Erica Bukovac Dog Training

23/05/2023

https://ericabukovacdogtraining.com/2023/05/16/be-a-guide-and-friend-for-your-dog/

Our dogs are living in a human world with human rules that dogs cant comprehend. And they need to learn that some dog ways of dealing with things arent acceptable. Dogs cant comprehend that if they…

22/05/2023

Contrary to a lot of online misinformation, long coats DO NOT keep your dog cooler in the summer heat.

HOT TAKE 🔥 about shaving dogs

I am not a groomer and my dog has no fur, so I quite literally do not have a dog in this fight. But I want to talk about physics.

It's fine to think twice before shaving your dog, but keeping their hair long will not necessarily keep them cooler. There is a persistent belief that a double coated dog's fur traps a layer of cool air and that if you shave them they will heat up faster.

The main problem with this idea is that dogs are constantly producing body heat. Any air trapped in their coat is going to warm up from their body heat and stay there and keep warming up until that heat has somewhere to go. This is why long-haired dogs tend to do better in the cold than say, Kuiper. It's also why we wear more clothes in winter.

In reality, nothing is either "hot" or "cold." Outside of a carefully controlled lab, everything is always in a state of getting either hotter or colder because the universe likes equilibrium. "Cooling off" is really just getting rid of heat, which gets tricky when you have both heat coming in from a warm environment as well as heat that the dog is producing by virtue of being alive.

You may be surprised[1] to learn (I was) that below about 88 degrees F (31 C) air temp, panting only accounts for about 20% of a dog's ability to cool itself (another 20% is through sweat.) Panting only becomes the main cooling mechanism at around 97 F (36 C.) Until that point, dogs mainly cool themselves via convection (losing heat through their skin into the air.)

When it is warm outside, air trapped in a dog's coat is warm to begin with and both body heat and the sun will make the coat even warmer. Under equal environmental conditions, convective cooling is going to have more of an impact on a shorter haired dog than a longer haired dog because short fur does not trap air.

tldr; Short coats lose body heat more easily. Long coats hang onto body heat. Shave* or don't shave, but definitely brush.

* It is usually better to clip fur shortish rather than actually shave to the skin, because sunburn is a real risk.

[1] I have a ZILLION references for this post. Here are some (DM me if you'd like help finding the full texts):

Hammel, H. T.; Wyndham, C. H.; Hardy, J. D. (1958). Heat Production and Heat Loss in the Dog at 8–36°C Environmental Temperature. American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 194(1), 99–108. doi:10.1152/ajplegacy.1958.194.1.99

C. J. Chesney (1997). The microclimate of the canine coat: the effects of heating on coat and skin temperature and relative humidity. , 8(3), 183–190.
doi:10.1046/j.1365-3164.1997.d01-12.x

K.G. Gebremedhin (1987). A model of sensible heat transfer across the boundary layer of animal hair coat. , 12(1), 5–10.
doi:10.1016/0306-4565(87)90015-5

Aoki, T.; Wada, M. (1951). Functional Activity of the Sweat Glands in the Hairy Skin of the Dog. Science, 114(2953), 123–124. doi:10.1126/science.114.2953.123

Iwabuchi, Takayuki (1967). General Sweating on the Hairy Skin of the Dog and Its Mechanisms1. , 49(1), 61–70.
doi:10.1038/jid.1967.104

And here are some blog posts that are more digestible:

https://drdavidmarlin.com/how-do-dogs-regulate-their-body-temperature-and-is-sweating-important/

https://theeducatedgroomer.com/2018/06/25/shaving-double-coated-breeds/

https://theeducatedgroomer.com/2019/06/30/a-deeper-look-into-the-coats-role-in-the-dogs-thermal-regulation/

p.s. There are many, MANY other factors that impact a dog's ability to keep cool, ranging from coat color to fitness to size to whether a dog is hanging out in direct sunlight. Humidity also plays a big factor (high humidity makes panting less effective, since panting relies on evaporation.) I merely question the assumption that giving a dog a haircut will always make a dog hotter or uncomfortable. I won't dispute that clipping makes some dogs look very silly and that there are other reasons not to shave, but sometimes it is the best solution for e.g. an old dog's comfort.

22/09/2022

I ♥️♥️♥️ my clients. It’s so rewarding to help people connect with their dogs and help dogs feel more confident in their lives. ♥️♥️

04/06/2022

Molly is ready to start training!

10/04/2022

Kim killing it on the BST with her two dogs.

24/03/2022

Nova!

21/01/2022

Double trouble.

13/12/2021

Three puppies from a client’s litter are available!! In Salt Lake City, Utah.

I have trained and worked extensively with two dogs from this breeder, including the dam of this litter, and they are wonderful, lovely dogs with great companion temperaments. Kind, very affectionate, easy to train, stable, social, and good with people and dogs. The breeder health tests. They would make perfect family pets.

My client who owns the dam of this litter says there are three males available.

Golden Retriever and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mixes.

The breeder is De De Beck at 801-634-1801

11/10/2021

This last weekend, I competed with my older dog Dutchie in an AKC Obedience competition at the Open level in Idaho. Open is an intermediate level test which includes a complex off leash heeling pattern, the dog performing position changes from a distance, a recall with a stop and down midway, a retrieve, a retrieve over a jump, and a long jump. The dog and owner are judged on precision, straightness, and prompt & eager response to commands

Dutchie and I scored 193 out of 200 points, and we took first place. I did make one mistake when I misheard the judge, and made a wrong turn on the heeling pattern. But I am very happy with Dutchie’s happy and eager attitude in the ring.

11/10/2021

Dutchie and her first place ribbon from the trial this last weekend.

31/07/2021

Saint the mini poodle is ready to start obedience school!

29/07/2021

Super sweet and super excited Roxie is ready for training! Excitement and anxiety are two sides of the same coin, and it’s easy for excitement to tip over into anxiety in a dog. Looking forward to getting Roxie started in training!

27/07/2021

Hitch is a young likely livestock guardian dog mix who has been showing some stranger danger. For a breed who is supposed to have natural suspicion of strangers and natural aggression, this is normal and to be expected. Dogs with human suspicion and aggression need extra guidance on how to deal with their strong feelings. Hitch is going to be learning to follow his owner’s lead and that strangers out in public are not a threat. He’s a quick learner and figured things out quickly during his first lesson.

25/07/2021

My dog Dutchie on the left, showing a client dog the ropes for public access training for service dogs. So very proud of this client-dog team.

25/07/2021

Buddy the Catahoula! Buddy is lucky to have found a home with a catahoula experienced owner. Last year I worked with his owner and their other catahoula, Cedar. Buddy is a super sweet but strong dog who wants nothing more than to do what has been bred to do: run off and go hunt wild hogs.

22/07/2021

Franklin the borderdoodle learning some self control around my dog Levi.

11/07/2021

So very proud of Rex! Two and a half months ago, his family contacted me about starting training for Rex. He was a good dog but would run off and escape any chance he got. He loved people, but in his enthusiasm to meet kids, would jump on and knock them over. Rex’s owners wanted to take him on a planned hiking trip, but they were afraid he’d run off and be eaten by bears. 10 weeks later here he is! Off leash with his family, enjoying his freedom and being a good, reliable dog who comes when called. He’s also learned to greet children politely, and walks on a leash like a gentleman. Good dog, Rex!

10/07/2021

Klaus - a nice gsd Belgian mix in for dog reactivity.

31/05/2021

It’s so rewarding to build trust with a dog who initially needed a muzzle for my safety. Zora is learning to trust her people, ignore other dogs, and to follow the guidance of her owners rather than making aggressive choices. Firm and fair obedience training builds confidence and steadiness in dogs!

30/05/2021

Tessa the German Shepherd is excited to start obedience training!

28/04/2021

Field line labs (bred for hunting, not show) are some of the best all around dogs for nearly ANY task whether hunting, sport, detection, or just being a good companion. But their intensity and drive can make them hard to handle without proper training. Like any good lab, Loki is super eager to learn anything new, even if it’s no jumping and no pulling! We will be working toward off leash reliability for hiking with Loki.