“Can you keep him longer, because of the colder weather?

Of course I can, if that is the style you are after. But that does mean that you need to keep on top of maintaining a longer coat. 

Much like my deshed post, the condition of the coat is more important than the length. This is the same for a spaniel, cockapoo, shih tzu, labrador, leonberger, pug, golden retriever, border collie or bichon. Fur and skin health helps a dog to manage their temperature. As long as you look after that, it does not really matter what length of fur your dog has. 

If you have a longer coat, but don’t brush it after a bath or being caught out in the rain, that can lead to knots and matting. A matted coat is a perfect place for bacteria and bugs, leading to skin conditions and infection in the worst case scenarios. It also most definitely causes discomfort and pulls on the skin, which can lead to sores. 

I completely understand the temptation to keep a coat longer in the winter. Carla and Wilson look beautiful with longer coats and with them outside at day-care all day everyday, we naturally worry about them getting cold. However, I am an owner with other things to do and am awful at actually brushing my dogs. So they get knotted, and that can lead to matting very quickly in the wetter weather. I lost count of the number of times Carla came home from the groomers with what looked like a rat tail instead of her “fluffy” tail. But the truth was that I hadn’t brushed it and it was causing her discomfort. So my groomer clipped it off for Carla’s sake. 

Her ears also look stunning when they are longer. But she gets the ends wet in the water bowl, and (you guessed it) I don’t brush them, so they get knotted and then matted and then need to be taken short. 

So I understand the theory of having a dog's coat longer in the winter, but that does require more care and maintenance from you at home. I always take the belly, armpits and inside the back legs short when I clip a dog’s coat, because these areas are very uncomfortable when matted and are often very tricky to brush. When the weather turns and all your walks become wet and muddy, this is where a lot of the knots can form or turn into full on mats. I can help with a bath and brush in between full grooms, but consider how much you maintain their coat at home. 

Carla and Wilson have a summer cut and a winter cut. But their winter cut isn’t significantly longer, because I know what I can manage at home and how regularly they get a full style. Have an honest conversation with your groomer about what you can maintain at home when you ask for your dog to have a longer cut. We are much happier to work with you on what is achievable at home and keeps your dog comfortable. 

Boop to Book a full groom or bath and brush using our online booking system. Alternatively, contact me on 07899952283 if you have any questions or want to talk about what would be best suited for your dog.