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Coat season
How to de-shed a double-coated dog at home
Huskies, golden retrievers, Australian shepherds and Bernese on Cape Ann carry two coats: a soft undercoat that blows out in spring and fall, and guard hairs that should never be cut. This is the home routine our groomers wish every double-coated dog arrived with, and the point where Shed Release takes over.
What you need
What you need: an undercoat rake, a slicker and a place you can hose down
Three tools do the job. An undercoat rake with rounded pins pulls dead undercoat without cutting guard hair. A slicker brush lifts what the rake loosened and finds tangles behind the ears and in the britches. A steel comb is the proof: if it glides to the skin, that patch is done. Add a de-shedding or oatmeal shampoo, two old towels and a dryer that blows cool air.
Skip the serrated de-shedding blade; it cuts guard hair and leaves a coat that looks moth-eaten by June. Do the dry rake outdoors or in a room you can sweep, because a husky in April produces a second husky. A non-slip mat in the tub, a hand-held shower head and a hair trap over the drain save the plumbing. Plan on 45 minutes for a golden, longer for a Bernese.
| Tool | What it does | Leave it out if |
|---|---|---|
| Undercoat rake | Pulls dead undercoat through the guard hairs | The coat is matted; a rake tears mats |
| Slicker brush | Lifts loosened coat and finds tangles | The pins are bent or the dog flinches |
| Steel comb | Checks that the patch is clear to the skin | Never; it is the proof |
| High-velocity or cool dryer | Blows loose undercoat out of a damp coat | The dog panics at the noise; towel and fan instead |
| De-shedding shampoo | Loosens the undercoat in the bath | The skin is red or flaky; use plain oatmeal and see the vet |
The method
The method: rake, bathe, dry to the skin, rake again
The order is the whole trick. Raking first removes the loose layer so the shampoo reaches the skin. Bathing loosens what the rake could not. Moving air blows out the undercoat the water lifted, and you will see it roll off in clouds. The second rake, on a fully dry coat, takes the last of it. Bathe first and you are brushing a wet blanket of undercoat.
Keep every stroke short and in the direction the coat grows, and let the tool do the work; pressure is what makes a dog hate the rake. Work in sections: neck, shoulders, back, each side, britches, tail. Pay with a treat at the end of every section rather than every stroke, so the dog learns that standing still is what earns the food.
- 01
Rake the dry coat for ten minutes, section by section, with the grain and no pressure
- 02
Bathe in warm water with a de-shedding or oatmeal shampoo, then rinse until the water runs clear and a minute longer
- 03
Towel hard, then dry with a high-velocity or cool dryer against the grain so the loose undercoat blows out
- 04
Keep drying until the skin is dry at the neck, the armpits and the base of the tail
- 05
Rake again on the dry coat, then slicker the ears, chest and britches
- 06
Check with the steel comb; where it snags, comb from the skin outward, then finish with a treat and a walk
Where it goes wrong
Where it goes wrong: the shave, the dry-brush marathon and the damp finish
The shave is the worst mistake and the most common one our groomers see. A shaved double coat grows back patchy, the guard hairs can take a year or more to return, and the dog loses the air layer that keeps it cool in July and warm on a February beach. If a coat is so matted that a shave is the only kind option, that is a groomer's call, made with the dog on the table.
The second mistake is one heroic dry-brushing session. Forty minutes of raking on an unbathed coat tires the dog, irritates the skin and removes a fraction of what a bath and dry would. The third is stopping while the coat is damp underneath. Damp undercoat against warm skin is where a smell starts, and in summer it is where a hot spot starts.
- Shaving a husky, golden or Aussie for summer: the coat is the cooling system
- Raking for 40 minutes with no bath: sore skin, most of the coat still in
- Bathing before the first rake: you shampoo a wet blanket of dead coat
- Quitting while the undercoat is damp: smell, skin trouble and mats
The Cape Ann version
The Cape Ann version: sand, salt, ticks and two blows a year
On Cape Ann the spring blow arrives with mud season and the fall blow with the first nor'easter, so plan the big sessions for late March and October. Dogs who walk Good Harbor on its even-numbered dog days or Wingaersheek on the odd ones bring sand and salt home in the undercoat, and both push a coat toward matting. Rinse at the door on beach days; the Gloucester beach page has the current dates.
Tick season runs April to November here, and a double coat is a tick's favorite hiding place. Every rake session doubles as a tick check: slow down at the neck, behind the ears, the armpits and the groin, and run the comb against the skin. A tick you find in the rake did not get a day to attach. The AVMA's parasite page covers what to do with the one you find.
When to hand it to us
When to hand it to us: the bath from $55 and Shed Release for $10
The bath at Dogtown Grooming is priced by size: $55 up to 25 pounds, $65 for 26 to 50, $75 for 51 to 90, $85 over 90 and $95 for an extra-large long coat, with the blow-dry and brush-out included. Shed Release is the $10 add-on that puts the de-shedding work in our groomers' hands. No evaluation is needed for grooming, so a first-time dog can be booked online today.
Hand it over when the blow is bigger than your bathroom, when the dog fights the dryer at home but stands for a professional table, or when you find sore or flaky skin under the coat, which needs the vet before a groom. Grooming can be added to a daycare day, and the Pup Van runs for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
- The coat is coming out in sheets and the house cannot take it
- The dog panics at a home dryer but tolerates the studio
- Red, flaky or sore skin under the coat: the vet first, then a groom
- You want the blow done in one visit, during a daycare day
At Dogtown
The groom behind the rake
A bath by size with the blow-dry included, Shed Release for $10, and a daycare day to do it in.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can I shave my double-coated dog for the summer?
How often should I de-shed at home?
Do de-shedding shampoos actually work?
What is the difference between doing this at home and Shed Release?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Let the coat come out in our tub.
Book a bath with Shed Release online or in the Dogtown app. No evaluation is needed for grooming; add it to a daycare day if your dog already comes to us.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
