Owning a beautiful dog comes with responsibility, especially when it comes to grooming. While some breeds need only basic care, others require daily brushing and regular grooming schedules to stay healthy and comfortable. A dog’s coat is not just for looks; it protects the skin, helps control body temperature, and holds natural oils that keep the coat strong and healthy.
Long-haired breeds, dogs with curly coats, or double coats need more frequent brushing and professional grooming. Proper care prevents shedding, mats, and tangles that can lead to painful skin infections. Anyone choosing these high-maintenance breeds should be ready to invest in grooming tools, regular salon visits, and consistent care throughout their dog’s life.
Fun Fact
Regular grooming makes dog coats shine while providing multiple benefits, which include better blood flow through the body, distribution of natural oils, and better detection of health issues by professional groomers.
Dog Breeds with Significant Coat Maintenance
1. Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound combines its graceful movement with distinct silk-like fur. This sighthound breed of Afghanistan originally developed as a hunting dog that depends on its acute vision and speedy movements to hunt, instead of following human commands. The dog needs special handling to maintain its long, silky coat, which extends down to the ground since it behaves like human hair.
This breed keeps a strong emotional attachment to its family members yet shows distance toward unfamiliar people. Because this breed shows strong hunting instincts, handlers must supervise their dogs when they are near kids. Afghan Hounds need training, which should be combined with daily physical activities and free movements in secure areas.
The grooming needs of an Afghan Hound require a dedicated time commitment for its coat maintenance. PetMD states that dogs need regular brushing to stop their hair from tangling and to control their loose hair.
The grooming process needs to occur every few weeks to keep the coat in good condition while removing shed hair and ensuring skin safety. The dog will experience severe discomfort when its fur becomes knotted because grooming sessions have been missed.
2. Maltese
The Maltese breed requires extensive care because of its small stature and needs. The breed exists because of commercial breeding, which resulted in the development of its modern white coat. It’s a small dog that needs constant human attention. The Maltese breed shows its delicate appearance through its fearless behavior while maintaining high levels of alertness.
The dog needs training through positive reward systems, which allow it to learn properly while living in an apartment. Their low-shedding trait makes them attractive to dog owners, but this advantage comes with a cost. The dog needs permanent grooming because it requires ongoing care.
The American Kennel Club emphasizes regular brushing and frequent trimming to maintain the Maltese’s silky coat. The absence of regular grooming creates a situation where tangles develop at the skin level, which raises the chances of developing infections.
The combination of professional grooming appointments with home grooming practices establishes a system that maintains smooth and pleasant coat conditions.
3. Komondor
Komondor breed stands as one of the most recognized dog breeds that requires extensive care to maintain its high upkeep needs. Dog breeds that guard livestock show their strength through their ability to protect their animals, which they do by showing their real-life strength through their white corded hair, which resembles actual ropes.
The process needs to begin when they are very young because it requires active human participation for development.
Komondor breed shows both natural protective instincts and distrust of strangers while maintaining complete devotion to its family members. The dog needs professional training to learn proper behavior since its instinctual responses will lead to wrong assessments of new experiences.
That Komondor grooming procedures differ from all other dog breeds. That dense coat traps moisture and debris if neglected, leading to skin issues. Grooming activities require dog owners to separate cords and dry their pets completely after bathing, and they must monitor their pets’ condition. This breed is best suited for experienced pet owners who understand specialized care.
4. Bichon Frise
The Bichon frise looks like a living cloud because its cheerful appearance requires a demanding grooming routine. This affectionate toy breed is excellent with children and other pets, making it a favorite family dog. The dog has a curly coat that grows continuously and develops mats.
Bichons require daily brushing to prevent tangles and regular professional trimming to maintain shape. Pet grooming needs to be done frequently because exercise requires only moderate activity levels.
PDSA states that unkempt grooming leads to worse health issues, which include skin allergies and infections. The combination of regular baths, ear cleaning, and coat trimming provides protection against discomfort. The regular grooming schedule helps to prevent matting problems, which occur when hair pulls forcefully against delicate skin.
5. Portuguese Water Dog
Portuguese water dog was developed as a working dog to assist fishermen through its energetic and intelligent nature, with its continuous drive to work. The breed shows two coat types, which include curly and wavy coats that maintain a constant shedding pattern by developing new hair.
The necessary grooming work to keep their coat maintained needs to be done because their coat needs to be groomed.
The dog requires physical activities together with family contact because these activities create the best environment for its development. The dog needs activities because without them, it will experience boredom, which will occur within a short time.
The Portuguese water dog needs daily brushing, together with multiple grooming sessions, according to Purina. The lion clip and retriever clip serve as popular grooming methods that help pet owners control their dog’s coat length while safeguarding against overheating.
The practice of regular grooming establishes better skin protection while it decreases the risk of matting, which typically occurs in areas with dense hair growth.
6. Puli
Puli breed reflects a distinctive appearance because of its corded coat, which creates a special visual effect. The Hungarian herding dog breed developed its dense corded coat system to provide protection against severe weather conditions and animal threats. The functional coat requires pet owners to train their dogs with skilled dedication to manage their needs.
This athletic breed shows both alert behavior patterns and exceptional intelligence. The breed competes successfully in three different sports, which include obedience and agility, together with herding.
PetMD reports that dog owners need to begin daily cord maintenance because this process starts at nine months of age. The process of brush maintenance has been replaced by the method of separating cords, which needs to be done to protect against both tangles and skin infections.
The puli requires special grooming methods, which require professional groomers to handle the process of specific care throughout the dog’s life.
7. Poodle
The poodle stands out as an exceptionally adaptable breed that few other breeds can match. The Standard, Miniature, and Toy Poodle breeds originated as water retriever dogs. The dog needs daily grooming because its curly hair only sheds a little, but needs maintenance to stop matting and preserve its shape.
Poodles belong to one of the most intelligent dog breeds, which need work tasks for their optimal performance. The dog needs both extensive grooming sessions and active mental challenges, which require high-level intelligence.
Britannica states that pet owners must perform trimming and brushing tasks at intervals of four to six weeks. The dense curls require professional grooming services because they trap dirt, moisture, and bacteria.
Conclusion
People who want to own dogs with high grooming requirements must prepare for maintenance tasks, but these dogs deliver exquisite beauty and loyal friendship. The dogs in this category need multiple grooming sessions because their coats range from silky to dense double coats, which need special attention for their skin condition.
A person who selects a high-maintenance dog should accept that they will need to groom their pet every day. Pet owners can maintain their pets’ comfort during seasonal changes by using proper tools and professional grooming assistance, and maintaining a regular grooming routine. Responsible pet care requires grooming as a critical component of pet ownership.
