Shaving a Cattle Dog with a double coat removes their sun protection which can lead to sunburns and potentially dangerous skin conditions.
The Cattle Dog’s coat regulates body temperature and protects its skin from the elements. Additionally, trimming or shaving an Australian Cattle Dog’s coat can cause uneven or even thicker regrowth.
Bathing an ACD is optional depending upon the outdoor activities. For light outdoor exposure, the natural oils in the Cattle Dog’s coat will repel or expel dirt. For ACDs in more demanding outdoor settings, a bath may be necessary. Fortunately, most Cattle Dogs enjoy the water and will voluntarily jump in for fun. If there are no lakes or rivers nearby, a baby pool or collapsable dog pool can provide convenient outdoor dog baths.
The outer coat also takes longer to grow back than the undercoat, which leaves the short fuzzy coat unable to repel water, dirt, or shield the Cattle Dog from the sun’s unhealthy rays.
So, other than medical procedures, there shouldn’t be a reason to trim or shave an ACD.
Blue Heelers & Haircuts: Is it a NEED?
A blue heeler does not NEED a haircut. There are various reasons behind not giving them a haircut. Firstly, the cattle dog or blue heelers’ hair regulates the body temperature and also protects the skin from different kinds of elements.
Australian cattle dogs or blue heelers’ grooming is quite easy because it does not require much effort or time. These dogs have a double coat and it’s quite short.
Yes, there is a bit of shedding, so a quick brushing session twice a week would be good enough for your blue heeler.
The double coat is designed in such a way that it resists dirt and water. Grooming is important for every dog – you can’t let them go dirty for months, but in the case of a blue heeler, you need to bathe them only when they are very dirty.
Here’s a hypothetical situation – your blue heeler went out for a little run with you and it started raining. Since blue heelers love to get in trouble, we can imagine them rolling in a puddle or getting drenched. Perhaps this is the best time they could get a grooming session.
Do Blue Heelers shed a lot
The Blue Heeler or Australian Cattle Dog is a double-coated breed. This means they have a short guard coat of about one and a half inches in length that provides protection from rubbing up against things that they don’t shed. The second coat is the undercoat. The function of the undercoat is to keep them warm in colder weather. When the weather becomes warmer with the change of season they shed this undercoat to keep them cooler.
They generally shed twice a year. However, this can vary depending on the climate they live in, whether they are an indoor or outdoor dog, whether they are neutered in the case of a male, and the overall health of their coat. Some Australian Cattle Dogs even shed all year round.
A neutered male often will only have a major shed once a year. An unspayed female will usually shed after they have been on heat. This is generally twice a year. As a female dog gets older they come into season less often.
The Blue Heeler can have a quite dense undercoat and they often shed large quantities of fur. When a double-coated dog is doing a major shed it is known as the coat is “blown”. This means the coat is coming out in clumps.
FAQ
How do I stop my blue heeler from shedding?
Do Blue Heelers ever stop shedding?
When your blue heeler is blowing his coat, daily grooming with a steel comb and a wire brush will be necessary to control the free-floating hair in your house. One or two warm baths with a quality dog shampoo will also help eliminate loose hair during this time.