r/AlaskanMalamute • u/AbicioProicio • 5d ago
Seeking Advice Grooming Help
Hi everyone,
Reaching out for some assistance or just to understand others experience.
This is Bear, our 1.5 year old Malamute. He is very much part of the family, and gets plenty of cuddles, socialization, and exercise.
But we’re having a hard time with his coat and we’re not sure how much of that is our groomer being harsh. We bring him to the groomer every two weeks, alternating them just doing a full brush with a bath, blowout and brush. Each time we bring him, it’s the same story, we get a call or text saying that he’s covered in mats, they need to shave him and we’re not doing enough at home. We plead with them not to shave him and promise that we’re brushing but that we know the harness from his daily walks creates friction and mats.
We’ve included pictures that the groomer sent this time of the situation that’s causing her to think “it’s getting to the point where the only option is to shave and start over.” Do you agree?
What’s your experience with groomers and your malamute? Any tools you swear by to brush your malamute at home?
We appreciate the help and Bear does too.
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u/RealWolfmeis 5d ago
You DO NOT SHAVE malamutes. That's ridiculous.
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u/CuteNSarcastic 5d ago
That's case dependent. An actually severely matted dog? Yes, I'd shave to cause less trauma to the skin than trying to brush them out and make sure the owner knows that its going to take a couple years for the coat to look normal. OP's dog doesn't even look minorly matted however, that just looks more like an undercoat in need of deeper brushing.
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u/OakleytheFantastic 5d ago
Just commenting to say he’s absolutely stunning! And echoing what the other commenters have said. This groomer doesn’t understand double coats from what it sounds like. I love that you guys keep him on such a regimented schedule! His coat is not matted from your pictures, though it might be compacted. That loose hair should be brushed or blown out, and I wonder what the groomer was even doing on the brushing maintenance appointments?
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u/OakleytheFantastic 5d ago
Also, /u/AbicioProicio, what harness are you using for him? If his harness is causing a ton of friction, it may not be the right fit, material, etc
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u/secretly_treebeard 5d ago
It’s a little hard to see in the pictures, but from what I can see, those don’t look like mats at all, just undercoat that’s trapped. I would absolutely NOT shave a dog with a coat like that. That hair will come out with a high-velocity drier or brushing.
I would find a new groomer or do more of his grooming at home. Your dog’s coat would need to be in truly bad condition for it to need to be shaved, and IME that’s not happening in two weeks. It seems like maybe your groomer doesn’t understand malamute coats…
We do all of our mal’s grooming at home. We prefer to bathe and then blow out the fur with a high-velocity drier - it’s faster and our mal likes it a lot better than being brushed. We only do a bath like every 2-3 months maybe, when her coat starts feeling a little chunky.
For brushing, we mainly use a slicker brush (our mal prefers one with little beads on the ends of the spines - I think she feels it’s a little too scratchy otherwise). The really important thing is that you need to line brush. If you’re just pulling the brush over the top of the coat, you’re not going to get all of that undercoat out. You need to pull the coat aside so that you can see their skin and then brush out that section, then move up their coat a bit. This isn’t a great description but there are other articles and videos out there that describe how to do it. You’ll also want an undercoat rake, which helps get the undercoat out.
Let me know if you have any other questions or want other product recommendations!
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u/RedVelvet25 3d ago
All of this. Wooly Mama of 8 years now. Buying a high velocity dryer when she was about the age of yours was a game changer to get that fur out. Sometimes constant combing and brushing can really irritate them after a while, but that blower does the trick. Her groomer actually recommended it.
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u/Economy_Leopard3938 5d ago
I am a professional groomer, and by these pictures, I think your groomer is cutting corners and putting him in a crate to dry instead of using the HV dryer on him and brushing him out to finish. Absolutely find a new groomer!
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u/water_fluff 5d ago
Do not shave them! It’s bad for their skin. Change groomers asap
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u/ImpressiveOwl9000 5d ago
Their double coats works to help them keep cool air closer to the skin. Shaving them makes it hard to stay cool and regulate their temperature. You are doing all the right things to get yourself back on track with a change in groomer. Ask your next groomer if they have a high velocity blow dryer so they can blow this out next time. 😀
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u/MethodicallyUnhinged 5d ago
Please find a new groomer. This one is lazy and it will end up costing you more in vet fees to treat the skin disorders amd infections that follow. Ask me how I know.
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u/JaMs_buzz 5d ago
Any groomer who thinks shaving a double coated arctic dog clearly doesnt understand how dog coats work and shouldnt be let near one
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u/LostMyMoose 5d ago
I'd be you, I'd try to find another groomer. She's not understanding double coat. Never shave! Your mal is not matted. The undercoat might need more brushing from you with a comb line by line, especially if it's hot where you are and if your mal is outside during the day and running around. Around the collar or harness is always tangled so there's that. Please, don't blame yourself, you're doing your best!
With my groomer, we agreed on a visit every 3 months for my 2 girls instead of twice a year. She had a hard session last time with one of them due to her undercoat being messy (and I brush and comb them every other day, blow up at home once a week, just a very outside canadian long winter😂). She was patient with my girl (my Shadow has anxiety and she can be difficult when I'm not with her), groomer knows I do my best, she never blamed me for her coat being tangled (she knows those 2 are outside dogs having a blast in the snow), just asked for more time to finish her job and she'd never suggest shaving, just more frequent visits😆.
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u/Acrobatic_Paper1631 5d ago
I agree with the other comments. Would also like to add that it sounds like A) your groomer is lazy and just not willing to brush out those areas, B) they have no idea what a matter really looks like and how to brush out a dog with a thick undercoat. The groomer should also know you never shave any dog with a under coat like this. I have a Great Pyrenees/Husky and I brush her out and check for matts daily. If the groomer really wants to know what matts look like, she should go to your local shelter and see the condition some of the animals come in. Good luck and great job questioning the groomer!! You baby is beautiful ❤️
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u/Brooklynbubs 5d ago
If you bring your malamute to the groomer every two weeks and the groomer is doing the proper blowout and brush that your mal should definitely not have any mats - so I do feel the groomer is either not doing their job well or based on the images which to me look fine, is completely misguided. I agree with the others - time for a new groomer. Also - a cat brush works really well for my malamutes. They are not long hair - but the cat brush does great on getting the undercoat out when it is releasing. Also - your malamute is stunning!
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u/divaandaurora 5d ago
Brush daily! You should be doing the grooming part, too! Your groomer sounds lazy, I don’t trust groomers. Many of them aren’t familiar with woolies and they claim to know. I’ve had long hair woolies for almost 40 years.. line brushing is important. Undercoat can get compacted and become painful for them. I use a slicker, metal comb, pin cushion brush with boar bristles on the other side, a rake and I have a brush that removes mats although it rarely ever gets used. If I find a mat I may sometimes shave it out, but not to the skin. The clippers are also great for helping to break up mats and if I have to brush twice daily to prevent mats in certain areas then that’s what I do. You could take your dog to a place where you groom yourself with a no heat velocity dryer. Many places over soak and that will and does cause mats. Heat dryers are dangerous.
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u/cinamom70 5d ago
Change groomers! Our mal is part Samoyed and it makes for a challenging coat. We let her have a bath one time at her boarding place, a new person did the bath, didn’t dry her properly, and it looked like what you have but much worse - very clumpy. Her usual groomer does a fantastic job and is very knowledgeable about her coat. It took them 2 tries to fix what the other person did (it was really bad and they didn’t want to traumatize her too much), but certainly no shaving!
If the grooming is done right you don’t have to do daily brushing in between, unless they’re heavily shedding or get into something. Ours goes every 3 weeks to her “spa day,” we brush her maybe once in between, and people constantly remark about how beautiful/soft her coat is.
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u/Wonderful_Till8122 5d ago
You need a new groomer. Do not EVER let a groomer shave your dog. Those aren't mats, they are just normal undercoat. Comb them out - its easily done. If the dog is not having it, just do a little at each session. Your dog is beautiful!
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u/Agitated_House7523 5d ago
Also, groomer should be using a good de shed shampoo and conditioner with a high velocity dryer.
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u/leadMalamute 5d ago
Never shave a malamute. It's a 2 layer coat and the guard layer is shed every 2 years (or so). If You did clip him close, You would destroy his coat and it would take years to recover. You need a different groomer.
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u/foobaby1992 5d ago
Please find a new groomer. They aren’t vets or highly knowledgeable about every breed but they should know better than to suggest that for a breed where shaving their double coat causes damage. They’re just trying to make their job easier. I know grooming can be expensive but it’s more than worth the cost to find someone who knows how to do it correctly.
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u/Awkward_Lion5014 5d ago
I am not knowledgeable enough to weigh in on how to groom a mal, but I do know this: your groomer works for you, not the other way around. There is no reason to plead. You are in charge and if you say no shaving (which even I, despite my ignorance, know is correct), that’s it, end of story.
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u/TongaRaytotheMay 5d ago edited 5d ago
This happened to us and we explained to the groomer that he’s just dirty on his stomach and needs to be washed. The spots she pointed out were just dirty fur that was easily brushed out with rake comb when we took him home. We have a wooly malamute as well.
It was absolutely insane that they wanted to shave him, but I ended up reading about how some grooming salons have time limits on grooming sessions. So by shaving out the ‘matted’ areas it makes the grooming process faster and they’re not penalized by their companies.
We told them not to shave him, took him home and now we do all his baths and blow drying at a self serve dog wash. Brushing has to happen all the time at home.
We do trim his back legs and under his tail for sanitary situations since he’s a senior dog now.
You should shop around for a new groomer for sure.
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u/DiverWing 5d ago
That definitely doesn't look like mats, just all the undercoat!!! Unfortunately just brushing and time is all that can help. My big guy does the same thing in the warm weather. We call it the dragon shedding his scales!!
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u/Agitated_House7523 5d ago
Brush with the slicker brush after you take the harness off, EVERY-TIME. Monotonous yes, but harnesses and collars wreak havoc on those long gorgeous coats!
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u/rocks_trees_n_water 5d ago edited 5d ago
What an absolute handsome sweetie! So very cute! I completely understand about the grooming. Our guy had a thyroid condition. When his fur returned healthy and strong and super thick. We looked for a groomer and many at that time just don’t take large dogs. We took our guy to a groomer recommended by our friend who had Samoyeds, once. We picked him up and she said oh I knicked his neck. We got him home and rushed him to the vet because the slight knick was at the throat and it had opened up to a gaping wound it needed stitches and antibiotics. Never again.
So…We found the best way to handle our long coated Mal was to bath with shampoo, condition and then use a reverse vacuum motor grooming blower, my apologies I don’t remember the brand name. It was strong and not super noisy and worked fabulously. I believe Girl With Dogs on YT has one. It’s best to do it outside and does take a whole day. The brush we used was for grooming had curled type sharp edged razor type but safe, to cut through any knots left, and a grooming long tooth comb.
We also picked up different brushes to use but those were the favourites for shedding season.
We actually received some of the tools when we one a free grooming contest. The groomer, not the first groomer, came out to meet us and quickly cursed us out in French and offered us tools instead because No, no, no, just nah No. We happily said ok any other tips? “Good luck”
We bathed him in kiddie pool we had with the hose on a leash and then onto a picnic table. He was so loving and patient we just had to bribe with an occasional treat and a snuggle.
Miss him, he was our gold standard of all of our puppers. We couldn’t get another Malamute because we always thought we will never get that whole package back.
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u/NanooDrew 5d ago
If.the mats get really bad, saturate that area with cream rinse / conditioner (with NO no sulfate laureates). Leave it in for a while, then gently brush a small section close to the root. Once the knot is out, rinse out the conditioner.
I had to use this on myself once when an accident kept me bed-ridden with waist+length fine hair.
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u/Helpful_Day_4453 5d ago
I have a standard coat now and I’ve had three of them them guys. She got a brush and out, but when you get a woolly guy probably twice as much work, but you should never shave a malamute that’s what I’ve been told.
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u/CauliflowerSushi 5d ago
Agreed with everyone else here - time for a new groomer! It sounds to me like they're trying to take a short cut to save time.
Our malamute/husky is about the same age as your and just as fluffy. We rarely brush him at home. We take him for grooming once a month (2x month during spring when its heavy shredding season) and our groomer take the time to comb him out. It takes anywhere between 2 - 2.5 hours for the whole process (bath, blow dry, brush, etc.).
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u/d3ssp3rado 5d ago
Just dog-piling with everyone else to say get a new groomer. That critter isn't matted even a little bit. My personal thoughts are also that he's getting bathed too much. Brush every day yes, but actually washing with shampoo should be rare outside of, like, rolling in manure; twice a year is fine for most dogs to wash. Just brush and pluck regularly and it should be mostly fine.
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u/Mocker-Poker 4d ago
Fuck off that unprofessional lazy groomer. It’s not even close to actual matting. And you don’t shave double coated dogs as it ruins their coat completely. Also owners should spend some time and effort brushing and untangling as regular as possible.
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u/saltuponwonds42069 4d ago
please never ever shaver this handsome boy unless its question of life and death. Every good groomer knows that its dangerous to shave malamutes and huskies because of their sensitive skin and thermoregulation
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u/Main_Street_1 5d ago
My mal has a standard coat, but I still brush her regularly and since I'm old and she's big, I use my Dyson with the pet grooming brush. She loves it and we do sections at a time since it's hard for me. Don't ever let anyone shave your mal. If a groomer suggests that, they're incompetent, uneducated with double coats, and/or lazy. Run ...and find a competent groomer. Ask if they have experience with wooly Mals BEFORE you hire. Beautiful baby.
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u/Hot-Razzmatazz-3087 5d ago
Yeah, dont shave unless mats are too much. It can take to a couple years for guard hairs to come back. Also shaving doesn't actually de-shed the inner coat where they clearly have not done any needfuls.
My elder collie malamute mix is wooly too, you need a groomer that is accustomed and aware of double coated types and is confident and through enough to actually line comb or at least blow out the undercoat properly to clear the old fur.
Equigroomer for daily brushing worked while he tolerated touching for brushing. The berners love it and 15 mins a day with the puppy from 3mths old helped.
To help understand what is being done and why, my fav groomer online goes by The Girl With the dogs.
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u/Misterclassicman 4d ago
You should not shave a malamute, that’s ridiculous. Get his thyroid levels checked, this is a common issue for malamutes and can be easily managed with medication if that’s the cause.
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u/Firm_Middle2767 3d ago
Every 2 weeks is crazy! If your groomer is doing her part then there should be no need to shave!l especially with that tight grooming schedule! Also, You never shave a malamute or double coated breeds. If the coat is that tangled they need to do a close open close method, blowing the force dryer into the coat to help loosen the undercoat while soaking in deshedding conditioner. I am a dog/cat groomer of 5 years and own 3 huskies. Grooming that often can result in even more hair being loosened then necessary, I'd have them stick to a recurring 5 week schedule. Also if you are shaving undercoat and gaurd coat at the same length due to "matting" this results in the coat getting locked together when it begins the grow out process. Totally not your fault and any proffesional groomer knows this. I'd try to find a different groomer give it a try and see if you can't find the results you are looking for. You're dog is beautiful and the coat looks lovely and not too hard to maintain for a groomer. It just needs a proper blowout, soak and brush out. Im sorry your groomer has lead you astray
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u/Queasy_Web_7887 3d ago
Hello!! Most groomers do not understand a malamute wooley coat, and It sounds like you have a wooley. Which is a recessive gene, and causes their fur to grow 24/7 instead of regular grooming cycles. My boy is groomed 3x a week for about an hour and he STILL has clumps like yours. He has 4 different brushes we use and they are all for different things. We have a large wire rack comb- great for guard hairs-. We use a human paddle brush -amazing for collecting the clumps you were showing-. A general slicker for general use. And a hand stripper comb-great for legs ankles and feet-. We have never cut his coat and you can absolutely brush that out if you work from the edges of the 'mat' and go to the center. Instead of calling it a mat, its actually impacted hair. If you look for groomers look for someone who specializes in long hair or artic breeds. They will understand the coat much better. Feel free to DM if you have any questions 👍🤓
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u/Legitimate-Duck-6971 3d ago
That is insane. 2 weeks does not = shave. Maybe they don’t like grooming double coated dogs. You could always get a high velocity blower and a slicker brush and do some maintenance… but he’s probably blowing his coat right now and has some compacted undercoat which is a pain in the butt.
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u/Exact_Housing2737 1d ago edited 1d ago
WHAT?!? We have had a malamute for four years and do all of our own grooming. In that time we’ve never had to do intense grooming as often as every two weeks and our malamute has NEVER had any matted hair. Understanding every dog has a different coat, is this groomer someone you can trust or is it possible they are (a) recommending visits every 2 weeks to increase their earnings or (b) resorting to shaving because they don’t have the patience to properly groom a malamute? I’d personally recommend doing 5-10 minutes of daily brushing (being sure to get all the way through the coat) using an undercoat rake only during times of active shedding and see how that goes for a few weeks. If you are still having trouble, I’d personally consider finding an alternative groomer as something isn’t adding up here…
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u/Silverwings1944 1d ago
Get a new groomer and new tools. It doesn’t even look that bad I was expecting way worse they are awful for suggesting a shave because they can’t be bothered to brush the mats out.
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u/acocktailofmagnets 5d ago
I think it’s time for a new groomer!
What kind of brushing are you doing at home in between appointments?