Siberians in Florida you say??!!

Its too hot! - How can they survive? - You must have to shave them in that heat!

Siberian Huskies are a beautiful breed. Of course, people like us at this site think they are THE most beautiful breed.  Just looking at them is a delight. But the gorgeous dogs you see at dog shows got that way because of the work the owner put into the dog in maintaining the coat. Living with double coated dogs means that you must have an understanding that they shed and you WILL have hair in the house. If you don't like grooming and vacuuming up hair in your house, this is NOT the breed for you!

The Siberian Husky should never be closely clipped or shaved except in medical emergencies. Yes, there are "professional" groomers out there who will tell you to shave your Husky. They will even do it without asking your consent! There are also Vets who will tell you it is acceptable to shave your Husky. Most Vets though will take the CYA approach and say something nebulous like “No trimming or shaving of hair is required or recommended” but they will draw the line at outright saying “Don’t do it” implying that if you still want to do it go ahead, it’s your decision. While it may result in a non-issue in some cases the potential for problems ranging from mild to severe make the choice an easy one - err on the side of the dog’s safety.

Other than during coat-blowing season (usually twice a year), the Siberian needs very little grooming. Just occasional brushing to remove dead hair and keep the coat fresh and shiny is required. Their nails should be checked and clipped periodically, and their feet should be checked regularly to ensure good health, particularly in actively working dogs.

The northern breeds have a double coat. This double coat consists of an undercoat that is soft and short. The outer coat is made up of longer guard hair. This outer coat has a sleek sheen, when healthy, and water dropped on this coat will most often run off, never penetrating to the undercoat.

The coat combination offers excellent thermal protection for the dog from extremes of cold and heat.

Northern dogs, like the desert peoples of the Sahara, are better off fully dressed than nude. Shaving away the outer coat exposes the undercoat, which cannot adequately protect the skin from the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. This can lead to severe sunburn.

Dogs do not sweat like humans. Their cooling process is done via panting from the mouth, sweating at the paws and cooling the blood in their ears. Shaving the dog does nothing to keep the dog cool. It just makes the human feel better when looking at the coated dog.

 The Siberian Husky has little to no pigmentation in its skin, and is especially vulnerable at the pink skin under the white hair.  If you shave the Husky, you expose its skin to the sun without protection.  Now you have a dog that may come up with a variety of skin problems including skin cancer.  

Another reason to NOT shave your Husky is that the fur acts as a protection against insects, mites and parasites.  Once you remove that protection the dog is exposed to even more insect problems than he would have had if he had been allowed to keep his protective coat. The Husky “color-coat”, also known as the top coat, works as a reflective barrier. Shaving this coat exposes the undercoat and when the two coats grow back they no longer “blend” properly to allow the maximum  protection necessary or maintain the look in which the husky is known for.

Furthermore, if you shave a Husky the hair may grow back a different color, grow back coarser than originally, and may even eventually ruin the coat and disturb the normal shedding process.