Why do dogs need haircuts? It is believed that a dog should be sheared twice a year.

It is believed that a dog should be sheared twice a year. Let's understand why a dog needs a haircut in the first place. First of all, different breeds of dogs have their own specific hair structure. Groomers conventionally divide dogs by hair structure into soft-haired and hard-haired, molting and non-molting. Services of a dog groomer are mainly required for the non-shedding, soft-haired and hard-haired breeds of dogs, most often for the soft-haired ones. This is because these dogs have hair that grows evenly all over their bodies throughout their lives, and without a haircut, the dog will not feel comfortable. They overgrow their ear canals, which then accumulate ear secretions, which are a suitable breeding ground for a variety of microorganisms. This can lead to ear disease. Sometimes the shearing of dogs begins with the treatment of the ear canals, from which the wax hanging down from the inside of the ear is cut off.

In addition, shearing helps to get rid of piled hair all over the dog's body. It is very important because it promotes normal ventilation of the skin, preventing the appearance of flaking and dryness, which cause skin itching, and subsequently various skin diseases. Lint also forms on the underside of dogs' paws, most often between the toes. Together with dirt and skin secretions, the hair is compacted and makes your pet uncomfortable. It is not uncommon for neglected dogs to start getting various skin parasites.

Hard-haired dogs also need regular grooming. They do not molt, so they need an "artificial molt. This procedure is called trimming (hair plucking), after which the coat becomes stiffer, tighter and shinier.

The hair of soft-haired dogs grows back much faster than that of hard-haired dogs. Therefore, soft-haired dogs should be trimmed about once every 2-4 weeks, depending on the breed, and hard-haired ones once every 4-6 weeks. Dogs that molt need a haircut only from an aesthetic standpoint. But washing and combing should be carried out regularly, in addition, if the hair is long, as often as possible, because the hair can pile up in brads.

We conclude that shearing dogs is a necessary procedure that should be performed depending on the structure of the coat, its thickness, as well as the conditions in which the animal is kept.