These include Huskies, Samoyeds, Chow Chows, Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers, Border Colliers and Pomeranians to name just a few.
Dogs that are double coated literally have two layers of fur – a dense undercoat of short woolly hair and a top coat of longer hairs called guard hairs. The undercoat is for warmth and the top coat is the dog’s waterproof layer. You will usually find that all dogs originally bred for ‘outside’ work have this type of coat to keep it warm and dry in all weathers.
These dogs need regular brushing to ensure their undercoat does not become over congested and matted as then the skin cannot breathe and this can cause all sorts of problems, and that their top coats remain in good condition to act as their waterproof layer.
For this reason, double coated dogs should never be shaved as this can cause long term damage to the coat as the undercoat can grow back faster than the guard hairs and crowd out the slower growing top coat.
To groom your double coated doggie, firstly using either a slicker for a shorter undercoat or a grooming rake for a bigger dog, thoroughly brush all over, then check with a wide toothed comb to remove the dead undercoat and leave the healthy, tangle free undercoat to form your dog’s base layer.
For a video representation of How to Brush Your Long Haired Dog, check out our WildWash master groomer, Katie Rourke Dowding, showcasing these processes step-by-step:
NOTE: Please don’t be tempted to use ‘furminator’ type products as this actually cut the coat and the undercoat will keep coming away until the dog has no undercoat left! We have seen in our own salon, dogs whose undercoat has been completely removed by well – meaning owners!
Once you have dealt with the undercoat then thoroughly brush the top coat with either a slicker or pin brush to separate the hair and remove any loose dirt and debris.
You are now ready for the bath!
Wet your dog all over taking care to soak through to the undercoat and apply WildWash Shampoo. Most of our shampoos are suitable for double coated dogs and I like to use our Deep Cleaning and Deodorising Shampoo from our PRO Range or our Stinky Dog Shampoo from our PET range on the bigger dogs and any from our Beauty and Shine Range or our Conditioning Shampoo from our PET Range on the smaller dogs.
If your dog is still a puppy or has any skin conditions or allergies, then always use either our PRO Sensitive Shampoo or the Super Sensitive from our PET Range.
It is very important to make sure all the shampoo is properly rinsed out of these thick double coats. WildWash Shampoos really help this process, as they don’t over foam and therefore do not load the coat with excess suds!
You can apply either our PRO Conditioner or our Super Sensitive PET Conditioner to a rinsed coat and again thoroughly rinse out the Conditioner.
Once rinsed, gently pat coat dry, our Microfibre Pet Towel will absorb loads of moisture, then you can gently blow dry the coat. Please remember to put the hair dryer on a cooler setting than you would use for your own hair and hold it at least 6-8 inches away from your pet, pausing frequently to brush through.
If you wish, you can then finish by giving a spray of one of our coat conditioning Perfumes or Spritzes and these are also good to comb through the coat between baths.
1. Thoroughly brush out any dead undercoat and check through with a comb, which should now easily glide through. Then tackle the top coat which is a lot easier to brush out with either a slicker or pin brush.
2. Wet coat thoroughly with just warm water.
3. Apply shampoo according to directions.
4. Rinse well and repeat steps 3 and 4 if the coat is very dirty.
5. Apply one of our WildWash Conditioners and comb through before rinsing well.
6. Pat dry with towel and then gently blow dry on a low heat whilst combing through the hair.
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