The importance of grooming your dog’s hair regularly can’t be overstated. While you might be unaware, regular hair grooming does far more than just make dogs look and smell good. When you care for their fur properly, you help improve their overall health by getting rid of fleas, preventing hair matting, and detecting skin infections.
Even if your dog often visits a professional groomer, keeping them groomed at home is still important. However, as dog hair comes in various types, grooming them properly can be difficult. Fortunately, if you want to know the best way to groom your dog’s hair, this article is just for you. Here, we’ll take a look at the most popular types of dog hair and the proper way to groom them.
Short Hair
Technically, dogs with short coats are further divided into two distinct categories. Some may have short, silky hair that feels smooth, while others may have short, coarse hair. Some popular short-coated dog breeds are French Bulldogs, Dalmatians, and Boxers. Due to their short hair, grooming short-coated dogs is pretty easy, making them the perfect choice for owners who want a coat that’s easy to maintain.
To groom these dogs, all that’s required is a quick brush to remove dirt and shedding hair a few times a week. Remember to use a soft brush and be careful when grooming their underbelly. Note that short-coated dogs shed their fur all year round, so it’s best to use a de-shedding shampoo when removing dust and dirt.
Long Hair
Long-coated dogs have fur that are at least a few inches long. Once again, these dogs may have silky or coarse coats. Besides that, while some breeds may have soft undercoats, others, like Maltese, don’t. Unlike short-coated dogs that shed their fur all the time, long-haired breeds shed their hair seasonally. Due to their long coats, their hair gets easily matted and tangled. As you might’ve guessed, that isn’t an enjoyable experience for your pet.
Brush your hair daily to prevent it from matting. Furthermore, it’s best to use a detangling shampoo when bathing your dog to remove hair knots.
Double Coat
Some popular dogs with double coats are Beagles, Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, and Pomeranians. While the topcoat protects the dog from dirt, the thicker undercoat helps keep the dog warm in winter – or cool during the summer. Double-coated dogs shed their fur twice yearly to prepare for summer and winter. Note that these dogs may have short or long double coats.
We recommend brushing their hair outwards for short double coats to prevent the two layers from tangling. On the other hand, for double-coated dogs with long hair, it’s best to split the coat into different sections and tackle them one at a time using a wide comb. If you wash your dog using a detangling shampoo, dry it off completely and ensure the undercoat isn’t moist. In our opinion, it’s best to use a pet-friendly blow dryer.
Curly Hair
Curly-coated dogs are those whose fur lies in short curls, waves, or small spirals. As you probably guessed, Poodles and Labradoodles are some dog breeds with curly coats. Although these dogs usually shed less frequently, the shredded hair tangles easily with the rest – due to the curls. That’s why you need to brush their coats regularly to prevent matting and tangles.
Use a brush and gently brush against the direction your dog’s hair grows until you can see their skin. Then, brush from the bottom all the way to the top to remove shedding fur. When bathing your curly-coated dog, use a pet-friendly shampoo or conditioner to keep the fur healthy. Dry your dog’s coat thoroughly, as this type of fur can retain much moisture. Note that curly-coated dogs may require regular trimming from professional groomers to prevent their fur from getting too long.
Wire Hair
Wire-haired dogs are those breeds with fur that are bristly and rough to the touch. Unlike short-coated dogs with coarse hair, wire-haired dogs have fur that’s always rough, even after it has been groomed. Underneath this harsh topcoat that repels dirt and water is a softer, thicker undercoat that may be shredded seasonally. These dogs require much effort to groom, as their rough topcoat isn’t shredded naturally.
However, to keep the topcoat healthy, you need to remove its strands by hand or with a stripping knife. Besides being time-consuming, you need to use the proper technique so that you don’t hurt yourself or your dog. That’s why we recommend you take your pet to a professional groomer instead.
Conclusion
Now you know how to care for the different dog hair types, it’s important to maintain it. It’s equally important that you take the time to groom your dog’s hair. Besides keeping your dog comfortable, regular hair grooming helps eliminate fleas and prevent hair knots. If you don’t want to groom your dog’s fur, we recommend you visit a professional groomer.