What Different Types of Dog Coats Need in Order to Be Healthy

The coat of a dog refers to the fur that covers your pet's body. As a pet lover myself, I strongly believe that, in order to be able to take good care of its health, you need to know all the types of dog coats out there and know how your actions might affect them.

If you have ever looked carefully at a Boxer, a Dalmatian, a Rottweiler, or a Bulldog, you have probably noticed what sleek and shiny coats they have. That is called a smooth coat and at some dogs it might look like they do not have fur at all, but only skin covering them. These dogs do not require brushing every day - once every week would be perfect. Out of all dog coats, this type is by far the easiest one to clean.

Dog breeds like Golden Retriever, Saint Bernard, Siberian husky or German shepherd have a medium coat. Usually these breeds do not develop mats and their fur does not get very dirty. Grooming such dogs is not at all difficult, but it should be done on a daily basis or at least once every two days; an occasional trim is also needed, especially on the face, ears, neck and feet.

Another type of dog coat is the one that can be found in breeds like the Cocker Spaniel, Pekingese, Chow Chow, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire terrier and others. Such dog coats are quite long and require special attention. For instance, after giving your dog a bath, it is recommended to dry its fur, using a towel at the beginning and a hairdryer after that. Scissors should be used to trim your dog and special attention is required for the paw pads to keep the hair around them short, just reaching the ground.

The so-called broken coats (or wire hair) are anything you can imagine, but not soft or silky. If you own an Irish or Scottish terrier, an Otterhound or a Brussels griffon, you probably know what I am talking about. The advantage of broken dog coats is the fact they do not shed. Therefore, such breeds are perfect for people that suffer from allergies.

Grooming broken coats can be quite difficult and time consuming. You need to constantly pluck out old hairs, to let new and healthy ones grow. So make sure you have enough spare time on your hands if you intend to get a wire-haired dog.

The last category is the wavy coat. Basically all the breeds with curls belong to this category. The "stars" in this category are the Poodle, the Bichon Frise and the Portuguese water dog. Special treatment is required for such dogs, just like for humans with curly hair. It is recommended to use a conditioning spray before brushing the coat; luckily, one or two grooming sessions per month should be enough to keep such coats healthy.

As you can see, different dog coats have different needs and your pet deserves to have healthy and beautiful fur. Take good care of your animal companion and you will get love and loyalty in return.

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