Same van, same shampoo, same two hours on the calendar. So why does one dog hop off my table fluffy and another one needs me to budget serious extra time before I ever touch the clippers? The answer is sitting right there on the dog: the coat. Here is a tour of the three coat types I see most in Northwest Ohio, and what each one actually needs between grooms.
🌀 Single coats: the curly crew
Poodles, Doodles, and their curly cousins (Bernedoodles, Goldendoodles, and every combo in between) have hair that keeps growing instead of a fur coat that sheds out. The curls are beautiful, and they are also a trap. When the loose hair sheds, the coils hold onto it instead of letting it fall to your floor. All that trapped fur weaves itself into mats right against the skin.
That is why a curly coat has a reputation for being low-shedding but never low-maintenance. Daily brushing is the difference between a routine spa day and a shave-down. Behind the ears, in the armpits, under the collar, along the pants: those are the friction zones where mats start first. Ten minutes with a slicker brush and a steel comb every day does more for a Doodle than anything I can do in the van.
And yes, the hypoallergenic thing deserves an honest word while we are here. No dog is truly hypoallergenic. Dog allergies come from proteins in dander, saliva, and urine, not from the hair itself. Curly breeds shed less, so they spread less dander around your house, which is why allergy folks often do better with them. But the protein is still present, and individual dogs vary. If someone sold you a Doodle on the promise of zero allergies, you deserve the real story.
❄️ Double coats: the heavy shedders
Huskies, Labs, German Shepherds, Great Pyrenees, Golden Retrievers. These dogs wear two layers: a coarse outer topcoat that handles weather and a soft, dense undercoat underneath for insulation. The undercoat is the part that shows up all over your black pants, and twice a year it comes off in truly impressive quantities when the dog blows coat.
Double coats need de-shedding, not clipping. An undercoat rake pulls the dead undercoat out before it packs into felt, and regular sessions keep the air moving through the coat so the skin stays healthy. One hard rule from my van, and it comes with Humanity over Vanity attached: never shave a double coat. That undercoat is how the dog regulates temperature in both directions. Shave it and you have damaged the insulation, and in many dogs the topcoat never grows back the same. Weekly brushing plus a proper de-shed groom beats a shave-down every single time.
🧹 Wiry coats: the terriers
Wire-haired terriers wear a harsh, weather-resistant jacket that barely sheds at all. The catch is that dead hair does not fall out on its own either. It just sits in the coat until something removes it, and the traditional something is hand-stripping: pulling the dead hairs out by hand (or with a stripping knife) so fresh, hard, colorful coat can grow in behind it.
Hand-stripping is specialized care, and here I will be straight with you: it is not a service I offer. Hand-stripping is hours of pulling and repetitive grip work, and protecting my hands is how I stay able to groom every dog on my schedule. Terrier owners, do not worry. A good clipper trim keeps your terrier clean, comfortable, and sharp-looking. The texture softens a bit over the years compared to a stripped coat, and that trade is one plenty of pet families are happy to make. Thursday’s post goes deeper into the whole hand-stripping story if you are curious.
🚐 What this means for your groom
The coat on your dog is a big part of how I plan the appointment. Curly coats and daily brushing habits, double coats and shedding season, wiry coats and texture goals. That is exactly why pricing runs in ranges and why I ask about your at-home routine on the New Client Form. A well-maintained coat lands at the lower end of the range and gets a faster, more relaxing groom. A coat that has been waiting lands higher, and I quote the full price upfront so there is no surprise in cost. Current rates live on the Pricing page.
Want to see coat types in real time? Head over to vroomgrooms.com and click the Live button. We stream real appointments every week on Twitch.tv/DogGroomerNIcole. Real grooming, real dogs, real community.
💙 The Wrap
Curly coats need daily brushing. Double coats need de-shedding and never a shave. Wiry coats need a plan for the dead hair. Tell me which one is riding around in your house and I will build the groom around it.
New to Vroom Grooms? Fill out the New Client Form to get started. Use the note section to describe your dog’s coat and your brushing routine. Already a current client? Text me at 419-315-4989, the line I actually answer, for anything about your dog’s appointment.
Stay fresh and furry! 🐾