The Siberian Husky breed is renowned for its long and beautiful coat that, along with its incredible eyes, gives the Husky its striking appearance. To keep the coat looking its best it does need to be groomed regularly but this is pretty easy to manage at home.
In this guide, we’ll show you the best ways to groom your Husky so that you can keep your pooch’s coat looking healthy and shiny.
Siberian Huskies should not be shaved as it can cause damage to their skin and affect their ability to regulate their temperature.
Huskies are double-coated dogs and they naturally shed their coats twice a year in the spring and the winter.
The Husky’s coat regulates body temperatures and keeps your pooch warm in the winter and cool in the summer so you should avoid clipping or shaving it as this may damage it and cause it to lose its heat regulating properties.
However, your Husky’s coat still requires regular grooming to remove loose hair and to keep it shiny and healthy.
Before you begin the grooming session there are some grooming tools that you will need to make the grooming process easier and more efficient. The tools you’ll need are a slicker brush with fine metal pins, an undercoat rake, a hair dryer, and a dog shampoo that won’t irritate your dog’s skin.
Before you bathe your Husky you need to brush your Husky’s undercoat with the undercoat rake and the top coat with the slicker brush to remove any loose hairs and tangles. This is much easier to do with a dry coat than with a wet coat.
Once all of the dead hair is removed from your dog’s coat you should gently place them into a tub that’s filled with lukewarm water. Use a container to pour water over your dog’s coat until the entire undercoat is wet. As Huskies have a double coat it will take a lot of water to wet the full coat.
Now, take some of the dog shampoo and apply it in circles and massage it deeply into the thick coat. If your pooch has a very oily coat you will need to use more shampoo than usual.
Next, use the showerhead to rinse all of the shampoo out of your Husky’s coat. You may need to give it a few rinses to make sure that there is no shampoo left in the coat.
Now you’ll need to make sure that the coat is completely dry. Take a soft towel and dry the coat as much as possible with it. Once you’ve done this, take a blow dryer and blow dry the coat with cool air so as not to burn or irritate your Husky’s skin.
Before you trim your Husky’s nails it’s very important that you identify where the quick underneath the nail ends as you need to avoid cutting this. Then, use some nail clippers to trim the nail down to around 2mm away from where the quick ends.
Once you’ve done this, use a nail file to smooth over any rough edges. If you’re very concerned about accidentally cutting the quick it may be best to take your pooch to a professional groomer to have its nails clipped.
Your Husky’s nails will need to be clipped every 1 or 2 months. A good way to tell that it’s time for them to be clipped is when you can hear them tapping on the floor as they walk around the house.
Although you don’t need to shave or clip your Husky’s fur you will need to trim the hair that grows in between its toes to prevent your pooch from stepping on it as it walks. To do this, simply use a small pair of scissors and trim the hair so that it’s level with your Husky’s toes.
The hair in between your Husky’s toes won’t grow very quickly so trimming it twice a year should be enough to keep it at the right length.
Keeping your Husky’s eyes clean is important to reduce the chances of it developing any eye infections. To do this, take a moist towel and gently wipe away any dirt that has accumulated around the eyelids. Be careful not to wipe any dirt into the eyes and make sure you clean them very gently.
You should check your Husky’s eyes for any dirt at least once a week and give them a clean if necessary. Or, if you just happen to notice that its eyes have dirt around them after a walk or time spent outside you’ll know it’s time to clean them.
As Huskies require a lot of exercise they’ll be spending a lot of time walking outdoors which can lead to their paw pads becoming dry. Due to this, you’ll need to use good-quality paw balm to moisturise their paws.
Before you apply paw balm you should give your hands a good wash so that you won’t be rubbing any dirt or bacteria onto your pooch’s paws. Then, simply massage some of the paw balm into your Husky’s paw pads until it has absorbed into the skin.
How often you’ll need to apply paw balm depends on the balm that you buy. Some balms will need to be applied daily but others will only need to be applied 2 or 3 times a week. Make sure that you read the instructions on the product carefully and apply the balm as often as the label tells you to.
You should start grooming your Husky as early as possible as Huskies can be quite stubborn pooches and so establishing a regular grooming routine is important so that they get used to it when they’re still young. Beginning grooming early is also a great way for you and your Husky to bond.
Generally, a Husky needs to be bathed around every 4 to 6 weeks. However, if you take your Husky for walks in muddy or dusty conditions on a regular basis it may need to be bathed once a week to prevent it from becoming dirty and smelly.
Although Huskies do require a fair bit of grooming it is fairly easy to manage at home if you have the right tools. However, some Husky owners do take their pooches to professional groomers for certain things such as nail clipping.
If you feel comfortable doing this yourself then there should be no need to take your pooch to a professional groomer.
You should never shave or clip your Husky’s coat as this will damage it and may lead to your Husky becoming overheated in the summer and too cold in the winter.
Although your Husky will require regular grooming it shouldn’t be too much hassle and taking care of its grooming needs at home is a good way for you and your pooch to bond and build trust. As long as you have the right tools, grooming your Husky should be a breeze.
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