The question of whether or not to shave a dog's hair has always been debated among owners. Some say shaving a dog's hair is useless because dogs don't have sweat glands; even if shaved completely, it doesn't help to cool them down. Moreover, dogs may become less confident and less lively after shaving. In fact, everything is relative—there are both drawbacks and benefits. Today, the PetsZone editor will talk about what the benefits are of shaving a dog's belly hair. Let's take a look below.

The hair on a dog’s belly (also called belly hair) is easily dirtied when the dog lies down, urinates, or nurses, and it often gets tangled. This can easily cause skin diseases and also affects appearance, so it is important to keep it clean. In addition, at dog shows, to facilitate judges inspecting the dog's genitals, confirming the dog's gender, and assessing health status (whether a male dog has a single testicle), the belly hair also needs to be shaved.

2. Methods for shaving a dog's belly hair

1. Comb the dog's belly hair smoothly and evenly.

2. Hold the dog's two front legs with your left hand and lift upwards so that the dog stands up. For large dogs, they can lie on the grooming table.

3. The trimming of the belly hair differs according to the dog's gender but usually uses a #30 clipper blade.

For male dogs: First, lift one hind leg to body height. The operator should lower their head to be parallel to the dog's belly, then begin shaving the hair on both sides of the dog's genitals. Next, lift the dog's two front legs to make the hind legs stand, and use electric clippers to shave from the base of the dog's hind legs upwards to between the second and third last pairs of nipples, forming an inverted “V” shape.

For female dogs: First, lift one side of the dog’s hind leg and push the hair toward the angle under the hip. Then, lift the dog's two front legs so the hind legs stand and use electric clippers to shave from the base of the hind legs up to the third last pair of nipples, forming an inverted “U” shape.

If a dog is uncooperative during belly hair shaving, the correct approach should be taken. First, build good confidence and trust in your own skills. Second, have proficient operation and dog control skills. Dogs fear shaving for various reasons such as timidity, unfamiliarity with the clippers, or any injuries. Analyze the cause and find solutions. Dogs are intelligent; once they understand shaving won’t hurt them, they will cooperate more. For example, for dogs afraid of clippers, you can have them see and smell the tool first, then turn the clippers on near the dog so they get used to the vibration. Each step during the process should be accompanied by a gentle and calming tone. Finally, in the early training stage, have an assistant help control the dog and explore the dog’s preferred posture. Once the dog adapts, independent operation can proceed. Shaving should be as quick and accurate as possible because dogs have limited patience and quickly become irritated. If the dog is injured by accident, it will be uncooperative in the future!

From this article, everyone should now know the benefits of shaving a dog's belly hair. Finally, the editor reminds that if using electric clippers to shave belly hair, do not perform fragmented or repeated shaving movements, as this can cause the dog to develop allergies.