Coat Types
In order to ensure your pet is getting the proper care, it's crucial to know what type of coat they have. Although all dogs bark, their grooming needs vary depending on their breed. Just like people, it's important to truly get to know their hair type to ensure it's receiving the proper treatment and product. Below is a break down of the different coat types we see in a grooming salon along with a list of dog breeds starting to go into a bit more detail on their grooming style.
Single vs. Double Coats
Outside of length and texture, coats are broken down into two categories: single coat and double coat. A single coated dog simply just has one primary hair coming out of the follicle. Whereas a double coated dog has a primary hair that is also supported by a smaller secondary hair. Together, these secondary hairs make up another layer to their coat that is known as an "undercoat". The role of a pet's undercoat is extremely crucial to your pet's operating system. The undercoat is the skin's sensor to controlling their overall body heat. If the undercoat gets damaged, the body is no longer able to properly communicate from one component to the other on how to maintain a safe and functional internal temperature.
How to Identify Double Coats
The easiest way to identify a double coated breed is to look for an undercoat. Undercoats are typically described as dense, cottony, wooly, fluffy, and often times has a different texture than their primary guard hairs.
How to Care for Double Coated Breeds
The beast way to care for any breed with an undercoat is to keep it maintained. Routine brushing is a requirement for your at-home grooming program. However, a skilled and knowledgeable groomer will be able to better assist your needs by doing a thourough de-shed