07/07/2023
What up dawgs!? 🐶😎
Hope everyone had a safe holiday!
The other day Vickie Wolgast asked how often her dog should be groomed and I wanted to share with the class 👩🏫
Different dogs require different grooming maintenance, so let's start with what I recommend for ALL doggos!
● Nail trims every 4 to 6 weeks.
● Teeth brushing once a week (can be done at home or replaced with an additive to their drinking water).
● Weekly at home brushing! *extra tip* Getting a good routine brushing your dog might seem like a chore but it can be a great way to bond with your pet as well.
The grooming requirements for dogs are based on coat types. So I will go through 5 different coat types and how often those coats need maintenance.
● Smooth Coat
》Dachahunds, Boxer, Pit Bull, etc.《
Smooth coats are the easiest coats to maintain. They need bathed when they start to get stinky! No hair cuts required, just bathes, nails, teeth and ears. They can be bathed as little as every other month but no more than every other week.
● Short Coat
》Labrador Retriever, Beagle, etc.《
Short coats are the 2nd easiest coats to maintain! Just bathe when stinky and sheddy. A good deshed treatment in the fall and spring (when dogs naturally blow their undercoat) can help with the tufts of dog hair all over your house! Weekly brushing at home will help cut grooming costs. No hair cuts required. Be sure to get your deshed treatments in fall and spring, after that you can get them groomed as often or as little as the smooth coats.
● Double Coat
》Newfoundland, Husky, Corgi, etc.《
Double coats can be a little more tricky! They need desheds year round! Not just in the fall and spring. If a double coat goes too long without regular maintenance, it can become impacted. Regular grooming for a large double coated dog can get expensive but getting it done regularly will prevent extra charges for impacted coats. No hair cuts required, but light trimming on the feathers, pants and feet can look really cute! I recommend a deshed every 6 to 8 weeks. If you brush at home regularly (and well) you can probably push it 8 to 10 weeks. Shaving Double coated dogs is a BIG no no. Myself, and every groomer I've ever met, do NOT recommend shaving double coated dogs!
● Long Coat
》Shih Tzu, Maltese, Lhasa Apso, etc.《
A lot of dogs fall under this category. Any dog who's hair grows continuously is a long coat dog. Breeds that have "long hair" that stops growing once it gets to a certain length, are not long coats. Confusing I know. Basically if your dog requires a hair cut so it won't look like a mop, your dog falls under this category. For long coats I recommend grooming every 4 to 6 weeks. Depending on how long you keep their hair. You can shave long coats. A long coat kept short can be groomed every 6 to 8 weeks but if you like your pup with a little more fluff, stick to a strict 4 to 6 week schedule! **I recommend the same grooming schedule for curly coats!**
● Wire Coat
》Airedale Terrier, Jack Russell, etc.《
Wire coats are nice because they don't shed as much and it's harder for them to get matted! Most terrier breeds are wire haired. Some groomers prefer to do a technic called "hand stripping" but not a lot of groomers offer this and it can be very expensive. If your wire coated dog doesn't also have a long coat, grooming can be very easy. Coats kept short or long could be done every 6 to 8 weeks. If your wire coated dog also has a long coat (westies, and Scotties have wired hair that continues to grow unless cut) I would recommend 4 to 6 weeks.
If you have any specific questions about your dog leave a comment or DM me!
Let's see if this helped! Can you name the different coat types in this picture?!
I'll give you a hint, there's 5 dogs, 3 different coat types.
The winner gets a virtual hug, and my appreciation and respect for reading and learning from my post 😉🥰🐾
