There are several ways to describe a dog with a double coat, but words you’ll often find associated with them include “fluffy,” “poofy,” “absolutely out of this world snuggable,” and “woolly.” We completely understand if it was love at first touch, but make sure you’re prepared for the inevitable grooming (unless you’re okay living in a fur snowstorm.)
Simply put, dogs with double coats have two coats. These coats grow at different rates, serve different functions, and feel different. Their top coat grows slowly and longer and protects the dogs from dirt, repels water, and acts as a cooling system to allow air to get close to their skin. Their undercoat, however, is a much faster-growing, dense, shorter layer that insulates them to help keep them cool during warm months and warm during cold months.
What dogs have double coats?
- Husky
- Golden Retriever
- Labrador Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Alaskan Malamute
- Chow Chow
- Australian Shepherd
- The Great Pyrenees
- Beagle
- Border Collie
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Akita
- Finnish Lapphund
- Keeshond
- Shiba Inu
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Corgi
- Schnauzer
- Shih Tzu
- Pomeranian
- Newfoundland
- Havanese
- Samoyed
- Wirehaired Fox Terrier
- Parson Russel Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- Scottish Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Old English Sheepdog
- Polish Low Land Sheepdog
- American English Coonhound
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Brittney Spaniel
- Springer Spaniel
How do I know if my dog has a double coat?
The easiest way is to see if your dog’s breed is in the list above. If you don’t see their breed or don’t know your dog’s breed, no worries! An easy way to tell is to check their coat. Gently spread their coat. If you see a dense, soft, woolly coat underneath their outermost hair, you’ve got a double-coated dog.
How do I take care of a double coat?
Dogs with double coats shed – A LOT. The best thing you can do is brush them out regularly. If you can spring for it, buy an undercoat-removing rake to get rid of dead undercoat hairs that are trapped underneath all that fur.
If your dog has mattes in its hair, use a wide-tooth comb to slowly and gently loosen it along the edges. If the matte won’t budge or it’s causing your dog disease, do NOT cut the hair as this can lead to accidentally cutting your pup. Instead, consider calling a groomer.
Although it might seem tempting to shave your dog during the summer to keep them cool, do NOT shave your dog. This can lead to long-term issues with your dog’s coat texture and color. Remember, the undercoat grows much more quickly than the top coat and can get in the way of the topcoat hairs as they grow back in. (Luckily, if you’ve checked out my checklist for a new puppy, you’ll already have all the gear you need to brush out your pup.)
Are there ever reasons to shave a double-coated dog?
As said above, shaving a double coat isn’t recommended for regular care; however, there are sometimes instances where shaving may be required. This includes an extreme matted hair situation. Rather than use scissors to cut it out, clippers provide a safer solution to remove the matte.
Veterinarians may shave parts of your dog to access areas of your dog for surgeries. But, again, this isn’t a rule of general care so much as a necessary action in more extreme cases.
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