The Old Trainer: Trim those fur coats in summer

DEAR OLD TRAINER: : Ruby, my 5-year old Sheltie, has a very thick coat and Merced gets hot in the summer. I think I should get her hair cut, but my boyfriend says a thick coat keeps a dog cool in the summer. Is that true? If not, should I get her trimmed?

A: Maybe you should ask your boyfriend to demonstrate how that theory works by putting on a fur coat and taking a stroll in the Merced heat. Then ask him how cool he feels.

Or you could take it easy on him and just point out his theory defies logic. If a fur coat insulated a dog against heat, nature would ensure every dog grew a thick coat in the summer. Instead, dogs grow a thick coat for winter, shed it for summer.

Ruby needs a summer cut and you have two choices:

1. Take her to a groomer and have her clipped back to 1/2 inch. Instruct the groomer you do NOT want her shaved. It takes less time to shave a dog so they will do that if they think they can get away with it.

2. Even better, buy good scissors at a beauty supply store and groom her yourself. My dogs prefer I do it and I prefer to do it. Dogs get stressed at a grooming shop with dogs barking and a stranger cutting off their fur.

I’m not much of a groomer. I just cut away everything that doesn’t look like a short-haired border collie. My dogs look a little shaggy for a few days, but they look better than De Niro did after he cut his own hair in “Taxi Driver.”

This advice applies to any reader who lives in hot weather and has a dog with a thick coat. It may be the difference between life and death.

DEAR OLD TRAINER: I have a problem with Dude, my 4-year-old golden. He loves water and jumps in every pond or mud puddle we pass. When I bathe him I wind up soaked and so does the bathroom. Is there any way to make it easier?

A: Yes, bathe him outside. Dogs don’t need a tub or shower cap or bath salts. And they don’t need shampoo unless they have rolled in something bad.

Call Dude over to the garden hose. Use a leash to make sure he stays in place, and run cool water over his entire body, including feet and tail. Move your hand through his fur to ensure the water is getting down to the skin.

Talk to him and pet him to keep him calm. If he starts to shake, grab the fur on his neck and say, “Don’t shake.” When you finish, say “Shake,” and pet him and praise him when he does.

Dry him with a towel and let him roll in the grass if he wants. Give him this type of bath once a week in summer, once a month in winter. He will smell good, his coat will be fluffy, and he will enjoy it so much he will come running the next time you pick up the hose.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 11:39 AM with the headline "The Old Trainer: Trim those fur coats in summer."