The Wash Table
All lessons
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 5
How do you deshed a short coat?
Deshed a short coat with a rubber brush or glove, gentle combing and regular wiping, avoiding blades that damage short hair.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 6
How often should deshedding be done in shedding season?
Deshed more often in shedding season, in short frequent sessions matched to coat type, with rest days and skin checks between sessions.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 7
How do you manage hair in the home during heavy shedding?
Manage hair in the home during heavy shedding with regular grooming, washable covers, frequent vacuuming and realistic expectations.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 8
What does a bath do to shedding, and when does it help?
A bath loosens dead hair and cleans the coat, helping shedding when followed by thorough drying and brushing, but it never stops shedding.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 9
How do you check skin while deshedding?
Check skin while deshedding by parting coat in sections, looking and feeling for change, and recording anything abnormal for a vet.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 10
What should you never do to a shedding double coat?
Never clip, shave, blade or over bath a shedding double coat, and never force deshedding through mats or sore skin.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 11
How do you keep a shedding routine the dog tolerates?
Keep a shedding routine tolerable with short sessions, rewards, gentle tools, a predictable order and breaks before stress builds.
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Shedding and Undercoat · Lesson 12
When is heavy shedding a vet question?
Heavy shedding is a vet question when it is sudden, patchy, or accompanied by skin, appetite or behaviour change, not when it is seasonal and even.
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Double Coats · Lesson 1
What defines a double-coated breed group?
A double coat is defined by dense soft undercoat beneath longer guard hairs, giving insulation and protection that needs specific grooming.
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Double Coats · Lesson 2
What is the yearly cycle of a double coat?
The yearly cycle of a double coat moves through growth, seasonal blowing, regrowth and winter density, with grooming adjusted to each phase.
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Double Coats · Lesson 3
What routine suits a double coat week by week?
A double coat routine suits weekly combing to skin, friction checks, paw and face checks, and more frequent deshedding during blowing.
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Double Coats · Lesson 4
How do you bath and dry a double coat fully?
Bath and dry a double coat fully by combing first, rinsing thoroughly, towel drying, then drying to skin in sections with combing.
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Double Coats · Lesson 5
How do you brush a double coat without breaking guard hairs?
Brush a double coat without breaking guard hairs by combing in sections, using light pressure, correct tools and holding the base.
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Double Coats · Lesson 6
What is coat blowing, and how do you manage it at home?
Coat blowing is seasonal undercoat release, managed at home with frequent sectioned deshedding, skin checks, drying and home cleaning.
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Double Coats · Lesson 7
Should a double coat be clipped? What happens if it is?
A double coat should not be clipped for shedding or cooling, because guard hairs are removed, regrowth is uneven and skin loses protection.
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Double Coats · Lesson 8
How do you groom a double coat in summer?
Groom a double coat in summer by deshedding, keeping the coat clean and ventilated, and protecting the dog from heat, never by clipping.
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Double Coats · Lesson 9
How do you groom a double coat in winter?
Groom a double coat in winter by keeping undercoat clean, dry and mat free, drying fully after wet weather and checking paws and skin.
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Double Coats · Lesson 10
What patterns suit retrievers and shepherd-type coats at home?
Retriever and shepherd coats suit sectioned combing, rake deshedding, feathering care and regular friction checks, without body clipping.
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Double Coats · Lesson 11
What patterns suit husky and spitz-type coats at home?
Husky and spitz coats suit layered combing, gentle rake deshedding, tail and ruff care, and no clipping, with extra care during heavy blowing.
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Double Coats · Lesson 12
When does a double coat need professional help?
A double coat needs professional help for severe matting, skin problems, heavy blowing, clipping damage, or handling difficulty that home care cannot safely manage.