Welcome to the Corgi Corner! We started a series that is posted on the first Saturday of every month! These posts will help spread education and awareness on topics like general dog care, corgi specific things, medical care, health facts, etc. This month’s Corgi Corner post will be all about double coats! Dogs’ coats come in all different lengths, textures, and colors. Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Cardigan Welsh Corgis are considered double-coated breeds. Double-coated breeds have coats made up of two different layers. The outermost layer is a harsh topcoat that consists of long, coarse hairs. Under the topcoat is the short, soft, and dense second layer, usually referred to as the undercoat. Both the topcoat and the undercoat have practical purposes. The topcoat can keep water and dirt off your dog. The undercoat can provide insulation in cold weather, keeping dogs warm in the cooler months. In the warmer months, the undercoat traps cool air against the skin so that the dog doesn’t overheat. The topcoat and the undercoat are different in structure and function. The topcoat is made up of three different layers, and its hairs are often very strong. Dogs shed their topcoats less than they shed their undercoat. In contrast, dogs shed their weaker undercoat more often, especially as the seasons change. The topcoat helps protect a dog’s skin and its hairs give the dog its color, while the undercoat may grow at different rates and lengths. A dog may have more undercoat than topcoat or more topcoat than undercoat. If the undercoat is denser than the topcoat, it gives the dog a fluffy appearance. There are four different types of double coats in dogs: short, medium, long, and triple (or arctic). The type of double coat depends on the dog’s breed and what the dog was originally bred to do. Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Cardigan Welsh Corgis have short double coats, Australian Shepherds and Border Collies have medium double coats, Great Pyrenees and Saint Bernards have long double coats, and Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies have triple, or arctic, double coats. The short double coats of Pembrokes and Cardigans are comprised of a dense topcoat that protects the breeds from the cold weather and dense brush, which they might encounter while herding livestock. This coat doesn’t require any trimming, unless they have a fluffy coat. However, this coat should be combed weekly to remove loose hair, since double-coated dogs shed their undercoat. When the seasons change and the weather warms up, some people think shaving their double-coated dog will help cool them off and stop the shedding. DO NOT EVER SHAVE A DOUBLE-COATED DOG! When groomed regularly, there is no reason to shave them. Shaving removes both the undercoat and topcoat. Since both coats do not grow at the same rate, the undercoat can overtake the topcoat, and the dog winds up with too much undercoat. Shaving down the undercoat removes the dog’s natural cooling protection, making the dog more vulnerable to overheating. Shaving the undercoat also exposes the dog’s skin to harmful UV rays. Dogs have a different cooling system than ours. Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet and cool themselves off by panting. The only reason to shave a double-coated dog is due to medical reasons, like surgery, skin issues, or injuries. Still, only the affected area would be shaved, not the entire body. Rather than shaving the dog, keep them cool during the summer by routinely bathing, brushing, and combing them with the right grooming equipment. If your pet gets hot in the summer, there are all different ways to keep your dog cool. Consider using a dog cooling vest or dog cooling bandana. Or your dog might enjoy relaxing on a dog cooling mat.