A study of normal hair growth in the dog

The rate of hair growth in the forehead, shoulder and flank regions of four normal‐coated, cross‐bred, male dogs maintained under the same controlled conditions of photoperiod, ambient temperature and diet, was measured during two six‐week periods, one during summer and the other in winter. It was found that the rate of hair growth varied between individual dogs and also between the different regions in the same dog. Growth rate was most rapid in the shoulder region, followed by the flank and then the forehead regions, and was slightly more rapid in the shoulder and flank regions of three of the dogs during summer than in winter. Possible explanations for these variations in hair growth rate are discussed.