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My fiancée and I adopted a Corgi mix about 8 months ago and haven't ever had her groomed and don't know much about her grooming history from her previous owner. We're going to the beach with her in a couple weeks and are worried about her overheating while she's down there.

Does she need to be groomed with a 'summer cut' or would a sanitary trim/deshedding/nail clipping/etc. be sufficient?

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Never ever cut a double layered coat of a dog, unless absolutely necessary (e.g for surgery).

Instead make sure you get all the old hair out. A groomer might be a good idea, being able to give you tips on this.

Many people don't understand how the two layers of coat on dogs work. They actually help keeping the dog's temperature down. Trimming the fur impacts this built-in temperature control and can even be harmful, e.g. by exposing the dog's skin to UV rays. (More elaborate details can be found on the internet, e.g. here)

Our Huskies have no problem with temperatures in summer etc. they just need way to get water or some shadow, if they want. I bet it's similar for your Corgi. In addition, we've often met self-proclaimed experts complaining about us owning our dogs in Europe, while having trimmed down dogs that absolutely fail to withstand the hot weather.

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    Do you have sources on the grooming and temperature control? As far as I know dogs don't sweat, the fastest way for them to lose warmth is by breathing. So it makes sense to me to trim down the coat to lower the insulation. – Flummox - don't be evil SE Apr 24 '18 at 7:52
  • @Flummox Personal experience. Find a long haired Siberian Husky and stick your fingers in its undercoat. It's noticeably cooler than the outside. The important part is that the old/dead hair must not be in there, because that will indeed provide too much insulation (therefore proper grooming, but no cutting). Here's one of the longer/more elaborate articles I could find on the topic. Remember that dogs don't breathe through their skin. Instead it acts like a shadow cover. – Mario Apr 24 '18 at 14:02
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Definitley get them in for a groom, and ask them to use deshedding shampoo. Although it is somewhat rare for a dog to overheat like that, as long as you are watching her it will be fine.

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    What would you have to watch for exactly? – JAD Apr 24 '18 at 6:38
  • Excessive panting. Dogs usually exhibit the same (lol) dehydration/overheating signs as humans. – Jackson Apr 24 '18 at 12:29

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