Winter grooming in Florida
Florida winters bring 50°F mornings and 75°F afternoons. Compared to up north, your dog has it easy — but mild winter doesn't mean no winter, and grooming still needs a small reset for the cooler months.
Slow the bath schedule. Skin dries out faster when the humidity drops below 60%, which it sometimes does on cool, dry mornings in January and February. Drop bath frequency from every 3 weeks to every 4–5 weeks, and switch to a moisturizing shampoo with oatmeal or aloe.
Don't trim too short. Even short-coated dogs benefit from a slightly longer coat in December and January when nights occasionally dip into the 40s. Northern Florida (Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola) sees real cold snaps where dogs can shiver.
Pay attention to paw pads. Even Florida sidewalks get cold to the touch on January mornings, and the dry air can cause cracked pads. A balm like Musher's Secret applied weekly helps.
Winter is also when snowbirds arrive with northern dogs whose coats are adapted to dry, cold air. Those visitors often need a deep de-shedding treatment within 2 weeks of landing in Florida — their coats blow out fast in the warmer humid air.