Ah yes, it’s that time of year again. Owners of shedding pets recognize it easily: little hair balls appear on tile floors like tumbleweeds, an aura of dead hair seems to hover over the house, and small birds gather around and wait to an opportunity to gather it for their nests! Sound familiar? No doubt, your dog is shedding and getting ready for summer! This can be a stressful time for pet owners and groomers alike. Me? I run towards shedding coats, brush in one hand and coat mist in the other! So what’s got me thinking that this is one of the most wonderful times of the year?
A dog’s coat and shedding reflects the changing seasons. Days are finally getting longer as Winter ends and the first signs of Spring begin to peek through. They’ve spent the entire Fall preparing for the harshness of Winter; not just the frigid temperatures, but more importantly, the longer nights. Exposure to light is the main factor that influences shedding cycles. Think of your dog’s coat as a seasonal calendar. Once those little furry clumps start appearing, longer days are headed our way!
Longer nights mean heavier coats. Some differences are very clear to see on certain breeds and coat types. Chopper looks like a lion during the winter months: his coat is thicker, fuller, and his features (particularly his mane) are more pronounced. He’s the quintessential example of a Nordic coat, especially because he looks smaller in the Summer! While his build remains almost constant year round, his coat is slightly less dense, making him look more lean.
There’s something deeply therapeutic about a really good de-shedding session. I’m not entirely sure if it’s the promise of a changing environment, the knowledge that I’ve helped a dog peel out of their winter coat, or the satisfaction of making a complete and utter mess. I suspect it’s a little of all the above. Heehee.
There are several techniques I use, depending upon the coat type, but overall I have strategy down to a science. The de-shed always begins before the bath, during prep work. The severity of shedding determines which product I use; sometimes it’s a light coat mist to prevent breakage, other times it’s a plant-based keratin solution to help weigh down clumps of shed hair. The coat type determines the tool. A carding knife is ideal for short, smooth, medium smooth, broken wire, tight wire, sporting, and sporting saddle. Slicker and pin brushes are best suited for Nordic, rough Nordic, rough, scruffy wire, and medium-long coats. Tool selection is just as important as products, in order to prevent breaking coat. We want those hair follicles clean – no dead hair left behind!
The bath is the best place to remove more dead undercoat. Not only does the warm water help the follicles relax and release dead hair, cleanup is as easy as washing the hair to the bottom of the drain and scooping it all out. Good thing for my hair trap, too! Soft bath brushes, pin brushes, and varying water temperatures are used gently and efficiently.
Time to turn up the power! After cleaning and conditioning the skin and coat, it’s drying time! Depending upon the dog’s coat type and tolerance levels, both the high velocity dryer and stand dryer help loosen even more dead hair! Once the dog is dry, the finishing touches ensure an optimum level of deshedding. Hello, new coat! Sometimes a hound glove is all that is necessary in the case of short, smooth, medium smooth and Nordic coats. Undercoat rakes are great choices for tight wire, scruffy wire, rough Nordic, rough, medium-long, and sporting saddles. Undercoat combs can also be useful on all the aforementioned types, but are ideal on broken wire and sporting to remove hair while preventing breakage.
Every year, it seems as though the Nordic and medium-long coats are the main culprits in shedding. I’m not sure exactly why, but they seem to predict with accuracy what kind of season we’re in for. The photo taken above was after heavy shedding from a Norwegian Elkhound and a Golden Retriever early in the season. Shedding from each was heavier than normal, so of course I had to have a little extra fun at the end! Time will tell whether or not these two coats are indicating a long hot summer is ahead. I like to think of shedding as the Groomer’s Almanac! Sorry, Weather Channel~!
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