COAT TYPES & CARE
All dogs require regular bathing, brushing and grooming to keep their skin healthy, and coat looking and smelling great. Most dogs benefit from a wash every 2-6 weeks. However, this depends on their coat type, coat condition and breed.
Here are our suggestions for frequency of washing & grooming for the following coat types:
SMOOTH COAT
A smooth, flat coat that is easy to maintain. It is only 1 layer but has a short life cycle and is high-shedding.
Breeds include: Staffordshire Terrier, Dalmation, Great Dane, Whippet, Greyhound, Boxer, Daschund
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks (not too often for this coat type), and a professional groom every 2-3 months.
Booking Options: Day Spa short hair
SHORT COAT
A flat, dense, textured coat that you can run your fingers through. It has 2 layers and is high shedding.
Breeds include: Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Blue Heeler, Kelpie, Mastiff, Rottweiler, Husky, Chihuahua (short coat)
This type of coat has protective properties, and tends to hold water and can become smelly.
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks, and a professional groom during shedding every 6-12 months.
Booking Options: Day Spa short hair, Day Spa & Double Coat de-shed short hair
WIRE (ROUGH) COAT
A long, hardy, rough textured top coat with a soft, fine undercoat which remains. The top wiry coat will not shed and needs to be stripped or it will tangle with other long hairs. The long coat is often clipped and trimmed, as hand stripping can be fidly and time consuming. This coat has protective properties.
Breeds include: Airedale Terrier, Border Terrier, Mini Schnauzer/Schnauzer, Scottish Terrier, Wolfhound
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks and a professional groom every 8 weeks to hand strip the top coat.
Some people choose to clip/shave these coat types every 8 weeks for easier maintenance.
Booking Options: Day Spa & Full Groom, Day Spa & Nice and Tidy Trim, Matted Coat Full Body Short Clip
DROP COAT
Long hair which drops and grows towards the ground. It continues to grow up to 1 year, is non-shedding but high maintenance.
Breeds include: Afghan Hound, Maltese, Shitzu, Australian Silky Terrier, English Sheepdog
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks and a professional groom and haircut every 8-12 weeks.
Booking Options: Day Spa long hair, Day Spa & Nice and Tidy Trim, Day Spa & Full Groom
CURLY/FLUFF/WOOL COAT
Often thick, a continuosly growing coat that often grows into curls and easily mats. The hardest type of coat to look after, often trapping dirt and debris in the coat. Low shedding.
Breeds include: OODLES (Poodle crosses), Poodles, Bichon Frise, Portugese Water Dog
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks (depending on your dog's lifestyle) with an extensive brush at least 4 times per week, down to the skin. To maintain a longer length of coat we suggest a trim/clip every 4-6 weeks or a shorter all-over clip every 6-8 weeks.
Most owners choose to have the entire coat clipped/shaved for ease of maintenance. Or with regular home care, a longer length can be maintained with a stylist clipping and cutting the coat to achieve a certain look.
Don't forget daily brushing at home with a pin brush or soft slicker brush to maintain these coats in between grooms.
Booking Options: Day Spa & Full Groom, Day Spa - long coat (for in between grooms), Day Spa & Nice and Tidy Trim (for in between grooms)
COMBINATION/SILKY COAT
A fast drying coat, short, flat and soft around the face, body (jacket), with longer hair on the furnishings/featherings on the backs of legs, under the tummy, tail and ears.
These coats have a small amount of soft fluff undercoat and are low shedding.
Breeds include: Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, Setter, Border Collie, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Tibetan Spaniel, Daschund (long hair)
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks and a professional groom de-shed every 3 months.
Don't forget daily brushing at home with a long bristled pin brush through the long lengths of hair to prevent knotting and to keep free of debris
Booking Options: Day Spa & double coat de-shed long hair, Day Spa & Full Groom, Day Spa & Nice and Tidy Trim (for in between grooms)
DOUBLE COAT
There are many types, short and long with 2 layers of coat. A harsh outer coat of longer guard hairs, and a soft, shorter, fluffy undercoat. These coats have protective properties and are high shedding.
SHORT COAT breeds include: Pug, Kelpie, Labrador, Cattle Dog, Rottweiler, Beagle
LONG COAT breeds include: German Shepherd, Border Collie, Malamute, Husky, Samoyed, Chow Chow, Pomeranian
Washing is recommended every 2-6 weeks and a professional groom to de-shed every 3 months.
Don't forget a good weekly brush with a slicker brush to help maintain the volume of undercoat in between grooms.
Booking Options: Day Spa & De-shedding service (long or short hair), Add-on Nice & Tidy Trim, Day Spa for in between grooms (long coat or short hair option)
GROOMING GUIDE
A detangler spray and a pin brush are both great tools to have at home to help maintain your dogs coat in between professional grooms.
Take care when using a detangler spray as it can create slippery surfaces in the home, so always use sparingly and in an outdoor area.
When using a slicker brush, follow instructions for use or even watch a You Tube video, so you don't harm or damage your dog's skin as these brushes can be very harsh. As a general rule, use short bristle lengths on short coats, and longer bristle lengths on long coats.