Every October someone asks whether they should skip the groom and let the coat grow “to keep him warm over winter”. It is a kind thought, and for most dogs it is the wrong one. Here is why, and what to do instead on a coast where winter means wind off the Wash and a wet dog most days.
The myth: longer means warmer
A coat keeps a dog warm by trapping a layer of air against the skin. That only works if the coat is clean, dry and open enough for air to sit in it. A long coat that is tangled or matted does the opposite: it holds water against the skin, it cannot trap air, and it stays damp for hours after a walk. A long, wet, matted coat in January is colder than a short, dry one.
Long coats also hide problems. Under the shaggy winter look, mats form in the armpits and behind the ears where nobody sees them until the spring groom, when the whole lot has to come off. I write about that in why I clip matted coats short.
The exception is the double-coated breeds: Labradors, Retrievers, Collies, Huskies, German Shepherds. They have a dense undercoat that genuinely insulates, and they should not be clipped short at any time of year. For them winter care is brushing out the dead undercoat so the live coat can do its job, not growing anything.
What I recommend instead
For the curly and wool coats that make up most of my week, keep the same six to eight week rhythm through winter and ask for a practical length rather than a short one. Long enough that the coat does its job, short enough that it dries in a reasonable time and the comb still goes through. A Bath & Tidy between Full Grooms keeps the face, feet and sanitary area clean when the dog is coming home filthy three times a week.
If you want to keep some length for the look, do, but go in with your eyes open: a long winter coat needs brushing to the skin every couple of days, and drying properly every single time it gets wet.
After a wet walk: blot, dry, then brush
This is the routine that saves winter coats.
- Blot with a towel. Press, squeeze, do not rub. Rubbing a curly coat with a towel felts it.
- Dry the coat. A hairdryer on cool or low, held well back, or a good long session in front of the radiator (not against it). A damp coat is where mats form.
- Then brush. Only when dry. Brushing wet curls tightens them.
- Feet and ears. Dry between the toes and pads; check the inside of the ears, which stay damp long after the rest of the dog.
If you are doing this every day, a short, cool dryer session is kinder than a wet dog steaming on the sofa, and the dog will stop minding it after a week. Which helps enormously at the salon.
Coats, jumpers and harnesses
Dog coats are useful for short-haired, old or thin dogs, and a doodle in a well-fitted coat stays drier on a sea-bank walk. But anything the dog wears rubs. The mats I see most in winter are under the chest strap of a harness and across the shoulders where a coat sits. Take the coat off as soon as you are home, brush where it sat, and make sure it is dry before it goes on again. A wet coat strapped over a wet dog is a felting machine.
Winter beaches
Here is the upside of winter on this coast. Hunstanton’s main beach, closed to dogs from 1 April to 31 October, opens to them again on 1 November, and a winter beach with nobody on it is one of the best walks there is. Old Hunstanton and Heacham North Beach are open to dogs all year. There is a post on where dogs can go on Hunstanton beach with the details and sources.
Salt and sand are hard on a coat, though. Rinse with plain water when you get home, blot, dry, and brush when dry, exactly as above. A cold swim in December is also a good reason not to have the coat too long: a long coat holds a lot of cold water next to the skin on the walk back to the car.
Winter skin and paws
Central heating dries skin, so you may see more dandruff and scratching in winter than summer. A conditioning shampoo at the groom helps, and so does not over-bathing at home. On the King’s Lynn pavements, grit and salt get between the pads and irritate them; rinse feet after a town walk and check for cracked pads. For older dogs, whose skin is thinner and who feel the cold more, there is a separate post on grooming an older dog.
Quick questions
Is January too cold for a short clip?
A short clip is not the same as a shave. A practical winter length, dried properly and with a coat for walks, keeps a dog warmer than a long matted one. What I would avoid in deep winter is a very close clip on a thin-coated or old dog; for those I keep a bit more length and we talk about it when you book.
How soon after a groom can we walk in the rain?
Straight away. A freshly groomed, dry coat copes with rain far better than a tangled one. Just do the blot, dry, brush routine when you get home.
Can I book a bath with no haircut?
Yes. A Bath & Brush is a full wash, a proper dry and a brush-out with no clipping at all, and in winter it is a good way to get a wet, muddy coat properly clean and dry without changing the length.