Double Coat
Generally, double coated dogs are heavy shedders. Most would shed twice a year and the shedding process takes about a month. During this time, the coat would appear dull. Frequent brushing is necessary to remove dead hair and to prevent the formation of mats. Apart from speeding up the shedding process brushing will lessen the amount of dog hair on the furniture, carpet and even on foods. For a double coated dog brushing the top coat is not enough. Line brushing should be used. Lift the hair with one hand and brush with the other going upwards inch by inch until the entire body is brushed. As a finishing touch, use a comb to comb the newly brushed hair taking particular attention behind the dogs ears.
Long, flowing coats
Dogs with long flowing coats are prone to mat formation. If the long coat is not properly groomed, large mats will form. This will become the breeding place of bacteria that would cause skin infections. Most often large mats are hard to manage and the owner or the groomer would have no other choice but to shave the hair to remove the mat. Naturally this will mar the appearance of the dog. Long coats need to be brushed almost daily.
Curly and Wavy hair
Bichon Frise, Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog are some of the breeds with wavy hair. Curly and wavy coats can be hard to maintain given that the curls tangles easily. Using a conditioning spray before the dog is brushed will avoid hair breakage. After the dog is bathed, hair should be allowed to dry naturally.
Smooth coats
Dogs with smooth coats like the Doberman are the easiest to groom. This type of coat does not need much maintenance as brushing once every two weeks will suffice. A rubber curry brush that has rounded rubber bristles will polish the smooth coat into a good shine without hurting the sensitive skin of the dog.
Wire coats
The Irish Terrier, Scottish Terrier are examples of dogs with wire coats. Wires do not shed. The hair dies but it never fall out. Dead hair has to be manually stripped or plucked using the fingers or a stripping knife so that new ones would grow.
Corded Coats
The Hungarian Puli and the Komondor are dogs with corded coats. The coat is twisted to form cords as the dog grows. It would take about two years to form a cord. Cords should never be brushed. It takes a lot of patience to care for a dog with corded coats. When the dog is bathed, it would take at least five hours to dry the corded coats.
Hairless Dogs
The Peruvian Inca Orchid, the American Hairless Terrier would seem to be easy to care for. You would think that these dogs do not need to be groomed. Because they are hairless the immediate concern would be to prevent sunburn. The skin needs moisturizers because it is prone to dryness. Special care should be given to avoid skin problems like acne.
