Dog hair clipping is one of the activities that make up the grooming of some dog breeds. When done correctly, shaving prevents matting and helps in keeping your dog cooler.
After shaving, dog hair takes 6 -12 weeks to fully grow back. The regrowth rate will depend on some factors including health, breed type, coat type among others. Following are details.
Does Dog Hair Grow Back after Shaving?
Dog hair grows back after shaving. However, the duration varies across different dog breeds. There are also other factors that determine the regrowth rate of dog’s hair/fur.
Shaving a dog has its pros and cons. Here are some of them:
Pros
For cooling purposes
Shaving might be helpful in hot weather because it enables your dogs to cool off first from the heat as compared to when then fur is not shaved. A coat with thick fur might causes discomfort during such weather.
Decreases allergens
For people who have dog allergies, shaving reduces the chances of suffering from them. When the fur is shaven, the dust and other allergens easily come off when the coat is slightly brushed.
Regulates shedding
Although shaving your dog fur might not get rid of shedding, it ensures that the hair falling is shorter and less.
The fur is manageable
Short dog hair is easier to manage than long hairs. This is because it does not easily get matted and is less prone to pests and diseases.
Cons
Skin infections
When the hair is shaved to close to the skin, it might expose the skin to pests thus causing skin infections. Also, when the fur is too short, it is easier for pests to get to the skin.
High risks of sunburn
If your dog gets exposed to the sun more often, then it might not be a good idea to shave it. This is because it increases the risk of the dog to get sunburns which might affect its coat.
How long does Dog Hair take to Grow Back?
Duration for regrowth of dog hair varies greatly due to several factors. However, generally it might take 6 weeks to 3 months to grow back. The hair grows in three phases namely; anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen.
Anagen
This is the first stage of the cycle and the hair is actively growing. The hair grows to the required length.
Catagen
In this stage, the hair is grown to its full length and thus it stops growing.
Telogen
During this phase, the hair is at rest. The hair neither grows nor does it shed.
Exogen
This is the last phase of the cycle where the hair begins to shed and the follicle starts preparing for a new cycle. This phase is longer during warm weather because during this time dogs are not in need of much hair.
What Determines the Duration?
Breed
Dog breeds with hairs such as single coats have faster growth than those with fur such as the double coats. Some dog breeds also have longer hair growth cycles which result to longer hair. In other breeds, the telogen phase is longer which implies that their hair stays at a fixed state for a long period.
Breeds such as poodles have longer anagen phases. Their hair grows for longer period before going into a short resting phase. This type of breed will have their hair grow back after a shave.
Type of Coat
Dogs with different types of coats do not have the same hair growth period. Dogs with singe coats grow hair faster than double coated dogs.
Single coated dogs
Single coated dogs have hair unlike double coated dogs which have fur. Their hair is longer than fur and also grows at a fast rate. These dogs are also regularly brushed thus the fast hair growth. The duration for hair growth for this type of coats is two to six months.
Even with a complete shave of their hair, single coats hair will still grow in grow back within a period of six months.
Double coated dogs
Double coated dogs have shorter growth cycle which is the reason for their much shedding. When their fur is shaved, it does not grow back to the original length and fullness. This is one of the reasons why most dog owners do not shave double coated dogs.
Health
A dog’s health is very important as it ensures fast hair growth. There are disorders that may affect the hair growth in dogs. Some of these diseases also caused massive hair loss which in turn affects the hair growth cycle.
The most common disorder is called alopecia. Alopecia causes loss of hair in some parts of a dog’s caused. In most cases, it is caused by an underlying condition thus it is very important to take your dog for frequent medical checkups. This will ensure that any condition or issue is well addressed. When your dog is healthy, it will have a fast and healthy hair growth too.
Tips to Grow Dog Hair Fast
There are several ways in which you can keep a dog’s coat healthy so at to boost its hair growth. They include:
1. Diet
A healthy diet improves the health of dog skin thus boosting its hair growth. Each meal should be balanced containing vitamins, proteins and minerals. Vitamins are useful in nourishing a dog’s hair and also aid in functions that lead to healthy hair growth. Some of the vitamins that are important include:
Vitamin C which aids in regenerative functions of a dog’s body including hair growth.
Vitamin B complex helps bodily functions including those that are responsible for hair growth.
Vitamin A acts as a lubricant to the root hairs thus promoting fast hair growth.
It also important to check the amount of food you give to your dog. The food should be enough to sustain your dog. If it is too little, then the dog might get malnourished thus slowing down the hair growth.
2. Weather
Different weather conditions affect the growth of dog hair. It grows faster in warm weather and slower in cold weather. It is therefore advisable to shave your dog in the warm season so that the hair grows back faster.
3. Bathing your dog
A dirty skin coat might affect the health of your dog’s kin. Bathing your dog frequently ensures that the skin and the coating too are kept healthy thus boosting the hair growth.
4. Use of omega 2 and 6 oils
These oils are important in keeping your dog’s skin healthy. They are very beneficial to dogs and also they make a dog’s fur to have a glossy look. These supplements are mostly found in dog foods and they can also be bought separately.
5. Brushing your dog
Regular brushing of your dog’s coat reduces matting of the hair thus encouraging the growth of the hair in the same direction. Brushing also helps to get rid of the old dull hairs hence making room for the growing ones.
6. Use of herbal supplements
There are herbal supplements that help in the growth of a dog’s hair. Some of these herbal supplements include horsetail, flaxseed oil, grape seed and evening primrose oil. They contain the omega fatty acids and antioxidants too.
These supplements also ensure that there is good circulation of air which speeds up the hair growth process.
More on Dog Fur
- Long-haired Dog Breeds
- Shih Poo Haircut Ideas + Pictures
- Dogs without Hair/Fur
- Dogs that Don’t Shed: Small and Large Breeds
- Dog Breeds with Double Coats
- Dogs with Single Coats
- Triple Coat Dog Breeds
- Wiry-Haired Dogs
- Dog Grooming Brush Types
References
