# Shake when wet



## Craig Snyder (May 7, 2012)

An article on animals abilities to shake water away. Has an interesting fact on how much water a lab would hold in their fur and the energy cost to dry it off. Kind of ties back to the thread we had on heat stroke and the idea of water being held against the skin and how it adds insulation and fails to help cool the dog further.

Amazing what they let people study in college!

Craig

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/faye_flam/20120903_Planet_of_the_Apes__Shake__Rover_.html


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I'm wondering about that 30% mentioned. I can see it for a Lab with their water tight coat. My GSDs get wet and no matter how they shake the undercoat takes forever to dry. I can almost ring water out of it myself right after they shake.
The Border terriers I had could shake out and in a couple of mins you'd never know they were wet. The Kerry Blues (no undercoat) dried quickly also but not as fast as the Borders.


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## Craig Snyder (May 7, 2012)

You mean that 70% is expelled and 30% is left behind? Or that if it was left behind it would take 20% of the daily calories to evaporate off?

I agree that the GSD would take forever to dry. I know mine did when I had them. 

But I think that is due to the GSD's double coats. The water that remains behind is trapped and the outer coat insulates the water from the air preventing it from evaporating. But on my short-haired GSP she'll air dry in 20-30 minutes if off leash and not crated. Sometimes faster on a hot day. So I wouldn't doubt that 70% is shaken off in both the case of a GSD and a lab. But the labs shorter coat allows more water to be exposed to the air letting it evaporate off easier.

Craig


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I agree about the double coat. I also believe that a Lab's coat is naturally a bit oilier. My GSDs soaked it up like cotton.
Rain would just run off my Border's backs like the proverbial "water off a duck's back". Even when swimming the wet hardly got through the top coat.


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## Craig Snyder (May 7, 2012)

Bob Scott said:


> I agree about the double coat. I also believe that a Lab's coat is naturally a bit oilier. My GSDs soaked it up like cotton.
> Rain would just run off my Border's backs like the proverbial "water off a duck's back". Even when swimming the wet hardly got through the top coat.


 
Labs could be a tad oillier. I know the Chesapeake Bay Retriever's are most definitely and I believe they are closely related to the labs. They dry very quickly too.

Craig


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