Dog Grooming in Tampa
15417 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL, USA
Should you clip your dogs' hair?
The key is understanding your dogs coat type
At Grande Style Dog Grooming in Tampa, we believe that understanding your dog's coat type is crucial for achieving the desired grooming results. Many dogs can be clipped and scissored without any negative effects, but some coats can be permanently altered by clipping. It is the responsibility of pet parents to educate themselves about their dog's coat type before requesting a specific haircut. Our groomers are here to provide guidance and ensure that you make informed decisions about your dog's grooming. If you're unsure about the potential impact of a haircut, we encourage open communication so we can achieve the best possible outcome together.
What you need to know before deciding to clip your dog
Spaniels and Setters
Clipping the back on a Spaniel who has never been clipped before will alter the way the coat grows. Correctly groomed the top of the neck, the back, sides, and the top of the tail are "Carded" and "Stripped".
This technique retains the proper balance of guard hairs and undercoat. The softer coat on the legs and furnishings can be shortened with shears with no adverse effects on the coat.
Once the coat on the back has been clipped, the coat is permanently altered. Meaning that the dog cannot go back to the original coat texture and color.
While this sounds bad, it is only truly devastating if you plan to enter the dog into a dog show. Many pet parents prefer the clipped coat, as it is softer, it sheds less, and it is easier to maintain.
Wire Coats
Wire coats come in two types "Rough" and "Broken"
Key Differences and Characteristics:
- Broken Coat: Similar to a smooth coat, but with noticeable, sparse "trace hair" (or wire hair) on the muzzle, legs, or body. They are less scruffy and generally have less facial hair than rough coats.
- Rough Coat: Features longer, often chaotic hair covering the entire body, creating a very scruffy, untamed appearance.
- Texture: Both are described as harsh to the touch.
- Grooming: Both require regular hand-stripping to maintain their wire texture and prevent coat fading. Clipping these coats will cause them to become soft and lose their weather-resistant properties.
- Shedding: Both coat types shed less than smooth-coated dogs, though they still shed.
Although these coats should be hand stripped, many pet parents either cannot find a groomer (I no longer hand strip dogs) who offers this service. iI they do, they find that it is very expensive. This is why most pet dogs end up clipped instead.
If you decide to hand strip, you really need to do your homework:
- Proper timing plays a key role.
- If you spay or neuter your dog, the hormone changes will affect the coat growth patterns, causing the coat to become more difficult to hand strip. This could cause the process to be uncomfortable to your dog and have less than desirable results.
- You cannot go back and forth between stripping and clipping, it has to be one or the other.
- Stripping must be done from the very first groom.
- The pet parent must learn to maintain the coat at home, by keeping the undercoat in check.
What happens if you decide to clip the coat?
- The color changes to a lighter shade.
- The coat is softer.
- The coat sheds less.
- The course guard hairs are indiscernible from the undercoat.
- The cost of grooming is greatly reduced.
Triple or Arctic coats
These dogs have the thickest of coats. The Pomeranian, Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, and the American Eskimo dog.
It is best to never clip these coats, but to simply line brush them to keep the undercoat from getting packed in. See the information below to learn more about what happens when these coats are trimmed.
Short Double Coats
These coats should never be shaved off. We recommend a proper bath and removing excess undercoat to control shedding.
Profuse Double Coats
Just like the Triple/Arctic coats, these coats should be kept as natural as possible. The largest majority of the coat should not be trimmed, except for the softer hairs on the underline and ears. Some shaping is permissible.
If you decide to clip this coat type short, permanent changes to the coat could happen. These changes are similar to the ones demonstrated below.
Warnings about clipping or scissoring Certain Coats
When properly Maintained, the undercoat is in balance with the outer coat.
During the winter, the undercoat thickens and releases in the spring. The undercoat also will release in the fall, preparing for the winter coat. Dogs who are indoors year round, as well as spayed/neutered coats, may have irregular shedding cycles. The coat should be maintained at least every 3-4 weeks year round to allow air flow through the coat.
Clipping the coat can cause an imbalance of the coat. The outer coat may go dormant permanently, causing post clipping alopecia. The Outer coat also may take up to 7 years to correct itself, while the undercoat grows back out of balance with a Brillo pad texture.
Some dogs grow back fine, some regrow several times then go dormant. Some get alopecia at the first clipping.
There are many arguments a
Pomeranian Post Clipping Alopecia can happen. Whether it is associated with other health factors is irrelevant. The fact is that it almost always shows up immediately after being clippered.
Neglecting the coat causes the dog to become hot, by allowing the undercoat to pack in. Having your Pomeranian properly groomed every 3-4 weeks will prevent overheating of the dog.
Using the proper tools will keep your dogs coat beautiful.
Sunny is in a proper Pomeranian style.
This Pomeranian's tail was scissored 2 years ago during a dog grooming session. You can see where the coarse coat was stunted in growth, while the undercoat is growing past the stunted outer coat growth.
If after reading this, you still want your dog clipped down as part of your pet grooming services, I will have you sign a waiver stating that there is a chance your dog's hair will not grow back, and if it does, it may look odd.
