers since the short haired coat will not require trimming."
Enthusiastic and full of excitement the newly to become dog owners usually turn to the internet and discover a huge list of potential dog breeds which are characterized as short haired; Jack Russell Terrier, Doberman, Boxer, Short Haired Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher, Beagle, etc..
The list goes on and on and with the thousands of mixed breeds available who are short haired the possibilities are greatly expanded.
Once a person decides to either adopt a dog from the shelter or purchase one from the breeder the emotions and excitement are very high. Everything is going spectacular for the first few weeks then suddenly you begin to notice the changes in your home. And all of a sudden all the myths and assumptions about shore haired dogs turn out to be huge misconceptions.
The first myth is that short hair dogs shed less.
After a few weeks it turns out that the house is full of hair the dog does in fact shed. In fact they shed so much that everywhere you turn; the furniture cushions, the rugs, the corners of the walls, are all covered with fur.
Short hair dogs shed just as much as any other dog type their coat cycle usually runs on a three week cycle. This means that if we establish a good bathing routine we can bathe the dog during this cycle encouraging the entire dead hair follicles to be washed down the drain, resulting in less hair in the house.
The second myth is that short haired dogs don’t require conditioner.
Short haired dogs do in fact require conditioner. This is to promote skin health and has nothing to do with the length of the hair. Healthy vibrant skin will nourish a shiny and healthy coat. If we are only shampooing the dogs without conditioner we are depleting the coat of the essential oils responsible for hydration. This will result in the over production in lanolin which is a natural occurring oil secretion of the skin responsible for protecting the dog from the elements in nature.
If the coat is dry due to lack of conditioner the skin will over produce this resulting in a smelly dog. This is the phenomenon known as ‘wet dog smell’ meaning the more we bathe the dog the more they smell. This is due to lack of hydration and over production of lanolin. The only way to avoid this is to replenish the hair cuticles with conditioner during bathing.
The final myth is that you can shave a short hair dog to prevent shedding.
The dog should not be trimmed to avoid shedding, this will not stop the shedding it will only make the hair so small that we won't see it with our naked eyes. The hair will be so tiny that it will float in the air increasing the possibilities of inhalation.
The more we know the better we are equipped to make educated decisions.
The short haired breeds are a great joy just like all other breeds with a correct bathing routine they will bring years of joy and happiness to your lives.
We recommend a gentle chemical free shampoo and conditioner. Bathe the dog as often as you need to fit your lifestyle. For some this will be weekly for others every 3 to 4 weeks. Using a buffing brush tool will encourage the skin to look shiny and healthy. Keeping the nails short and trimmed will encourage good posture and avoid any potential join and hip issues down the road.
The dogs are in our lives for a reason if we allow them to serve us they will bring years of joy into our lives.
With Love,
Sasha
Read the original Spanish article here https://planetamascotaperu.