In the pet shop/grooming world, we sometimes see the world a bit differently than everybody else. Sure, springtime brings warmer weather, longer days and flowers. In the pet shop world, it also brings weird behavior changes in animals like fish, cute, fluffy babies of all kinds, and shedding. Lots and lots and lots of shedding.

There are basically two types of shedding we see in dogs: chronic and seasonal. Chronic shedding happens throughout the year. While some dogs chronically shed more than others, it is frequently impacted by diet and can be minimized or virtually eliminated by feeding a better quality food. Seasonal shedding, on the other hand, is something that just has to happen. It allows your dog to have a light, airy coat in the summer and a thick, warmer coat in the winter.

If you take a moment to think about wild dog species, their coats are all very similar. They have longer guard hairs that give the coat its color and appearance and then a denser undercoat, which grows thicker in the winter. Now take a moment to think of all the different types of fur that can be found on different breeds of dogs. By selectively breeding dogs to meet our many needs, humans have created a variety of different coat types. Some of these coats work naturally on their own to shed seasonally while some require our help to shed out properly.

Some dogs, like golden retrievers and Australian shepards grow a thick undercoat. As the hairs of this undercoat release and attempt to fall out, they can get caught in the remaining hairs and knit themselves together in a felt-like, impenetrable mat of hair. This matted hair blocks air circulation and prevents the formation of an insulating layer of air around the dog to keep it warm.

So that thick, fluffy coat might not be nearly as warm as it seems. It also prevents air circulation, which helps keep a dog cool in the heat. In addition, since these matted hairs are attached to the coat, they are also bound to each individual hair follicle. This prevents the skin from bending and moving (think pony tails pulled too tight) and can get downright painful, especially when mats connect moving parts like feet, ears and legs. These dogs require our help to get their coats to shed properly.

Mildly matted dogs can have their matted fur broken up then brushed out with special grooming tools. If the mats cover large areas of the body or are thick (especially around the haunches) the only solution is to shave them off. Clipper blades can’t cut through the thick, matted fur, so we have to shave short enough to get between the skin and the mat. This happens a lot to dogs that only have their coats tended to once or twice a year.

The best approach is prevention. This requires good, thorough brushing and combing that gets all the way down to the skin on a regular basis all year long. Some people are able to do this on their own, especially if they purchase good mat-busting tools. Other folks prefer to leave it up to a groomer and will bring their dog in three to four times a year for thorough mat removal. Either way, regular maintenance of these coats goes a long way to keeping a pup comfortable and healthy.

Stephanie Stebbing is owner of the Country Pet Shoppe, located at 11132 NE 2nd Street, Kingston, (360) 297-4165.