Should I shave my dog in summer?

A double coat is a dense, soft undercoat under a longer, coarser topcoat, and it insulates in both directions. The AKC's guide to double-coated dogs says the undercoat leaves room for air to reach the skin and keep it cool and dry in hot weather. Dr. Jerry Klein, the AKC's chief veterinary officer, puts it simply: the coat acts as an insulator, and shaving leaves a dog susceptible to heat stroke. Cornell veterinarian Dr. Michelle Moyal says most vets encourage owners not to shave these dogs down.

The topcoat is also sunscreen. The AKC notes that a dog's coat protects it from sunburn and lowers its risk of skin cancer, and VCA says dogs should never be shaved to the skin unless a vet recommends it for a medical reason. Then comes the regrowth: the undercoat tends to return faster than the guard hairs, so a shaved husky can spend the autumn looking patchy. Shaving does not end the shedding either; the AKC says it does not eliminate shedding but does damage the topcoat.

The AKC's summer advice is practical: make sure your dog always has cool water and shade, keep walks and exercise to the coolest parts of the day, offer cool baths and brush regularly. VCA adds that double-coated breeds often need daily brushing, which keeps loose undercoat from packing against the skin. Trimming the fur on the paws and very long hair on the legs and belly, which the AKC also suggests, gives a dog relief without touching the coat that shades its back.

On Cape Ann, summer is the season without town beaches. At the time of writing Gloucester closes Good Harbor to dogs from April 1 and Wingaersheek from May 1 through September 30, and Rockport's public beaches are closed to dogs from June 1 to September 15. Early-morning walks before the pavement heats up, and evening walks by the water, are the ones to keep. If a dog pants hard and cannot settle, Cornell's advice is to get it out of the heat into shade or air conditioning; then call your vet.

At Dogtown a double-coated dog's summer groom is a bath, $55 up to 25 pounds, $65 to 50, $75 to 90, $85 over 90 and $95 for an extra-large dog with long hair, plus Shed Release at $10, so a 70-pound golden comes to $85. A doodle, poodle or other growing coat takes a full service, $75 to $120 by weight, with the summer length agreed at check-in, where the final price is confirmed after the coat assessment. Grooming needs no evaluation.

Time the de-shed to the coat: as it starts to drop in late spring, and again when the summer coat goes. Daycare dogs can be groomed during their day once they have passed the free evaluation, and spend the rest of it in playgroups with splash pools and shade. The Pup Van runs at $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and booking the next groom at pick-up takes $5 off it.