Tips on Trimming a Siberian Husky

The Siberian husky is a very strong working dog that is very loving, gentle and playful with the family. Its eye color can vary from brown, half blue and half brown to one blue eye and one brown. Coat colors can vary as well in patterns of black, red, silver, sable and white. Huskies have a thick double coat of fur, a cottony undercoat along with a vibrant and protective outer coat. Twice a year new undercoat grows in, resulting in heavy shedding of your dog. Regular grooming and minor trimming will keep your Siberian husky in tip top shape.

  1. Brushing

    • Before the bath and trimming is done, it is necessary to brush your Siberian husky completely. Use a dog coat rake to back-brush the coat. This is a metal tool, about 4 inches wide with teeth and a handle that works well to remove loose undercoat. Begin by brushing the coat backwards starting from the neck area of your dog and working your way down to the base of the tail. Follow the back-brushing by using a metal comb to comb through the entire coat, including the tail. If you do not brush your dog before trimming, the hair will always appear uneven. Purchase all grooming tools at your larger pet stores.

    The Bath

    • Wet your dog thoroughly and apply an ample supply of protein-enriched shampoo to form a rich lather. Use a rubber curry brush or rubber mitt with nubs on it to massage the coat while bathing your dog. This process helps to loosen dead skin, loose fur and dirt. Thoroughly rinse all shampoo from your dog, towel dry excess water and blow dry to remove any lingering water and loose fur. Once dried, you are now ready to place your dog on a table for a trim.

    Body Trimming

    • Minimal trimming is required on the body of your Siberian husky. To begin the process, comb your dog in the direction of the growth of the hair. Hold your scissors over the top of the coat and lightly trim any of the unruly hairs that are sticking up. Start at the neck and skim the body with your scissors down to the base of the tail. You will not have much hair to trim. Comb down the sides of the body and trim an even line on the sides and under the belly area of your dog.

    Finishing Feet and Tail

    • Use a small slicker brush and back-brush the fur on top of the foot. Use a small curved scissor to trim any fur that is standing up. The object is to form a smooth rounded foot. Lift the foot and brush any fur backwards under the pad. Carefully scissor any visible fur from under the foot. Grab the tail at the tip and hold it straight out. Back-brush the tail and use your scissors to trim the hair sticking out. The tail of the Siberian husky should be uniform in length all the way around. Minor trimming is needed through the skimming process to form a nice long spherical looking tail.