Your Dog's Grooming Needs Change with the Calendar
For the longest time, I groomed my dog the same way year-round. Same brush, same frequency, same routine, twelve months a year. It worked okay — until spring hit and my living room looked like a fur factory had exploded. Or until winter when his skin started flaking despite the same bathing schedule that worked fine in summer.
The thing is, your dog's coat and skin respond to seasonal changes just like your own skin does. Temperature fluctuations, humidity levels, daylight hours, and outdoor activities all affect coat condition, shedding patterns, and skin health. Adjusting your grooming routine throughout the year isn't about being obsessive — it's about responding to what your dog's body is actually doing in each season.
Spring: The Great Shed Begins
Spring is shedding season for double-coated breeds, and it's intense. As daylight hours increase and temperatures rise, your dog's body signals the dense winter undercoat to release. This "coat blow" can last 2–4 weeks and produces astonishing quantities of loose fur.
Increase Brushing Frequency
If you normally brush 2–3 times a week, bump it up to daily during the spring blowout. Use an undercoat rake first to pull out the loose undercoat, followed by a slicker brush for the outer coat. You'll fill bags of fur, and that's normal. The faster you remove the loose undercoat, the sooner the shedding intensity decreases.
Consider a Professional Deshedding Treatment
A professional groomer's deshedding session at the start of spring can jumpstart the process. Their high-velocity dryers blast out loose undercoat that home brushing takes days to remove. It's one of the best seasonal investments you can make for a heavy shedder.
Check for Winter Skin Damage
After months of dry indoor air and cold outdoor conditions, your dog's skin may have taken a hit. Look for dry, flaky patches, minor irritation, or areas where the coat seems dull or thin. A moisturizing bath with an oatmeal-based shampoo and a quality conditioner can help restore skin hydration.
Parasite Prevention Starts Now
Fleas and ticks become active as temperatures warm up. Ensure your dog's parasite prevention is current. During spring grooming sessions, check the skin carefully — especially around the ears, neck, and underbelly — for any signs of fleas, ticks, or flea dirt (black specks in the coat that turn red when wet).
Allergy Season
Spring brings pollen, and many dogs suffer from environmental allergies. If your dog starts scratching more, develops red or watery eyes, or gets recurring ear issues in spring, allergies may be the cause. More frequent baths (every 1–2 weeks) can help rinse allergens off the coat and skin. Wiping your dog's paws and belly after outdoor walks also reduces allergen exposure. Consult your vet if allergy symptoms are significant.
Summer: Heat, Water, and Outdoor Adventures
Summer brings its own grooming challenges: heat, increased outdoor time, swimming, and bugs.
Never Shave a Double-Coated Dog
This bears repeating every summer because it's one of the most common grooming mistakes. Shaving a Husky, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, or any double-coated breed does not keep them cooler. The double coat actually insulates against heat as well as cold, and the outer coat protects against sunburn. Shaving removes this protection and can cause permanent coat damage — the undercoat may grow back disproportionately to the guard hairs, creating a different texture that's less effective at temperature regulation.
For dogs that get haircuts (single-coated breeds like Poodles, Bichons, Yorkies), a shorter summer cut is perfectly fine and can increase comfort. Just don't go so short that the skin is exposed to sunburn.
Paw Care Intensifies
Hot pavement, sand, and rough outdoor terrain can damage paw pads. Check the pads regularly for cracks, burns, or foreign objects. If your dog walks on hot surfaces, test the pavement with your own hand first — if you can't hold your palm on it for 7 seconds, it's too hot for paw pads. Walk during cooler parts of the day or use paw protection products.
Keep the hair between the paw pads trimmed short in summer. Long hair here collects burrs, foxtails, and debris, and it causes slipping on smooth surfaces.
Post-Swim Care
Swimming is great exercise, but it creates grooming needs. Always rinse your dog with fresh water after swimming — chlorine from pools, salt from the ocean, and bacteria from lakes and ponds can all irritate the skin and damage the coat. Dry the ears thoroughly after every swim to prevent ear infections, which spike dramatically in summer among water-loving breeds.
If your dog swims frequently, you may need to bathe more often than usual to prevent the musty "lake dog" smell and to keep the coat in good condition.
Watch for Hotspots
Hot spots (acute moist dermatitis) are more common in summer due to heat, humidity, and moisture trapped in the coat. They appear as red, moist, irritated patches of skin that can expand rapidly. Regular grooming helps you catch them early. If you spot one, see your veterinarian — hotspots need proper treatment to heal and prevent spread.
Fall: Preparing for Winter
Fall is the second shedding season for double-coated breeds. They shed the lighter summer coat to make room for the thicker winter undercoat.
Another Round of Increased Brushing
Similar to spring, increase brushing frequency to daily during the fall coat transition. The shedding is typically less dramatic than spring's blowout, but it still requires attention. This is also a good time for another professional deshedding treatment if it's in your budget.
Transition Bathing Products
As humidity drops and heating systems kick on, the air becomes drier. Switch to more moisturizing shampoos and conditioners to prepare for the drying effects of winter. An oatmeal-based or enriched moisturizing formula helps maintain skin hydration as conditions change.
Final Tick Check
Ticks can remain active well into fall, and in many regions they're actually most active during this season. Continue thorough tick checks during grooming sessions until consistent freezing temperatures arrive. Check between the toes, inside the ears, around the neck, and in the groin area — favorite hiding spots.
Coat Conditioning
Fall is a good time to focus on coat health. If you've been doing more frequent summer baths (which can strip natural oils), a deep conditioning treatment can restore the coat's protective oils before winter. A quality leave-in conditioner or a coconut oil treatment (applied sparingly, left on for 15–20 minutes, then bathed out) can help.
Winter: Cold, Dry, and Challenging
Winter might seem like the easiest grooming season, but it actually brings some specific challenges.
Reduce Bathing Frequency
Dry winter air — both outdoors and from indoor heating — already saps moisture from your dog's skin and coat. Frequent bathing makes this worse by stripping natural oils. Unless your dog gets genuinely dirty, stretch the time between baths. When you do bathe, use a moisturizing shampoo and always use conditioner.
Humidify Your Home
This isn't technically grooming, but it has a massive impact on coat and skin health. Running a humidifier in your home during winter months combats the dry air from heating systems. Your dog's skin (and yours) will benefit noticeably.
Protect Against Ice, Salt, and Chemical Deicers
Road salt and chemical deicers are hard on paw pads, causing drying, cracking, and chemical irritation. They're also toxic if your dog licks their paws after a walk. Wipe your dog's paws (and belly, for low-riders) with a warm, damp cloth after every winter walk. Check between the toes for packed ice or snow, which can cause frostbite-like damage.
Paw balm or wax applied before walks creates a protective barrier against salt and chemicals. Many owners find this makes a significant difference during harsh winters.
Keep the Coat at an Appropriate Length
For dogs with coats that are clipped regularly, don't go as short in winter as you would in summer. Leave a bit more length for warmth. However, don't let the coat grow so long that it mats — long, unbrushed winter coats are a matting disaster waiting to happen because snow and moisture get trapped in the fur.
Don't Skip Brushing
It's tempting to brush less in winter because there's less obvious shedding. But winter coat maintenance is important for preventing dry-skin flaking, distributing natural oils (which are even more important in dry conditions), and preventing matting. Maintain your regular brushing schedule even if you're reducing bath frequency.
Dry Snow-Wet Dogs Properly
If your dog plays in the snow, dry them thoroughly when they come inside. Snow-wet undercoat that isn't dried can lead to matting, skin irritation, and that distinctive "wet dog in winter" smell that permeates your entire house. Towel dry or use a low-heat blow dryer, paying attention to the underbelly, legs, and chest.
Year-Round Grooming Constants
While seasonal adjustments are important, some things stay consistent regardless of the calendar:
- Nail trimming: Every 2–4 weeks, year-round.
- Ear checks: Weekly visual and smell checks, cleaning as needed.
- Dental care: Daily brushing or at minimum 3–4 times weekly, every month of the year.
- Skin checks: During every grooming session, run your hands over your dog's entire body feeling for lumps, bumps, sore spots, or changes.
- Parasite prevention: Many veterinarians recommend year-round prevention, even in cold climates.