Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my dog need to be groomed?

Grooming helps keep a dog’s skin and coat healthy. Double coated dogs often need help getting their dead coat out of their healthy coat. The dead, ready-to-fall-out fur can get trapped in the rest of the coat, which often leads to dry skin and can lead to other skin issues. That extra hair can also lead to overheating from an excess of hair or to the dog being cold as the coat is not able to insulate properly with the extra coat. Curly coats, silky coats, terriers, (dogs that have hair that keeps growing and that don’t typically shed) need grooming to help keep their hair in good health and avoid matting. Matting pulls tightly on the skin and can lead to skin issues and circulation problems. Excess undercoat or matting can also hide issues that may need veterinarian attention.

How often should my dog be groomed?

Every dog is different and how often they should be groomed depends on the type of coat they have, how long it is, and their lifestyle. Double-coated breeds should be bathed every 1-2 months to keep their undercoat (and shedding) under control and to keep them smelling fresh! Depending on the breed them may also need a trim, usually on their paws, chest, belly, legs, and tail. These dogs usually benefit from brushing between baths as well. Dogs with hair that grows-curly coats, silky coats, terriers, will need a haircut every 1-3 months and will need brushing and maybe a bath between haircuts, depending on their hairstyle and lifestyle.

How often should my dog's nails be trimmed?

I recommend every four weeks for nail trims, as a starting point to see how the dog’s nails grow. Every dog is different. A young, active dog who spends a lot of time on rough terrain, such as sidewalks or gravel will likely need less frequent nail trims than an older dog who isn’t very active, or dogs who spend most of their time in the house or playing on grass. Rough terrain like sidewalks and gravel can help wear a dog’s nails down naturally, but it may not work for every dog depending on how their nail is set in their foot and the way they walk or run. Always keep an eye the dew claws, the nails set higher on the dog’s paw, as they don’t touch the ground and grow faster as a result. Too long nails can put painful pressure on the foot or the nails may curl under and grow into the paw pads. Dogs have a blood vessel in their nails called a quick. This restricts how much nail can be taken off at a trim. When the nail is properly trimmed, so that the quick is exposed but not bleeding, it will make the quick recede. Frequent trimming can make nails shorter over time, but it may take several months of frequent trimming every 1-2 weeks.

What does it mean when my groomer says my dog is matted? Why do they want to shave my dog?

Matting is severe knots, mostly caused by friction, and aided by dirt, moisture, and oils (skin oils or oily medications). They tend to form behind ears, a favourite place for scratching, as well as underneath the front legs, where the collar/harness sits, and in tail hair. There are different levels of matting and mats can and do form everywhere. Matting starts out as simple knots and slowly gets tighter over time. If left long enough it can pull on the skin, restricting blood flow and causing pain. If the matting is minor is may be able to be brushed out. Some dogs are more tolerant of brushing than others, but brushing pulls on the skin and mats can take a while to brush out, causing repetitive pulling on a small section of skin, which may hurt the dog. Brushing out matting also leaves behind hair that is damaged from being in a knot and then the friction from being brushed out. Damaged hair then more easily forms into mats. Shaving a matted dog and starting fresh is usually the kindest thing that can be done.

Why doesn't my groomer want to shave my double-coated dog?

Dogs with double-coated fur have two types of hair, a soft undercoat and a protective top coat. They use this fur to help them regulate their body temperature. The soft undercoat grows more quickly and sheds a lot more, especially seasonally, and acts as insulation keeping the dog warm in cooler weather and keeping cool air trapped by the body in warmer weather. The protective top coat keeps dirt and water off of the dog. The topcoat is also responsible for the vibrant colours of your dog, while the undercoat tends to be duller. Many people want to shave their double-coated breed to keep them cool in hot weather or to reduce shedding. While there may be some benefits to shaving a dog to keep it cool, there are drawbacks as well. If taken too short, it can expose the dog to sunburns (and possibly an increased risk of skin cancer), and can make a dog more vulnerable to bugs. The hair also often doesn’t grow back properly- the undercoat grows faster than the topcoat and so the undercoat often overtakes the topcoat and the dog ends up not having the protective layer of fur that the topcoat provides. A dog with mostly undercoat tends to mat and get overheated more easily because the undercoat often gets stuck and doesn’t fall out as it’s supposed to. It may also lead to dry, flaky skin, and dry, damaged hair. There is also a chance that the hair will not grow back at all. Shaving a double-coated dog does very little to reduce shedding. The hairs that are falling out will be shorter, but the amount of hair that the dog loses will be similar. When a dog is shaved, the hair also tends to get trapped more often, so the dog may seem to be shedding less, but the hair is just stuck in their coat and can cause overheating and skin problems as the skin is not able to breathe properly. Regularly grooming a dog’s natural coat helps keep them cool in the summer, and warm in the winter as well as reducing shedding. Removing loose undercoat helps dogs to regulate their temperature. Impacted fur is bad for both hot and cold weather. A dog that has been shaved, and whose coat had not grown back nicely, may require more grooming to keep their skin and coat healthy.