Summer grooming tips for Florida dogs
Florida summer is a different beast than summer anywhere else. Heat indexes regularly hit 105°F, afternoon thunderstorms drench the yard, and humidity never drops below 70%. Your dog's grooming routine needs to adjust.
Bathe more often — every 2–3 weeks instead of every 4–6. The combination of sweat (yes, dogs sweat through their paws and ears), pollen, salt air, and chlorine from pools builds up faster than in dry climates. Use a hypoallergenic shampoo to avoid stripping the coat oils that protect against sun.
Trim the paw pads. Long fur between the pads collects sand, mulch, and the small fire-ant mounds that pop up everywhere in summer. A clean trim makes the difference between a happy dog and a dog limping home.
Avoid the urge to shave double-coated breeds. The undercoat is your dog's air conditioning — strip it out with a de-shedding tool, but leave the topcoat intact.
Schedule grooming appointments early morning. By 11 AM, walking from the parking lot to the salon entrance can be enough to overheat a small dog.
And finally: never leave a dog in the car. Even five minutes with windows cracked is dangerous from May through October in Florida.