---
title: How to Groom a Dog by Breed (Coat-Type Guide)
description: How to groom a dog by breed, grouped by coat type, with the needs of curly, silky, double, wire and smooth coats plus our per-breed guides.
---
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# How to Groom a Dog by Breed: The Complete Coat-Type Hub
If you have ever typed "how to groom a dog" into a search bar and felt none the wiser, the problem is almost always the same. Grooming advice only makes sense once you know what kind of coat you are working with. A poodle and a husky could not be more different, and brushing one the way you brush the other will either ruin the coat or leave you fighting a losing battle with matting.
So rather than march through 40 breeds one by one, I want to do something more useful. I am Lucy, a City and Guilds qualified groomer and the owner of Fluffs, and in this hub I have grouped the breeds I see most often by coat type. Find your dog's coat below, read the general care it needs, then follow the link through to our detailed step-by-step guide for your exact breed. That is the fastest route from confused to confident.
## The six coat types (and why it matters)
Almost every pet dog falls into one of six broad coat families: curly and doodle coats, silky coats, long drop coats, double coats, wire coats, and smooth or feathered coats. Each one grows, sheds and mats differently, which means each one needs a different brush, a different schedule and a different plan at the salon. Get the category right and everything else falls into place. The Royal Kennel Club has a helpful [breeds A to Z index](https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/) if you want to confirm your breed's official coat description before you start.
Work out which group your dog belongs to, then jump to that section.
## Curly and doodle coats
This is the big one, and the group I am asked about more than any other. Poodles and the poodle crosses (the doodles) have a coat that keeps growing rather than shedding out, so it needs clipping every six to eight weeks and, crucially, thorough brushing and combing right down to the skin between appointments. Curly hair traps loose coat close to the body, which is exactly how the dreaded pelt forms. A slicker brush followed by a metal comb is non-negotiable here.
The poodle sits at the heart of this family. Start with our [poodle grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/poodle-grooming-guide) for the overview, then go deeper with [how to groom a standard poodle](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-standard-poodle) and the fiddly finishing work in [how to groom a poodle face, feet and tail](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-poodle-face-feet-and-tail). The bichon frise belongs here too, with its soft powder-puff finish, covered in our [bichon frise grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/bichon-frise-grooming-guide) and the technique piece [how to groom a bichon frise](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-bichon-frise).
The doodles are a world of their own because the coat varies so much from dog to dog. We break each one down in [how to groom a cockapoo](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-cockapoo), [how to groom a cavapoo](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-cavapoo), [how to groom a labradoodle](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-labradoodle) and [how to groom a goldendoodle](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-goldendoodle). If you own a doodle, please read those before your pup's first coat change at around nine months, because that is when owners get caught out.
> **Groomer's tip:** With any curly coat, brush then comb. If a metal comb will not glide cleanly from skin to tip, the coat is not truly brushed out, no matter how good it looks on the surface. That is the single habit that keeps a doodle in a long, fluffy style instead of a short shave-down.
## Silky coats
Silky coats are single coats that grow long, fine and flowing, with very little undercoat. They feel gorgeous but tangle easily, especially behind the ears, under the legs and around the harness line. Daily brushing with a soft slicker and a comb keeps them flowing, and many owners choose a shorter pet trim to make life easier.
The Yorkshire terrier is the classic example, covered in our [Yorkshire terrier grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/yorkshire-terrier-grooming-guide) and the hands-on [how to groom a Yorkshire terrier](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-yorkshire-terrier). The Maltese has a similar pure-white flowing coat, explained in the [Maltese grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/maltese-grooming-guide) and the step-by-step [how to groom a Maltese](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-maltese). The Havanese is a touch denser but belongs in the same family, with its own [Havanese grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/havanese-grooming-guide) and [how to groom a Havanese](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-havanese) for the full routine.
## Long drop coats
Closely related to the silky group but worth separating out, the long drop coats fall in a dense curtain to the floor and part along the spine. They are beautiful in full coat but demanding, so most pet owners sensibly opt for a shorter style. Matting forms fast in the dense layer close to the skin, so a comb that reaches the roots is essential.
The shih tzu is the dog I picture here. Our [shih tzu grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/shih-tzu-grooming-guide) sets out what to expect, and [how to groom a shih tzu](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-shih-tzu) walks through the groom itself. The Lhasa apso has the same long, heavy coat, covered in the [Lhasa apso grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/lhasa-apso-grooming-guide) and the detailed [how to groom a Lhasa apso](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-lhasa-apso).
## Double coats
Double-coated breeds have a harsh outer guard coat over a soft, dense undercoat, and they moult that undercoat heavily, usually twice a year. The golden rule here is simple: do not clip them. Shaving a double coat can wreck the texture and the coat's ability to insulate. Instead you deshed with a slicker and an undercoat rake, and you blast the loose coat out at bath time.
For the spitz-type and working breeds, we have guides on [how to groom a Siberian husky](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-siberian-husky) with its matching [Siberian husky grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/siberian-husky-grooming-guide), plus [how to groom a German shepherd](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-german-shepherd) and [how to groom a border collie](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-border-collie). The retriever family lives here too, so read the [golden retriever grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/golden-retriever-grooming-guide) alongside [how to groom a golden retriever](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-golden-retriever).
The really profuse double coats need extra patience. We cover the giants and the fluffiest spitz in the [Bernese mountain dog grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/bernese-mountain-dog-grooming-guide) and [how to groom a Bernese mountain dog](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-bernese-mountain-dog), plus [how to groom a chow chow](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-chow-chow), [how to groom a Samoyed](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-samoyed), the long-coated [how to groom a bearded collie](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-bearded-collie) and the tiny but mighty [how to groom a Pomeranian](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-pomeranian).
## Wire coats
Wire-coated terriers have a harsh, crisp jacket that is designed to be hand-stripped, which means pulling out the dead coat by hand rather than clipping it. Stripping keeps the colour rich and the texture correct. Clipping is quicker and perfectly kind for a pet, but it softens and fades the coat over time, so it is worth understanding the trade-off before you decide.
For the classic working terriers, see the [border terrier grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/border-terrier-grooming-guide) and [how to groom a border terrier](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-border-terrier), plus the [cairn terrier grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/cairn-terrier-grooming-guide) and [how to groom a cairn terrier](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-cairn-terrier). The smarter show-trim terriers are covered in [how to groom a miniature schnauzer](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-miniature-schnauzer) and [how to groom a West Highland terrier](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-west-highland-terrier). The soft-coated Wheaten terrier is the odd one out, with a single silky coat rather than a true wire jacket, and we give it its own treatment in [how to groom a soft coated Wheaten terrier](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-wheaten-terrier).
## Smooth and feathered coats
Finally, the spaniels and the easier short-coated breeds. These dogs have a shorter body coat with longer feathering on the ears, chest, belly and legs, and it is almost always the feathering that mats. A weekly comb through the feathers and regular ear care keeps them tidy, with a light tidy-up trim at the salon.
For this group, read our [Cavalier King Charles spaniel grooming guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/cavalier-king-charles-spaniel-grooming-guide), then the spaniel technique pieces [how to groom a cocker spaniel](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-cocker-spaniel) and [how to groom a springer spaniel](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-springer-spaniel).
## Frequently asked questions
**How often should I groom my dog at home?** It depends entirely on the coat. Curly, silky and long drop coats need brushing most days to stay mat-free. Double coats need a thorough deshed a couple of times a week, rising to daily during a heavy moult. Smooth and feathered coats can get away with a weekly session. The salon visit usually sits on top of that, every six to eight weeks for coats that need clipping or stripping.
**Can I just clip any coat short to save effort?** No, and this is the most important thing in this hub. Clipping a double coat can permanently damage its texture and insulation, and clipping a wire coat fades the colour and softens it. Curly and silky coats clip happily, but double coats should be deshed, not shaved. If you are unsure, ask your groomer before you reach for the clippers.
**My dog hates being brushed. What can I do?** Keep sessions short and positive, reward generously, and build the habit from puppyhood if you can. Choose the right tools so you are not dragging at the coat, and groom little and often rather than one long battle. If matting has already set in, let a professional take it back to comfortable rather than causing pain at home.
**How do I know which coat type my dog actually has?** Feel it. A coat that keeps growing and never seems to shed is curly or silky. A coat that leaves tufts everywhere twice a year is a double coat. A crisp, harsh jacket on a terrier is a wire coat. When in doubt, your breed's entry on the Royal Kennel Club site or a quick chat with your groomer will settle it.
---
*Written by Lucy, City & Guilds Level 2 & 3 qualified groomer and owner of Fluffs, a one-to-one dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York. For a professional groom done calmly and properly, [book with Fluffs](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/contact-fluffs).*
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