Spitz enters the season
On normal days, the Spitz is a real marvel: smiling, playful, like a ball of fluff with a foxy inside. But only those who have seen a Spitz during the seasonal molt know the true extent of the distress. It seems as if the dog has decided to rebuild itself little by little in the corners of the apartment. Wool in food, in the eyes, in the water, on the TV, on your table, even though the molting has only just begun. And most importantly, you look at the spitz and it’s still fluffy. This dog never seems to lose all the undercoat at all, because he has a second, third and another layer there😂.
The spitz has a special coat – not like a samoyed or a collie. It has a very dense undercoat and a shorter shaft of hair that stands upright. This is what creates the “balloon” effect – the hair does not lie down, but sticks out on all sides. And when the undercoat starts to “fall off”, it comes out not in shreds, but in clouds.
How to save the apartment and the dog
When a spitz molts, a separate climatic period in your home begins. There are hairballs in the corners that move on their own, and the pillow has a dog odor even if no one has touched it. But worst of all is the illusion: you’ve combed out a whole handful of hair, but the hair on your dog only seems to have increased. The Spitz’s undercoat is so dense that without regular combing, it becomes a solid wall under which the skin can’t breathe.
To prevent this from happening, you need to scratch correctly, deeply and with the system. During the shedding period, the Spitz needs daily combing in sectors: do not just run a brush over the back and rest on that, but divide the hair into layers, like a hairdresser, and comb from root to tip. The areas behind the ears, on the neck, under the front paws and at the tail are particularly thorough, as this is where the hair is most likely to pile up.
Tools are a separate story. The usual pet store brush is suitable for smooth-haired breeds, but not for a ball of undercoat. For a spitz, you need:
a fluffer – pulls out the undercoat without traumatizing the skin;
a comb with rotating teeth – for deepcombing;
furminator or slicker – to remove dead undercoat, but with care not to spoil the awns;
antistatic spray is a must, as without it the coat breaks and becomes straw-like.
Bathing during the shedding period is not frequent, but very appropriate. Water and shampoo soften the undercoat and make it easier to comb out. But only with the right shampoo: for long-haired, not degreasing, and necessarily with conditioner. After bathing – the most responsible stage: drying with a hair dryer with combing. If you leave wet wool – it will pile up in tangles, and dermatitis, fungus or itching will begin. Spitz should come out of the bath not wet, but fluffy, otherwise all your work will be in vain.
And now the most important thing: if you’re not sure you can do it, don’t torture yourself or your dog. A groomer knows how to properly comb out a Spitz without pain and without screaming. Professional combing during shedding is not a luxury, but a gift to your Spitz, who will thank you later with a smile and no hair on your bed. Well, or almost no hair on your bed, because a Spitz will always leave a bit of itself… anywhere.
Cleanliness is regularity
When there’s hair flying around the house, your first thought is to buy a better vacuum cleaner. But the truth is, the problem isn’t the furniture or the vacuum cleaner, it’s the undercoat that no one has combed out. The surest way to reduce hair at home is to get it off your dog regularly, not off the couch. And if you struggle with the volume at home or lack the tools, time or expertise, there’s a better solution out there.
At V.O.G DOG SALON we know the anatomy of the Spitz’s coat and work step by step, gently and deeply. During the seasonal shedding we especially recommend the express-shedding service. This is a professional procedure using a special mask, which opens up the structure of the coat, moisturizes and softens it, so that the dead undercoat comes off much easier. This is followed by deep combing and blow drying with a pressure dryer – all excess remains in the salon, not on your floor.
Spitz grooming is like a general cleaning….. just your dog. And as a result – an airy coat, a tidy shape, clean skin and a minimum of hair at home.
