Should You Shave That Pomeranian? The Science Behind Double-Coat Myths Sasha Riess Michelle Knowles

Should a Pomeranian ever be shaved? Will the coat really “never grow back”? How many canine coat types are there actually? And why are professional Dog Groomers still hearing so many conflicting rules about primary hair, secondary hair, bathing frequency, coat care, and product use? Today on Beneath The Canine Coat with Sasha Riess & Michelle Knowles, we go directly into one of the most debated subjects in professional Dog Grooming: the science behind the canine coat. We’ll explore the difference between primary and secondary hair, why the phrase “double coat” can oversimplify what is actually happening, and how coat structure, follicle biology, growth cycles, health, age, hormones, nutrition, and grooming practices may all influence what we see on the outside. And yes, we’re asking the uncomfortable questions. Should you ever shave a Pomeranian? Is clipping itself really the reason a coat changes afterward? Or are we sometimes blaming the haircut for biological changes that were already happening underneath? We’ll also discuss: • Primary hair vs. secondary hair • What groomers mean when they say “double coat” • Why canine coat classification creates so much confusion • Why breed does not always tell you everything you need to know about the coat in front of you • Coat growth cycles and why regrowth can vary dramatically between dogs • Why some dogs regrow beautifully after clipping and others do not • What groomers should consider before deciding whether to clip or shave • Skin health, coat health, age, hormones, nutrition, and physiology • Why blanket rules can become dangerous when they replace observation • How frequently dogs actually need to be bathed • Why the common 4–6 week bathing recommendation deserves a deeper conversation • Hygiene, skin health, lifestyle, environment, and the individual dog • Whether professional groomers really need shelves full of shampoos and conditioners • Can one excellent shampoo and one excellent conditioner replace a large part of your product inventory? • Are we buying products because dogs need them... or because the grooming industry has taught us that more products mean better grooming? This is not about replacing one grooming dogma with another. It is about asking better questions. Because professional grooming should not begin with: “What have we always been told?” It should begin with: “What is actually happening in the skin, follicle, hair shaft, and dog standing in front of me?” And that leads to an even bigger question: Are we grooming according to coat biology... or according to grooming tradition? Join Sasha Riess and Michelle Knowles live for another episode of Beneath The Canine Coat. Bring your questions, your difficult coat cases, your Pomeranians, your Huskies, your Golden Retrievers, and the grooming rules you were taught never to question. We’re going beneath the coat. https://www.plhschool.com/dog-groomer... #DogGrooming #DoubleCoat #PomeranianGrooming