coffeequaffingunicorn

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Oooo that's a good idea

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Oh he's *cooking* cooking.

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Having to clean the shower is so fucking annoying. It’s clean in there. That’s where I go to get clean. It’s clean dude trust me. Stop fucking growing bacteria and stuff man this is the clean locale. You’re embarrassing me in front of the sink

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Hey if anyone is in Michigan and wants to check out a cool writer's and author's expo, Realm Makers is happening July 18-20, 2025 in Grand Rapids :) Day tickets for the expo start at $25.

I'll be at table 808A!

Come find me and the limited edition artbook, prints, pins, and a special softcover of Greenhorn Trail that has both the prologue (which you can read here) and chapter 1, which won't release until August!

I also have the softcovers, the standard artbook, and pins available online :) Follow the links in my LinkTree!

~ Larn

--

Discord | Patreon | Art Prints | Web Comic

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Tell me a soft memory

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Tell me a soft memory

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Hehe, thanks again to @fable2 for amazing art he made featuring Devlin (I still look at it and giggle). So, I went ahead and drew his durge Parsipan alongside @meanbossart 's DU Drow! Its been hilarious catching Twitch streams of these two and their antics! Would highly recommend!!!

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

A friend of a friend is looking to purchase a French bulldog from a breeder and is unsure how to start. Cats are more my wheelhouse, so I was wondering if any of my dog-owner followers have any resources on how to find a good dog breeder?

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

A friend of a friend is looking to purchase a French bulldog from a breeder and is unsure how to start. Cats are more my wheelhouse, so I was wondering if any of my dog-owner followers have any resources on how to find a good dog breeder?

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

Unreal.

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

There is now a build a bear Mothman

yeah, and they are HUGE

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

no, double coats do not "keep dogs cool" in heat.

since it's now summer in the northern hemisphere and i am the owner of two dogs with long, thick double coats, i want to take a sec and address an extremely prevalent, often repeated phrase i see float around the internet (and IRL) in dog circles:

"double coats keep dogs warm in the winter and cool in the summer!"

the part about winter is true. the part about summer is not. this website does an excellent job discussing why this is the case and has plenty of sources cited. if you're interested in the topic, please give it a read. or, if you want the basic summary, here's mine:

Fact #1- a double coat is comprised of two layers - a topcoat, which is longer, sleeker "guard" hairs that act as a sort of shield against exposure to the elements. and an undercoat, which is shorter, softer, denser hairs that act as insulation. double coats are found on breeds of dogs such as collies, huskies, and labs. conversely a single coat, which lacks the thick undercoat layer, would be the type found on a dog like a pitbull.

(this collie is shedding its undercoat - note the lighter, softer hair pulling away from the longer darker hair. source.)

Fact #2 - dogs are mammals which obey the laws of thermodynamics, meaning they are constantly producing body heat. a dog's average body temperature is normally right around the 100f (38c), and they are constantly radiating heat. this is important.

in the winter, a double coat works fabulously for keeping a dog warm - the topcoat repels moisture and blocks wind, while the thick undercoat traps body heat and keeps it close to the skin. there's a reason why cold-weather animals like wolves and foxes and bison all have thick double coats - they work great at trapping body heat!

but then the summer. part of the myth that gets so often cited is "the undercoat traps cool air and keeps the dog cooler" to which we have to ask - what cool air? if it's 90f outside and my dog is radiating 100f heat, there's no cool air to be trapped. and even if there were, air trapped in the undercoat would be getting constantly warmed by the body heat escaping from the dog's skin. the phrasing of "traps warmth in winter and traps cold in summer" sounds nice and neat, but it's ignoring the fact that your dog is constantly producing body heat. this theory works fine on non-living objects, like a thermos full of cold water. it does not work on an object that is radiating 100f heat.

IF double coats truly kept dogs cooler in hot temperatures, we would expect to see scientific studies backing this up, right? well, the studies we've done on dogs and susceptibility to overheating say the opposite. studies show that dogs with thick double coats are MORE likely to overheat than dogs with short single coats.

here's a list of sources saying exactly this, from the blog post i linked earlier:

"Contrary to cold environments, increased insulation of fur is not beneficial to maintaining heat balance in warm environments." - Seasonal Changes in Heat Balance of Dogs Acclimatized to Outdoor Climate Yasuyuki Sugano

“Predisposing factors for heatstroke -thick haircoat" - Short technical Report on Thermoregulation in Dogs and the Pathophysiology of Hyperthermia Jerilee A. Zezula, DVM

“Predisposing Factors for Heatstroke – thick haircoat" - Heatstroke – thermoregulation, pathophysiology and predisposing factors Carey Hemmelgarn DVM ChristI Gannon DVM DacVecc

“Factors that inhibit heat dissipation: Thick, dense coat – increased insulating effect” - Hyperthermia and Heatstroke in the Canine, Lori E. Gordon, DVM

“Well-insulated breeds with thick fur and fat may struggle to maintain a normal body temperature,especially during hot summer days and in a warm ambient environment.“ - Hyperthermia during anaesthesia, Author : Clara Rigotti, Marieke De Vries 2010

“Well-insulated breeds, such as Chow Chows and St. Bernards, may struggle to maintain normal core body temperature, making them more prone to hyperthermia, especially in a warm, stressful environment” - Hypothermia in a chow chow under general anaesthetic, H.Jones, K.Robson ,2022

“Predisposing factors that decrease heat dissipation: Hair coat – Thicker coats decrease radiation and convection” - Heatstroke in small animal medicine: a clinical practice review, Scott I. Johnson, DVM, Maureen McMichael, DVM, DACVECC and George White, DVM

”a thick insulating pelage is a disadvantage in situations where energy supply is unlimited and expenditure is constrained by the capacity to dissipate body heat.This is because the pelage insulation becomes the primary constraint on heat loss. “ - Maximal heat dissipation capacity and hyperthermia risk: Neglected key factors in the ecology of endotherms, Journal of Animal Ecology  79(4):726-46 J. Speakman, E. Krol

ALL of these studies are saying the same thing - animals with thicker coats struggle to not overheat when in a hot environment, and are more at risk for overheating and heat stroke.

so now here's tumblr's favorite part - nuance. does this mean that every dog with a double coat is completely intolerant of heat, and you should shave them all bald instead?

no.

the double coat DOES offer some advantages in hot weather - primarily relating to the topcoat. it blocks UV radiation from reaching the dogs skin, and keeps the heat of the sun off of direct contact with the skin. this is extremely useful! my old dog was a greyhound, who had a short, black single coat. he was miserably intolerant of heat because even mild sunshine would rapidly heat his surface temperature. the topcoat is VERY useful, and shaving a dog is ridding them of this natural barrier.

however. the undercoat is almost entirely detrimental in hot weather. again - it's entire purpose is trapping heat, and your dog is constantly radiating 100f heat.

look to nature - what happens when those fluffy, thick-furred wolves and foxes and bison hit summer? they shed out almost their entire undercoat. they get downright nakey.

(ex: arctic foxes shed dramatically - all that white fluff is the winter coat. if it kept them cooler in the summer, they would have evolved to keep it. source.)

the ideal way for a double-coated dog to deal with heat is not to shave the whole coat, but instead to brush and brush and brush the absolute crap out of their coat, and remove as much undercoat as possible. when the undercoat is reduced, it becomes looser, and allows air to flow throughout the coat. that circulating air is the key to staying cool! it wicks away the dog's body heat and provides critical cooling. instead of acting like a snug winter sweater, the coat can now act like a loose, flowing shirt.

but! if that undercoat is not thoroughly and continuously groomed and bathed and brushed, and allowed to stay heavy and thick and block airflow, then you're right back to having a dog that's broiling itself with its own body heat.

(you gotta get that undercoat out if you want any chance of not overheating. source.)

so, in conclusion: double coats are great for keeping warm in cold weather. they are NOT great for keeping cool in warm weather, and in fact can be actively harmful UNLESS you take great care to brush thoroughly to remove undercoat and allow for airflow. IF that is done, then a double-coated dog should be either just as good as, or only slightly worse off, than a dog with less hair. however, the blanket statement of "double coats trap cool air and keep dogs cooler in summer" is grossly oversimplifying the topic and not true at face value. in fact, the thing that keeps a double-coated dog the coolest is removing as much undercoat as possible - AKA, making it as close to single-coated as possible.

again, i recommend reading this blog post for more in-depth discussion and more sources.

(and no, if you do shave your double coated dog, the myth about 'the fur will never grow back the same/be ruined forever' is also just that - a myth. dogs get shaved every day for medical procedures, it grows back fine unless there's a pre-existing medical condition. it can just take ages. for more info, i recommend reading the latter part of this post).

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

hot take for men

if you have kids, you should make a point to keep up with how they’re doing in school, who their friends are, what they like to eat, what they can’t eat, their medications and why/when/how they take them, their daily routines, what their chores are and if they need any help with them, the interests that are important to them, the things they struggle with, etc., etc. 

you should have a rough idea of when your kid will need new glasses, when their last dental appointment was, how long they’ve been complaining about certain symptoms, what their usual mood is like at different times of the day so you NOTICE when something is wrong.

you should know how to listen to them and encourage them and you need to learn how to teach skills and good habits and motivate without instilling fear. you should know what makes them feel better when they’re sick and how to comfort them when they’re afraid or angry or sad.

if you’re the parent of an infant, you should make a point to learn how to tell what your baby needs. if they use formula, you should know what kind. you should know their nappy/diaper size and what products (powder/ointment/etc.) keep their bottom happy.

you should also be keeping track of when things your kid needs are running low, and making sure they are gotten in a timely manner.

if your children are members of oppressed groups you’re not part of – if you have a daughter, or a trans child and you’re cis, or an autistic child and you’re allistic, or a racialized child and you’re white, etc. – you need to take the time to research, to read what adults who share that trait say your kid needs. you need to actively support your child and help shield them from the hatred and enforced roles they will receive elsewhere.

these are the kinds of things a good parent does. you should not get a pass on being a good parent just because you’re a dude and you “don’t understand/aren’t good at that stuff”. this excuse is incredibly common and it is unacceptable.

women read parenting books, go on forums, talk to doctors, join parenting groups, ask other parents questions, and spend time with their children. we are not born with childcare knowledge any more than you are; it is work to learn these things. sometimes you will mess up. that is part of the learning process; it does not mean you “just don’t get that kind of thing” and should never have to do it again.

not only is it unfair to expect the women in your life to shoulder this work alone, but it is unfair to your children to be in their lives AS a parent but not do parenting work. Your kids need you. They need you to step up and LEARN to do the work that you haven’t been expected to do before.

Do you know how many people grow up and just… don’t have relationships with their fathers? maybe you don’t, either. it’s not always because these fathers were violent or mean or hateful. Sometimes it’s because they just never bothered to be parents or build a good relationship with their child. Don’t let your kids go through that. Don’t make them grow up with a mostly uninvolved stranger for a father.

And if you are not willing to do all this work, maybe you should plan to not have children, and take steps to make sure that you don’t. It isn’t acceptable to make a choice to bring a new human being into the world and take on a parenting role, then be around them only as a stranger.

There are different standards for motherhood and fatherhood, and that hurts children. What we think of as “motherhood” is mostly just good parenting for any gender, with extra dashes of self sacrifice because we expect women to be sole providers of certain kinds of work and care.

If you want to figure out if you’re being a good parent, put yourself in your child’s shoes and imagine you are their mother, not their father. Would you be happy with a mom who was only willing to put in the amount of work you do?

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

PSA: if you are in pennsylvania, do NOT have an emergency today. schedule it for another day

[coffeequaffingunicorn]

guys shut the fuck up this is the only thing im gonna talk about for the rest of all time 

(publicly shared video of a sweetheart’s dance from Rodney Stanger on fb)

[coffeequaffingunicorn]