Deshedding double-coated dogs: what it does and when to book one in
It’s early September, the days are stretching out, and you’ve pulled a handful of soft grey fluff off the couch for the third time this morning. Your golden retriever or husky is starting to blow their winter coat, and it’s ending up on your clothes, the carpet and the car seats.
A dog deshedding treatment is a bath, a blow-out with a high-powered dryer, and a thorough brush with an undercoat rake. It lifts out the dead undercoat that’s about to drop anyway, so it lands in the bin instead of all over your house. A good deshed cuts loose fur for weeks. It is not a haircut, and there is no way to stop a double-coated dog shedding for good. Nothing does that.
At the Ivanhoe grooming station, deshed bookings climb every spring. Owners of double-coated dogs tend to turn up around the same few weeks, usually once the first big fur explosion at home tips them over the edge. Here’s a quick guide to how often different coats need it.
| Coat type | How it sheds | How often to deshed |
|---|---|---|
| Working double coats (German shepherd, kelpie, border collie) | Big drop in spring and autumn, lighter shed the rest of the year | 2 to 3 times a year, timed to the seasonal blows |
| Spitz breeds (husky, samoyed, malamute, pomeranian) | Dramatic seasonal blow, thick woolly undercoat | 2 to 4 times a year, more in warm weather |
| Retrievers (golden, labrador) | Steady shed all year with a heavier spring drop | 2 to 3 times a year |
| Short-coat shedders (staffy, beagle, pug) | Constant light shed, no long guard hairs to mat | Once or twice a year as a tidy-up |
What a double coat is and why it “blows” each season
A double coat is two layers of fur: a soft, dense undercoat close to the skin, and a longer, coarser top layer called guard hairs. The undercoat keeps the dog warm in winter and cool in summer. The guard hairs shield the skin from sun, water and dirt.
“Blowing coat” is when a dog dumps that undercoat in a big seasonal shed. It’s driven mostly by daylight, not just temperature, so it happens on a fairly set clock each year. In Australia the heavy blow comes in spring, roughly September to November, as the days get longer. A lighter one follows in autumn, around March to May.
Melbourne dogs tend to build denser winter undercoats than dogs further north, so they can shed more dramatically when the weather turns. Indoor dogs still shed year round too, because artificial light muddles the natural cycle. A deshed doesn’t change any of this. It just clears the loose fur in one go rather than leaving it to fall out slowly across the house.
What happens during a dog deshedding treatment
A deshed is a wash and a deep brush-out, not a clip. The groomer starts with a bath, using a shampoo that helps loosen the undercoat. At Belvedere’s that’s a natural, Australian-made shampoo, which is gentler on dogs with sensitive skin. The dog is then dried with a high-velocity dryer. That blast of air is the step that does most of the work, pushing loose fur up and out of the coat before a brush ever touches it.
After the dry, the groomer works through the coat with an undercoat rake and a comb to pull out the dead hair the dryer didn’t catch. Only the loose undercoat comes away. The healthy guard hairs stay put. The amount of fur that comes off a big double coat surprises most owners, and a thorough deshed on a heavy coat can take an hour or more.
Why shaving a double coat backfires
Shaving a double coat down to the skin is one of the few grooming choices that can do lasting harm, and many groomers will steer you away from it. It feels like it should help in summer, but it usually does the opposite.
Shaving doesn’t reduce shedding. The dog loses the same amount of hair, just in shorter pieces you notice less. It also strips away the coat’s built-in sun and heat protection. That coat helps a dog stay cool, so a shaved double-coated dog can end up hotter, not cooler, with pink skin exposed to the sun. In an Australian summer that’s a real sunburn and skin risk.
There’s a regrowth problem too. The undercoat grows back faster than the guard hairs, so the coat often returns patchy and woolly, and in some dogs it never quite grows back the same. The RSPCA’s advice for double coats is to manage them with regular brushing and de-shedding rather than clippers. The exception is when a vet advises a clip for a medical reason, or when a coat is so badly matted it can’t be safely brushed out. That’s a call for your vet or groomer to make, not a summer default.
Looking after the coat between grooms
A deshed at the groomer resets the coat. Brushing at home keeps it under control until the next one. The RSPCA recommends brushing double-coated dogs regularly, and daily during a heavy shed, to stop dead hair building up and matting.
The tools matter. Use an undercoat rake to reach the loose undercoat, then a slicker brush and a wide-tooth comb to finish. The RSPCA’s guidance is to use short, gentle strokes and to avoid pulling hard or scraping the skin. Working in sections, a bit at a time, is easier on both of you than trying to do the whole dog at once.
Be honest with yourself about what brushing does. It cuts down the fur floating around your home and keeps the coat healthy. It doesn’t switch off the shed. During a full seasonal blow, even a well-brushed dog will still drop a lot of hair.
Looking after the coat between grooms
A deshed at the groomer resets the coat. Brushing at home keeps it under control until the next one. The RSPCA recommends brushing double-coated dogs regularly, and daily during a heavy shed, to stop dead hair building up and matting.
The tools matter. Use an undercoat rake to reach the loose undercoat, then a slicker brush and a wide-tooth comb to finish. The RSPCA’s guidance is to use short, gentle strokes and to avoid pulling hard or scraping the skin. Working in sections, a bit at a time, is easier on both of you than trying to do the whole dog at once.
Be honest with yourself about what brushing does. It cuts down the fur floating around your home and keeps the coat healthy. It doesn’t switch off the shed. During a full seasonal blow, even a well-brushed dog will still drop a lot of hair.
When heavy shedding is a vet problem, not just a coat blow
Most heavy shedding is normal, but not all of it. A seasonal blow is fairly even across the body and settles down after a few weeks. Some shedding points to a health problem instead, and a deshed won’t fix that.
Keep an eye out for bald patches, thinning fur, red or flaky skin, constant scratching, or a coat that suddenly looks dull. Shedding that comes with any of these signs, or that doesn’t follow the usual seasonal pattern, can point to things like allergies, a skin infection, parasites or a thyroid problem. If you notice them, book a vet rather than a groomer. A groomer keeps a healthy coat comfortable, but the skin underneath is a job for your vet.
FAQs
Does deshedding hurt my dog?
No, not when it’s done properly. A deshed only pulls out hair that’s already loose and ready to drop. The RSPCA’s advice for undercoat brushing is short, gentle strokes with no hard pulling on the skin, and a good groomer works the same way. The one exception is a badly matted coat. Tight mats pull on the skin and can be sore, and that’s a de-matting job rather than a straight deshed.
How long does a deshed last?
Most dogs shed noticeably less for around three to six weeks after a deshed, then it builds back up as the coat keeps turning over. During a full seasonal blow you might want a second visit a few weeks later, with regular brushing at home in between.
Should I shave my husky in summer?
Usually no. A husky’s double coat keeps it cooler in the heat, not warmer, and shaving removes that protection and leaves the skin open to sunburn. A deshed gives you what people hope a shave will do, less fur and a more comfortable dog, without the damage. The only time to clip is on a vet’s advice for a medical reason.
How often should I deshed my dog?
For many double-coated dogs, two to three times a year is enough, timed to the spring and autumn blows. Heavy shedders like huskies and samoyeds, or dogs that shed hard all year in warm homes, may want three to four. Short-coated dogs usually just need a tidy-up once or twice a year.
Booking a spring deshed
Spring is the busy stretch for grooming, and deshed slots at the Ivanhoe station fill up fast once the fur starts flying. If your dog is a heavy shedder, it’s worth booking a few weeks before the blow really hits rather than waiting until the couch is covered. You can book a deshed at the Ivanhoe grooming station, and the groomers will match the treatment to your dog’s coat and temperament on the day.