Understanding The Various Types of Dog Coat

Very frequently, I notice many would-be dog owners choose their breed base on glossy pictures in dog books and magazines or luxuriant looking dogs seen on confirmation shows. Although choosing breeds base on personality and lifestyle match is far more important than appearance alone nevertheless if you aren’t aware of the range of coat types found in dogs, this can lead to disaster—physically, mentally, and financially. Those dogs seen on books and televisions are products of hours of grooming immediately prior to their appearance. Show dogs are not the only ones require extra grooming attention. Depending on your dog’s coat type, length, texture, and size, your grooming time can take as little as five minutes every other day to twenty minutes or more each day.

Whatever your dog’s coat type, with regular and proper grooming tools you can keep your dog looking and feeling good. And with patience, love, care to details, and right attitude to learn, you can groom any dog to look at their very best. Before going into details on bathing routines, grooming tools, techniques, and tips, I’m only stating the time and skill required to groom these breeds. These will give you (especially would-be owners) an idea of how much work and money needed to keep your dog in tiptop condition.

Four Categories Of Dog Coat

1. Coat Length

There are four types of coat length—hairless, short, medium, and long coat. You can easily tell how much grooming your dog needs base on his coat. Of the four coat lengths, the hairless and short coated breeds are the easygoing wash-and-wear dogs. Rarely you need to invest a whole lot of grooming tools nor you need send them to professional groomer for a hair cut or styling. Unlike the short coated breeds which their coat style stay forever the same, long coats are more versatile. You can change their “hairstyle” to whatever style you desire (i.e. Maltese’s long feathering to Schnauzer’s clip), only if these dogs are not participating in confirmation shows.

Hairless: A distinctive “coat” lacking of hair either having little or no hair at all. Effortless grooming, 2 to 3 minutes daily.

• Hairless Small Dogs: American Hairless Terrier, Chinese Crested (except the Powder Puff), Hairless Khala, Pervian Inca Orchid, Xoloitzcuintli

Short coat: ½ to 2 inches long. Easy grooming, 5 to 10 minutes every other day.

• Short-coated small breeds: Basenji, Basset Hound, Beagle, Boston Terrier, Chihuahua (Smooth), Dachshund (smooth), French Bulldog, Italian Greyhound, Toy Manchester Terrier, Miniature Pincher, Pug.
• Designer small dogs: Bagel, Puggle

Medium coat: 2 to 3 inches long. Grooming: Moderately easy grooming, 5 to 10 minutes daily.

• Medium-coated small breeds: American Cocker Spaniel Cardigan Welsh Corgi, English Cocker Spaniel, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
• Designer small dogs: Miniature Labradoodle, Beagalier

Long coat: At least 3 inches long if allowed to grow. Considerable grooming, 15 to 30 minutes daily.

• Long parted coat small breeds: Chinese Crested Powder Puff, Havanese, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Skye Terrier, Tibetan Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier
• Long non-parted coat small breeds: Chihuahua (Long), Japanese Chin, , Longhaired Dachshund, Papillon, Pekingese, Puli, Cocker Spaniel, Lowchen

2. Coat Types

Dogs basically have two types of coat—a single or double coat. Obviously, a single coat is much more manageable than a double coated dogs.

Single coat: A coat without a undercoat. Hair that is more or less even. Shed less, and some hardly shed at all.

Double coat: A coat with an undercoat and a top coat. Usually a combination of long harsh outer coat (naturally water-repellent) with soft shorter downy fur underneath the top coat. Shed about twice yearly; those live in topical climate area may shed throughout the year.

3. Coat Texture

Understanding the texture of your dog’s coat is very important for proper grooming. You can seriously damage the dog’s coat if you use the wrong grooming tools and techniques especially when he needs to be clipped or stripped. Dogs that require clipping require regular upkeep (preferably by professional groomer if you haven’t got the interest or time to learn some grooming skills) every six to eight weeks.

Corded coat: A coat with dreadlocks. Extensive grooming, up to 3 hours of bath and drying time. Skill: Patience, patience, and patience!

• Small breeds: Puli, Poodle (corded)

Curly coat: A coat with curls, usually quite profuse amount. Considerable grooming, approximately 45 minutes of bath and drying time.

• Clipped Small Dogs: Bichon Frise, Poodle

Smooth coat: A short and fine coat that lays back against the dog’s skin. All short coated dogs have smooth coats. Easy grooming, 5 to 20 minutes bath time.

• Small breeds: See short coated breeds.

Silky coat: A coat that is smooth, shiny, and soft to the touch. Considerable grooming, 45 to an hour of bath and drying time.

• Small breeds: Yorkshire Terrier, Silky Terrier, Maltese, Longhaired Dachschund, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Papillon, Shih Tzu,
• Clipped small dogs: American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel

Wiry coat: A coat that is harsh either with single or double stiff wiry hairs. The top coat should be stripped and plucked every three or four months or machine clip every six to eight weeks. Moderate grooming, 15 to 30 minutes of bath and drying time.

• Stripped small dogs: Affenpinscher, Australian Terrier, Brussels Griffon, Cairn Terrier, Wirehaired Dachshund, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Wirehaired Fox Terrier, Schnauzer, Jack Russell Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Welsh Terrier, West Highland White Terrier.

Less Important (but good to know) Coat Texture Terms.

• Broken coat: Also known as wirehaired.
• Brush coat: A coat that is short, straight, and stiff.
• Coarse: Unrefined.
• Fluffy: A long coat with exaggerated feathering.
• Open coat: A thin haired coat usually seen on dogs with single coats.
• Top coat: The outer coat that protects the dog’s skin and undercoat. Usually harsh and weather resistant.

4. Coat Color and Pattern

Besides a variety of coat lengths and textures, dogs also come in assorted colors—anything from white to black and every shade in between. In addition to their coat colors, there are many different patterns such as bi-color, tri-color, brindle, spots, harlequin, and merle. Although you don’t have to invest a great deal of time when managing your dog’s coat color and pattern however getting the right shampoos, conditioners, and supplements can certainly help bring out the best in your dog’s coat. For example, white coat shampoos make white dogs sparkling white or black coat shampoos make black dogs glossy black or copper coat shampoos make dark brown dogs more chocolaty brown.