Do You Need to Groom Your Dog in Winter?
Quick answer: yes! 😉 But every breed is different. It’s a common misconception that dogs don’t need to be washed and groomed during winter or need to be groomed only minimally. The belief is that your dog will be cold if washed and groomed during this time.
Quite the opposite is true. Your fur baby needs to keep up their regular grooming schedule during winter. A good grooming routine isn’t just to keep your dog looking cute & beautiful, it’s vital for their health. Grooming during colder months can be even more important as long, matted hair is more likely to get (and stay) wet and cold, making them more likely to get infections, etc. Additionally, fur that is matted doesn’t provide warmth or insulate as their usual hair, it can cause discomfort and pain if left.
Your dog’s hair doesn’t stop growing in the winter, it may slow down a bit but it still needs to be kept in good condition. You should brush and wash all dogs regularly to avoid matts & fleas, remove loose hair, any dry or flaky skin (which can happen more in winter) and dirt. Your dog may even need more washes than usual during the colder months if they get wet, smelly and dirty from being outside and playing in the mud. (You know who you are Labradors and Goldies!) I know mine does! But don’t worry about them being cold or wet while getting a bath. At Dash DogWash, our groomers use fresh warm water in their hydrobaths and completely dry off your fur baby before they go back to you. There may be a slight damp layer of our cologne but this dries very fast in the natural air and allowing it to dry in this method ensures it’s longevity for up to two weeks.
Especially ‘oodle’ breeds (spoodles, groodles, poodles) and others with long thick coats need to be brushed, and preferably combed, thoroughly multiple times a week to clean out any matts before they get unruly. If you don’t do this, they may require a complete shave off, which is not the first choice in winter. Depending on your fur baby’s breed, their regular grooms may change slightly. Your local Dash DogWasher groomer will be able to advise you of the best way to clip your dog in the colder months. This could include only doing a ‘hygiene clip’, keeping all their fur a little bit longer than usual, trimming around their face and under their tails so they can see and have no hygiene issues or just having a solid wash and good brush, etc.
Winter may not be the time to deshed breeds that usually get a deshedding groom (eg. border collies). They will most likely lose less fur during winter and shouldn’t need a full, deep deshed. Once it starts to warm up in spring, they will definitely need a deshed as they lose their winter coat for their lighter spring/summer coat. As usual they should still get a good regular brush & wash during the colder months.
Additionally, during winter it’s important to keep your dog’s nails and fur on their paws in check. Keep the hair between their paws trimmed neatly as muddy conditions can get dirt and mud and grass seeds etc stuck in their paw fur and be hard to clean off or cause discomfort.
Get your pup’s winter groom booked in today with Dash DogWash. Find your local groomer here or call 1300 327 436.
