Although often confused, grooming and deshedding are distinct services — each serving a unique purpose in maintaining a dog’s health and coat condition. While grooming ensures hygiene and aesthetic maintenance, deshedding targets one issue in particular: excessive fur loss caused by seasonal or genetic shedding patterns.
Understanding the difference between the two helps dog owners make more informed decisions and provide tailored care, especially for breeds with double coats or dense fur.
Grooming: A complete hygine routine.
Grooming refers to a full-service care session focused on hygiene, cleanliness, coat health, and overall well-being.
A professional grooming session typically includes:
Two baths with skin-sensitive shampoo
Blow drying and thorough brushing
Nail trimming and ear cleaning
Paw pad shaving and sanitary trims
Breed-specific or owner-preferred haircuts
Finishing touches like cologne, bows, or bandanas
Regular grooming helps prevent matting, skin irritation, infections, and unnoticed injuries. It also enhances the dog’s appearance and comfort, while promoting skin and coat health.
Recommended for: All breeds, especially those requiring routine trims or with long, curly, or tangle-prone fur.
Deshedding: Targeted coat management.
Deshedding is a focused process designed to remove loose, dead undercoat hairs that naturally shed — particularly during seasonal transitions.
Deshedding typically involves:
High-velocity drying to lift dead hair from the coat
Professional tools such as undercoat rakes or deshedding combs
Deshedding shampoos and conditioners to loosen follicles
Final brushing to remove remaining debris
This treatment reduces shedding around the home, improves coat texture, and allows better skin ventilation — especially important in warmer climates like Florida.
Recommended for: Double-coated and heavy-shedding breeds such as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, German Shepherds, and Akitas.
Do dogs need both grooming and deshedding?
Yes, and combining both often yields the healthiest results.
Grooming provides foundational hygiene and appearance care, while deshedding is a complementary service that removes the buildup of undercoat fur. Deshedding treatments are especially useful during spring and fall, when many breeds experience coat blowouts.