Understanding the A-Z of Dog Coat and Skin Terminology will help you when it comes to grooming and what terminology is used.
A - Anagen Phase - the stage when hair has a new hair growth.
B - Blowing - where the dog loses clumps of hair all at once.
C - Catagen Phase - when the dog hair stops growing.
D - Double Coat - fine undercoat with a harsher outer guard coat.
E - Exogen Phase - when the coat starts to fall out.
F - Feathered - long hair on the ears, back off legs, beneath the tail.
G - Guard Hair - hairs that are part of the dogs outer coat.
H - Hypoallergenic - less likely to cause a reaction.
I - Isabella - fawn colouration.
J - Jacket - External layer of coat, often refers to the area of the body.
K - Keratin - A fibrous protein forming the main substance of dog hair.
L - Linty - characteristic soft texture of coat or undercoat.
M - Mane - growth of hair on the rear of the neck.
N - Nummular - a form of atopic dermatitis, raised scaly skin.
O - Open Coat - a coat which is not close fitting and lacks density.
P - Pencilled - appearance of coat caused by harder hair coming through.
Q - Quality - excellence of breed type adhering to the breed standard.
R - Rough - harsh thick coat, with or without undercoat.
S - Secondary hairs - known as undercoat hair.
T - Telogen Phase - hair is neither resting nor growing.
U - Undercoat - can be found in dogs with double coats.
V - Veiled - long fine hair.
W - Wired - coarse outer layer and soft inner layer.
X - Xerosis - dry skin condition with small cracks in the skin.
Y - Yeast - bacterial infection of the ear and skin.
Z - Zygomatic Arch - area found on the lower edge of the eye socket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you clip double coated breeds?
All double coated breeds should be brushed regularly to remove the thick undercoat. The coat is designed to keep them cool in the warmer months, and warm in the cooler months. By clipping off the coat you are removing what nature intended.
If you have Questions
If you have questions about how to care for dog's coat, talk to our experts. We are on hand to help and guide you, explaining how to manage the coat type and suggest what products to use.