How to properly care for the coat of a Spitz?
Anya got a Pomeranian for the first time in her life. They hit it off quickly. The kid even let the girl do his hair. The hostess liked to experiment with the appearance of the pet, and soon she armed herself with a typewriter and cut it like a lion. And then again. But instead of furore, Anya was disappointed. The pet’s coat began to fall out, became sparse and dull, lost its beauty. Why do you think this happened? We analyze the situation in our article.
Beautiful coat is the highlight of all Spitz. But she has her own characteristics. The coat of the Spitz is thick, with a developed undercoat, which should always be covered with outer hair. Haircut this type of wool is not good. If you cut your Spitz short and often, the hair structure will be disturbed. The coat will become wadded, mostly consisting of undercoat. Will stray into tangles, lose elasticity and shine … In the worst case, the dog will develop alopecia (baldness). It can take years and immodest material costs to restore the quality of the coat and appearance of the dog. Is the result justified? Does your dog need a haircut?
Spitz do not need a haircut. Most often, the owners cut their pets in the summer, believing that in this way they help them survive the heat. In fact, the effect is quite the opposite. Dogs don’t sweat like humans, and the undercoat doesn’t bother them. They regulate body temperature through breathing. Thick coat does not make the dog sweat, but rather protects it from overheating and sunburn. Shaving a pet, we make it vulnerable.
Thick coat saves Spitz from overheating and cold. It protects the skin from wind, temperature changes, damage and other adverse factors. Shaving your dog, you deprive him of this protection.
A Spitz cut like a lion certainly attracts attention. But the owner must clearly understand that shearing the pet for the sake of his desire, and not for good. And be aware of the potential consequences.
Show dogs are strictly prohibited from cutting.
Speaking about the dangers of haircuts for Spitz, experts mean short haircuts and shaving with a machine. However, in the grooming salon, the dog can slightly trim the protruding hairs on the paws, ears or under the tail. This is a completely normal procedure that will not harm the dog’s coat.
You will have to partially trim the dog if veterinary procedures require it. For example, sterilization of a female. But we recommend forgetting about decorative haircuts. For a Spitz, this is an unjustified risk.
The fluffy coat of the Spitz needs to be groomed regularly, otherwise it will get tangled and collect all the dust from the house and from the yard. But how to maintain the aesthetic appearance of a fur coat if you can’t cut it?
Proper hair care for a Spitz is regular washing and combing.
The main task is to choose the right tool for combing and washing products: shampoo and conditioner. The condition of the coat should be checked every day, and preferably after each walk. All dirt from the wool must be cleaned off in a timely manner, and tangles must be untangled with the help of special tools.
You may think that grooming a Spitz is a complicated and energy-intensive process, but in fact it is not. You just need to get used to it a little. The thick coat of the dog seems to repel dirt. In addition, any self-respecting Spitz is by nature extremely neat and clean. In bad weather, he will diligently bypass the smallest puddles and will not get into the mud, even if the neighbor’s dogs have arranged a fun dog festival there.
After the walk, it will be enough for you to wash your pet’s paws. This can be done with plain water or with the addition of a special shampoo and conditioner. If your pet’s coat is also dirty, remove the dirt with a slightly dampened clean cloth or use dry shampoo. Recall that you can only use products designed specifically for dogs and suitable for Spitz.
The dog’s skin renewal cycle is 21 days, so to maintain a neat appearance, it is recommended to wash the spitz once a month.
Purchase a special shampoo and conditioner for Spitz in advance and use only them. No “human” shampoos and even the super-soft shampoo of your British Spitz will not work.
Do you really need air conditioning? Truth. This is not an excess, but a way to smooth out the structure of the hair after shampooing and protect the skin and coat from dryness. And it is the conditioner that restores damaged and dull hair.
The most effective means of one brand, one line. You can be sure that they are well combined with each other, enhance the result and will not lead to unpleasant incidents like dandruff or unruly hair. This happens when two remedies (even very good ones) do not fit together.
You need to comb the Spitz in the direction of hair growth from head to tail. It is better to carry out the procedure 2 times a week with a special spray and brush, at least 1 time. Carefully unravel the tangles, and if it doesn’t work, contact the groomer.
Only wet hair can be combed out! Before proceeding with the procedure, apply a special combing spray to the dog’s coat. It is desirable that this be a product of the same brand as the shampoo and conditioner.
Now you know how to maintain the health and aesthetic appearance of your handsome bear cub. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments. We will be happy to answer!
