Alaskan Malamute grooming in Gloucester, MA

The AKC standard describes a thick, coarse guard coat, never long and soft, over an undercoat that is dense, oily and woolly, one to two inches deep. The coat is relatively short to medium on the sides and grows longer around the shoulders and neck, down the back, over the rump and in the breeching and plume. The standard adds that malamutes usually carry a shorter, less dense coat in the summer months, and that trimming is not acceptable except to give the feet a clean-cut look.

Oily wool an inch or two deep is the whole story of a malamute groom. Shampoo has to reach through it, rinse water has to get back out, and the dryer has to move it all before the brush-out can lift the loose undercoat. The standard also notes a protective growth of hair between the toes on the malamute's snowshoe feet; neatening the feet is the only trim it allows, and that comes with the full service.

The AKC's drying guide notes that double-coated breeds take longer to dry, that dryers made for dogs work by airflow rather than heat, and that heat can burn the skin. On an 85-pound dog with oily wool an inch or two deep, that airflow is also how much of the loosened undercoat leaves before the brush-out. The AKC's grooming notes warn that mats can harbor fungus, and the drying guide says thorough drying prevents mats and the bacteria growth that can lead to skin infection.

Every bath includes the blow-dry and brush-out. Our menu does not name the dryer, so ask at check-in how your malamute will be dried and how long to allow; it depends on the dog's size, the depth of the wool and how it copes with noise. If your dog is new to grooming, a plain bath visit first, with the full de-shed saved for the next blow, can be a gentler start. Tell us if loud air bothers yours.