Grooming Tips for the Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies are a double coated breed. They will shed out twice a year, in general and this is called "blowing coat". They need no cutting or trimming of their fur except for their feet. The rest is bathed, brushed and left natural even in the show ring. It is best to keep them in a shaded area in the summer because the direct sun can bleach out the color of a red dog and make the hair a light orange or even a yellow. It will put red highlights in a black dog, especially in their tail area. If you want to help them keep their beautiful, rich color, they need to be out of the elements and have a UV protection creme or spray on their coat to help block the sun, much like a woman might do for her own hair if she knew she was going to be in the sun for extended periods. You can bathe them as needed, although they are generally very clean animals and do a lot of self grooming, much like a cat. Use dog shampoo, not people shampoo. Dog shampoo is made so that it does not strip the oils from the hair. Conditioner works best when it is mixed in with the shampoo. Another question I am frequently asked is whether people should shave their dogs in the summer. My answer is a resounding NO!!!! I have attached an article for you to read, by Ted Greenlee, to help answer this question.

Why Not To Shave Your Husky by Ted Greenlee

Siberian Husky TipsSiberian Huskies are a beautiful breed. Just looking at them is a delight. But the gorgeous dogs you see at dog shows got that way because of the work the owner put into the dog in maintaining the coat. Living with double coated dogs means that you must have an understanding that they shed and you WILL have hair in the house. If you don’t like grooming or hair in your house, this is NOT the breed for you!

The Siberian Husky should never be clipped / shaved except in medical emergencies. Yes, there are “professional” groomers out there who will tell you to shave your Husky. They will even do it without asking your consent! There are vets who will tell you to shave your Husky. These vets are uninformed about the breed.

Dogs do not sweat like humans. Their cooling process is done via panting from the mouth, sweating at the paws and cooling the blood in their ears. Shaving the dog does nothing to keep the dog cool. It just makes the human feel better when looking at the coated dog.

The Siberian Husky has little to no pigmentation in its skin. If you shave the Husky, you expose it to the sun without protection. Now you have a dog that can come up with a variety of skin problems including skin cancer. Another reason to NOT clip / shave your Husky is that the fur acts as a protection against insects and parasites. You remove that protection the dog is exposed to even more insect problems than he would have had if he had been allowed to keep is protective coat.

Furthermore, if you clip / shave a Husky it will eventually ruin the coat and disturb the proper shedding process. Resource: Ted Greenlee

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