Siberian Husky Grooming

Specific techniques are needed when grooming your Siberian Husky because of their double-coat. The Siberian Husky breed has a woolly undercoat with a layer of longer, harsher outer coat that grows through the undercoat. This type of coat allows them to have insulation against the cold or heat. The male Siberian Husky will shed at least once a year and the female will shed their coat about twice a year. If there is high humidity or excessive heat then the shedding will be worse. Three to six weeks is the typical time period for the shedding process and then the new coat will start growing within the following three to four months.

You should groom your dog daily during the shedding period and regular brushing between those periods is necessary in order to take care of any excess loose hairs. By maintaining a weekly grooming pattern you can avoid the continuous shedding of hair that is common with other dog breeds.

The main goal when grooming your Siberian Husky is to remove the dead hairs that are clinging to the coat. You are helping to clean both the skin and the shafts of the living hair by grooming your Siberian Husky. The two main tools to use when grooming your Siberian Husky is the wide-toothed comb and a bristle brush. There should be rounded teeth on the comb and the brush should have bristles that are long enough to reach through the coat to the skin underneath.

The Siberian Husky coat should never be cut or trimmed. There may be times when you will want to tidy stray hairs around the feet, but you should never shape or strip the coat of a Siberian Husky. To break up any mats or snags and to remove the dead hairs you should use the comb first. When you come across knots you should use the comb and your fingers in order to gently tease them apart. Once combing is complete you should brush forward over the head and shoulders first before you start to brush back.

You also want to give special attention to bathing and nail trimming when grooming your Siberian Husky. Bathing is a difficult task all by itself. But the good news is you only have to worry about bathing your Siberian Husky twice a year under normal conditions. Your bathing should coincide with the molting of the coat, which happens each spring and fall. Year-round the Siberian Husky coat remains clean and usually doesn't take on the dog odor. You want to use a shampoo formulated for dogs that is very mild when you bath your Siberian Husky. Human shampoo is often too harsh and can dry out your dog's coat.

As a result of their activity level the Siberian Husky typically gets enough exposure to pavement that you don't have to trim their nails often. Although it is still important to inspect the nails regularly to make sure they don't need trimming. If nails are not kept properly trimmed the nails will become overgrown, which can affect the placement of the dog's feet and as a result their gait.

Andrew Preston has extensive knowledge about grooming of Siberian Huskies. Specific techniques are required with Siberian Husky grooming. Siberian Husky grooming tips can help you to properly groom your dog.