Brushing and combing. That about sums up the grooming practices required to keep the Samoyed’s coat healthy. Routine brushing, as simple a procedure as it is, can work miracles. It distributes the oils in the coat and skin. It removes dead hair that can not only be annoying calling cards all over your house and in your food, but also cause hot spots and other skin problems.
It prevents the mats to which the Samoyed’s coat is so prone. It keeps both hair and skin healthy—and all while it is performing its preventive miracles, the actual act of brushing is immensely pleasurable for the dog, or at least it should be.
Aside from the simplicity of the Samoyed grooming routine, prospective owners are to be warned, and current owners reminded, that that thick white coat must be brushed and combed completely, every part of the body down to the skin, at least once a week, and preferably more often.
This can be done in a single session, or, if your own demanding schedule precludes your ability to set aside the hour or more that this requires each week, you can divide the dog’s body into sections and concentrate on one section each or every other day.
However you choose to groom your Samoyed puppy, whichever method meshes best with your household rhythms, what is universal for all is the fact that the job must be done thoroughly.
Sure it’s easy just to glide the brush over the top layer of guard hairs, smoothing them down and conveniently ignoring the brushing needs of the soft, mat-prone undercoat beneath, but this is of no benefit to the dog, who in no time will be riddled with mats and a variety of other skin and coat problems borne of neglect.
If you don’t have the time, or the job proves to be too intimidating, then by all means get the dog to the groomer. Delivering your dog into the care of a trained professional for this responsibility is superior to giving up and sending the dog off to the animal shelter or into the home of a new owner.
Brushing Technique
The proper way to brush a Samoyed involves first addressing a particular section of hair, for instance, that over the dog’s ribs on the right side. Ideally, the dog should lie down on its left side, a position that offers you liberal access to the area you will be brushing.
Brush first against the grain of the hair, so to speak, to remove the dead and loose clumps of undercoat hiding beneath the guard hairs. Once you believe you have thoroughly brushed this area, reverse direction and brush the guard hairs back with the direction of their growth.
If you will be brushing the entire dog in a single session, you may choose to brush against the grain first from head to toe, then with the grain for the final touch. However you do it, pay close attention to the area behind the ears, around the tail, the groin, and under the elbows, as these are all prime territory for mat formation (and for flea colonization).
If you do find budding mats that you cannot simply brush or comb out with little discomfort to the dog, feel free to cut them out. This should not create any large gaps of hair in the regularly tended coat, and it is the quickest and least painful way to remove mats from the Samoyed’s coat.
Shedding Coat
Be warned, too, that once or twice a year your Samoyed will “blow” its coat, usually in the spring and possibly in the fall, as well. The undercoat will come out in great fistfuls of fluff, and your job as Samoyed groomer will become even more demanding.
During this period of time, daily brushing is a must and weekly bathing a help, for the released coat must be collected to prevent mats, skin problems, and wads of hair all over the house and the yard. Coat blowing is far more dramatic in intact Samoyeds, as spayed or neutered Samoyeds are more inclined to shed gradually throughout the year than in one fell swoop. Either way, the coat must be tended to, and tended to with dedication.
While it does require a substantial investment of time on your part, if you choose to be your Samoyed’s own in-house groomer, you are in for some unexpected surprises. As time goes by and you establish your routine, you will one day realize that this, too, is contributing to the bond between you and your pet.
You may find that you look forward to the time you set aside for your weekly grooming sessions, especially if the rest of the week has been filled with non dog related demands and stress.
The grooming session offers you both a break from the hysteria, an opportunity to sit together and enjoy the sensation of the brush and comb running through lovely white hair, to watch TV, to talk about your day, to enjoy each other’s company. Allow this to become a special bonding ritual that you would never dream of giving up.
Matting
Of course, sometimes the coat must be shaved or clipped very short, as it is prone to matting and, when neglected, will twist itself into one giant snarl that must be removed. The removal of the matted coat is usually the only remedy for such a situation, and certainly the most humane way, as de-matting instruments can be quite painful for the dog on whom they are used.
The one saving grace for such a dog is the fact that the hair will indeed grow back, and the dog can once again prance proudly down the street, shrouded beautifully in the mantle of white that is its birthright.
