Call of the Wild

by My_Boy_Dodger

Recently, Anne found herself in the midst of an interesting conversation while at a dog park event here in Raleigh with her large furry Bearded Collie, Winnie.

A number of owners of large furry dogs expressed very strong opinions that large furry dogs should NOT be clipped in the summer.

Their argument was, "nature knows best." If large furry dogs needed less fur in the summer, they would have evolved to shed that unnecessary fur in the hot seasons. Some owners went so far as to to describe a theory that the summertime fur acts as a cooling insulator for these dogs.

This type of thinking flies in the face of logic and experience--which is probably part of its attraction.

Acknowledging this attraction, I did a little web search just to make sure. I found a great article from an Irish vet that details the importance of making sure our furry friends have less fur in the warm summer months.

"Nature knows best" is an argument that needs to be used carefully with dogs. Thousands of years of domestication and specialized breeding has created vastly different results than actual natural selective breeding would have produced.

Let's face it. Large furry dogs probably would not willingly locate themselves in the hot humid summers of the southern United States. My recollection is that we spent most of last August in temperatures averaging over 105 degrees Fahrenheit!

It's a pretty good bet that the Husky down the street would most likely prefer Alaska to North Carolina. (If only his human would move the household!)

Nonetheless, there's a certain romance, a certain cache to having a "wild" animal in the house. I certainly felt it a few months ago when I was talking with someone who had grown up in a household with a cookie stealing half Malamute / half Wolf.

Perhaps that's what these folks are yearning for when they bring in the argument that "nature knows best." In the natural world, the world of actual wild animals, forests, rivers and streams, I'm the first one to talk about "nature knowing best."

But, in the world of dogs and humans, I think more along the line of harmonious relationships between two different species that have lived together for thousands of years.

What are your thoughts on this matter. Do you think of your dog as a wild animal? Another species? What are your experiences with treating your dog as a "wild" animal? Have you observed others treating their dogs in this way? What happened? Please comment, or send me an email.

Comments

[Kasturi Ray]

I do not agree to the "nature knows best" theory. This is because we are removing the animals from their natural environ. Out of the 9 dogs we have, the heavy coat ones are GR & Spitz. Both are cool temperature climate dogs but they are today adjusting to life in tropical conditions. We live in Kolkata, India, where temperature ranges between 32deg min-41deg max C in summer. It is our responsibility to make our pets as comfortable as possible, & if trimming their fur gives them relief, I think we should go ahead & do that. I must add here breeds react differently to th heat. While Rex, our GR, pants heavily, moves from place to place to find the coolest corner in the house, Bindiya & Mishka, our Spitz, do the opposite. They lie, mostly, under the bed & restrict their movement as much as possible. I find that a more intelligent way to combat heat!

As far as we are concerned, we keep the a/c on periodically to keep the rooms cool.

[Barbara Swafford]

Hi cousin Kaye,

Interesting. Our dogs are long haired and one year Hubby cut one of the dogs fur. Someone told him animals have a natural "built in" air conditioner next to their hide. What you're saying is that is a fallacy. Come summer, it will be time to get out the clippers.

Thanks for sharing such a great tip.

[Kaye Swafford]

Hi Kasuri,

Thanks for your great comment. The extent that we humans have interferred with the "natural order of things" always amazes me. Thankfully, most dogs I know are wonderfully adaptable!

Kaye

[Kaye Swafford]

Cousin Barbara,

Glad to be of help!

Kaye