Dog Conditioner for Every Hair Length

Do you need to use conditioner on dogs? Yes, conditioning your dog’s fur is an important step in the grooming process regardless of hair length and type. Different coat types have specific conditioning needs, but all dogs need to moisturize their skin.

While using a dog conditioner isn’t dog training related, this question continues to pop up from my clients. Yes, I’m a dog trainer, but I’m also a licensed master cosmologist too, so I know a thing or two about hair and skin. 🙂 Let’s get started on how to best condition your dog’s fur and skin!

Do Short-Haired Dogs Need Conditioner?

Of course, but choose a light or leave-in dog conditioner. While short hair needs less moisture due to its short length and structure, every dog needs to regularly moisturize his or her skin. Think about it this way: Your skin gets dry during winter months because the weather changes and the climate gets dry, right? As a result, you slather on skin-conditioning lotions to relieve tightness and flakiness. As you can imagine, your dog’s skin needs moisture too.

Instead of choosing heavy conditioners rich with oils, choose lighter versions. However, don’t be fooled; diluting rich conditioners with water doesn’t work very well because as we all know oil and water don’t mix. Lighter conditioners contain silk proteins instead of heavy oils, which moisturizes skin without leaving a greasy feel. Instead of choosing a dog conditioner, try using a rich moisturizing shampoo instead.

Medium Fur Needs Conditioning Too

Medium-coated dogs, such as Golden Retrievers, Akitas, Australian Shepherds and Papillons, have different coat needs. Dogs with medium-length coats, or short body hair with long furnishings, require a combination conditioning approach. Medium hair has additional moisture needs due to its length and structure shape, and all dogs need regular skin conditioning too.

Using a conditioning shampoo for dogs to moisturize his skin is a great first step, but medium-coated dogs with longer furnishings will need additional conditioning and detangling. Spray-on conditioners are excellent for conditioning small areas and contain rich moisturizers that don’t leave a heavy residue.

During your dog’s regular bath, shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo and rinse. Now, massage a dollop of conditioner, or spray conditioner, onto your dog’s front and back leg furnishings and tail. Allow the conditioner to sit for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly. During weekly brushings, use a spray-on conditioner that detangles, yet adds additional moisture.

Long Coat Conditioning Recommendations

Dogs with long coats need regular conditioning treatments—that’s a given. Longer hair means that strands of hair are older because they’ve been growing for a while. Older hair is porous, which means there are more holes in the hair cuticle. Due to the cuticle gaps, porous hair sucks up moisture quickly and can absorb colors introduced from the environment.

As an example, we know bleached hair will turn a green tinge when repeatedly exposed to swimming pool water containing chlorine. The same thing happens when your dog’s porous hair is repeatedly exposed to urine, salve and even red dirt.

To keep longer and porous hair in check, it needs regular moisturizing. Choose dog conditioners containing oils that not only moisturize, but also don’t overdo it. Sometimes, heavy conditioners can weigh hair down and leave a greasy residue that attracts and collects dirt. Other times, too much moisture will cause porous hair to frizz. Look for conditioners containing oils, such as Aryan oil or humectants, which help hair retain its moisture.

Experiment

With so many dog hair conditioning options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed quickly. As a cosmetologist, I believe professional products that cost a bit more are worth it. My favorite brands are Nature’s Specialty, Espree and Chris Christenson’s products. You can order online or ask your groomer what products she recommends.

When using conditioners for dogs, remember a little goes a long way! Don’t forget to rinse, rinse and rinse again to remove any residue. 🙂

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