Grooming a Medium Coat Alaska

Another type of coat that is easy to groom is the medium coat.  Many medium-coated dogs should remain entirely natural without trimming, clipping, or shaping. The medium coat does not tangle, mat, hold on to dirt, or require special attention other than regular brushing and the occasional bath.  Long hair on the feet should be trimmed, particularly between toe pads where mats can easily form.

Keep in mind that you can make slight adjustments to improve the shape of your dog by trimming the head and then the body to balance an uneven dog. However, a few medium-coated breeds require special trimming in order to compete in the show ring.

Let us take the “sporting spaniels” for example.  These dogs have the top third of their ears trimmed with clippers or thinning shears. The ruff on a spaniel's neck can be trimmed to an inch above the breastbone and blended into the shoulders.

Other breeds with medium coats require very little coat trimming.  When applicable, you can also make small adjustments in shaping the ruff rear furnishings and ear hair.  Basically, leave your medium-coated breed in a natural state, only neatening stray hairs without having to change the dog's outline. The basic rule for medium-coated dogs is to brush often to remove shed hair.  High-maintenance grooming is not necessary.

The essential tools for grooming the medium coat are as follows:  Pin brush, Coat rake, Hound glove, Shedding comb, Rubber curly brush, and a Blow-dryer with low or cool setting.

Every day, or at least once a week, give your dog a good, thorough brushing.  However, during your monthly grooming sessions, you may apply the following steps after giving your dog a bath.

1. Dry the medium coat with a towel.  When your dog is completely dry, have him stand.  Step back and take a good look at his outline. Compare it to a picture of a well-groomed show dog of the same breed.  Look for long, stray hairs, shaggy areas, or other imbalances.

4. Using a clipper, scissors, or a stripping knife, clip off hairs longer than the ones around them and straighten shaggy outlines that are not supposed to be shaggy.

5. Never clip more than a few hairs without stopping and standing back to check again. If you trim at close range for too long, you can easily overdo the job.

6. Finally, you may spray your dog's coat with a little coat conditioner to keep it resilient and easy to brush.