Hi all! My Pepper is only 7 weeks old, don't think she has her full undercoat yet but I do want to get her used to normal brushings. What is the best type of brush to use on huskys and when do you think I should start brushing her? How often do you brush? Also, is shedding in the spring?

Thanks!

Hi, Lori! I suggest using a comb or a pin brush (like this one: dual combo brush). They're gentle enough on a puppy's skin and will get them used to being groomed. I have the dual combo brush for my puppy, and I intend to purchase a comb at a later date for shedding season.

Which brings me to the next question you had about your puppy's shedding. She'll actually blow her coat twice per year, and it will look like all of her undercoat is falling out at once. The blow is actually caused by a new topcoat coming in and pushing the fluffy underfur out. It'll take about three weeks for her coat to finish blowing each shed. A grooming rake is often recommended for when this happens, but many owners like to use a comb. It's a personal preference thing. As for when this happens, it's usually in the spring and fall. However, this winter was so mild that a lot of Huskies started blowing their coats in December, which is unusual.

I hope this helps!

I would start brushing right away. If you start early, your puppy will get used to it and not be afraid when she grows up.

A pin brush like Jessie recommended is awesome (we have this one). When your pup gets a bit older, you'll need a greyhound comb and an undercoat rake to deal with the undercoat.

We use this undercoat rake from oster--it's on the expensive side at over $20, but it's a godsend for managing my dog's long coat!!

And while blowing the coat happens once or twice a year...expect daily shedding

Yes, as Anya said, daily shedding is unavoidable. You can help decrease it a great deal by feeding good quality dog food, but nothing will eliminate it.

I also wanted to add that I have heard there are Huskies that only shed once per year. I have never seen one though. They are rare. Maybe you will get lucky and your puppy will wind up being one of them (but don't hold your breath on that one ).

Some people like to bring their Huskies to the groomer when they are blowing their coat. That can help a lot in getting rid of most of it.

My male only blows coat once a year... but it lasts months! As I understand it, females tend to blow coat twice a year, males, some twice a year, some once a year.

Mike, my childhood Husky, always blew her coat right after a litter of puppies in addition to twice a year. Fun, fun.

Zhukov is 5 months old, and I use a pin brush on him (the kind with the little nubbies on the ends of the pins) and then follow up with a regular brush. When we first got him, I felt like he wasn't shedding at all, but now am starting to see the odd strands coming off of him.

My wife almost had a stroke when we watched a video on grooming and watched someone using a furminator on their full grown husky. All that hair!!! Almost enough to create a whole new dog!

I gotta say, I LOVE the furminator. None of the other brushes I tried came close to being as effective as it has been. Make sure you get the right size brush, though... huskies have long hair and the shorter brushes won't get it as effectively!

I really like the little release valve they have, but it's also easy to dump the hair on the ground and forget, and next thing you know it looks like you've killed santa and harvested his beard for sinister purposes.

i started early with getting him use to the brushing,i tried other brushes but he didn't like them i would being them out and he would run the other way even if i bribed him with treats. it took along time to get him use to the undercoat rake. he seems to really like the shedding comb, he sometimes starts to fall asleep when i comb him .
i use these JW Pet Company GripSoft Double Row Undercoat Rake Dog Brush and JW Pet Company GripSoft Shedding Comb for Dogs

Lrose1990 wrote:

I really like the little release valve they have, but it's also easy to dump the hair on the ground and forget, and next thing you know it looks like you've killed santa and harvested his beard for sinister purposes.

lol

To give you an idea of what we deal with...

Anya after 15 minutes with an undercoat rake (reminder; she gets brushed daily):

Definitely start brushing right away to desensitize your pup to it. You want to brush daily and reward for good behavior while brushing. Believe me, you don't want to have to fight with a dog to brush it when they HAVE to be brushed regularly *cough*mishka*cough*

I use an undercoat rake, slicker brush, and a greyhound comb. Pin brushes area also good tools. You just want to make sure the brushes you use have teeth that are long enough to actually get into the undercoat. Usually 2-3" long teeth are the best.

I am also picking up my husky this weekend. Can't wait. I have the pin brush and am planning on getting the undercoat rake. My question is what's the best daily system or what is your system for maintenance?

Should I start with the pin brush, then follow-up with a normal brush and conclude with the undercoat rake. Or is the undercoat rake only necessary when he is blowing his coat? Then I'd just be brushing daily with a pin and normal brush, correct?

Thanks!

I tried using the rake outside of shedding season and found it wasn't effective with Suka's coat at all. A slicker brush did a much better job and I followed up with a pin brush. But during shedding season, the rake is the ideal tool to use first to get those huge gobs of loose fur, followed by the slicker or pin brush.

For daily maintenance, spend a few minutes brushing your Husky's coat with a slicker or pin brush. It shouldn't take long outside of shedding season if you're consistent. During shedding season, you may find yourself grooming them more than once a day.

whitehusky3 wrote:

During shedding season, you may find yourself grooming them more than once a day.

Or, pickin' cotton

It can vary depending on the coat. On my Sammy and my last Husky who had a longer coat, I used the undercoat rake year-round.

I do about 15-20 minutes a day, every day.

I start with the greyhound comb to get the tangles out, then the undercoat rake, then the slicker.

I also use this flea comb for areas where she has shorter hair, like her legs and paws, face, etc. It's very gentle and AMAZING how much leg hair it gets off! I filled a plastic bag with just hair from her legs and paws.

AnyaLuv wrote:

I also use this flea comb for areas where she has shorter hair, like her legs and paws, face, etc. It's very gentle and AMAZING how much leg hair it gets off! I filled a plastic bag with just hair from her legs and paws.

And...a flea comb is an EXCELLENT tool for getting burdocks, seeds and other debris out of the coat without pulling. Thank you, Jessica, my DIL for that wonderful tip!