Pet Corner: Double Coated Dog Breeds: Coat Care

Great Pyrenees. Husky. Samoyed. Chow Chow. Not only are these usually very large dogs, all of these breeds also have what's known as a double coat.  Double and single coated dogs all have an outer coat composed of guard hairs that should be thick, coarse and flat. What lies beneath this outer coat on a double coated breed is known as the undercoat. The undercoat is composed of a very fine, dense and almost wooly layer that serves as an insulator against both heat and cold. The undercoat gives these dogs great adaptability in their natural settings and areas they were bred to work in. However, this is also the culprit of those full grown dust bunnies you see floating around your house here in the suburbs!

Professional Grooming & Coat Care at Home

  The most common inaccuracy when having these breeds groomed is asking a groomer to shave the coat off. This will forever damage the coat. The wooly undercoat grows back faster than the outer guard hairs causing the dogs coat to grow back unevenly, therefore affecting the dogs natural ability to heat and cool themselves. 

  We take all breeds and all sizes of dogs. We have large run spaces for giant breeds and we have the tools to tackle all that hair! We also offer something here at Petman Grooming called a ‘deshed’ service. This is a full system designed to get out as much undercoat as possible. We start with a dry blow out using our forced air dryer, as well as a thorough brushing to get out any mats and to help pull out the already loose undercoat. This is followed by a bath using our deshed shampoo. The deshed shampoo is specially formulated to help loosen the ready to shed hairs at the follicle. The grooming process is typically  long and the coat is put through a lot. To combat this we used a deshed cream rinse to help retain moisture. After a thorough bath, we use the forced air dryer again to get out more of the undercoat and dry the dog. Once your dog is dry, we then go back for a final brush and blow out. This process can take upwards of 6 hours for a large Samoyed or Great Pyrenees and 3-4 hours for most huskies that are blowing their undercoat. 

  Please remember that in between professional grooming appointments your double coated dog will need at home coat care and maintenance. A slicker brush and single tooth metal comb will quickly become your go to for at home grooming. A good detangling spray is also a great idea to have on hand. If you can dedicate 30 minutes per day to brushing out your dog, you can extend the life of the groom and ultimately keep your pet healthier and happier. For professional grooming, visit Petman Grooming! petmangrooming.com or call (540) 373-6333