6 Incredible Husky Haircuts & Grooming Styles (With Pictures)

The Husky is blessed with a magnificently thick coat, which is beautiful to look at and serves an essential purpose. Originally bred as a working dog, Huskies started to gain popularity as pets from about 1925 onward. Today, they are found all over the world in all environments. Huskies living in warm climates often look out of place with their fluffy winter coats, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that they would overheat. The natural inclination might be to clip them or give them a haircut to help them keep cool.

It may surprise you to learn that this is entirely unnecessary and would detrimentally affect their temperature control. Read on to find out why.

Before You Clip Your Husky

In a nutshell, Huskies should never be clipped completely or given a drastic haircut. Clipping, shaving, or extreme trimming is only necessary if there is a medical condition that requires it or if there is severe matting present that can’t be remedied with grooming equipment. Huskies have a unique double-layered coat characteristic of certain dog breeds that hail from extreme climates.

It consists of a dense undercoat of fine hairs and a longer outer coat of coarse guard hairs. Their coat is cleverly evolved to not only keep them warm in freezing temperatures but also cool when it gets hot. Although Huskies are known for shedding all year, once or twice a year, they completely shed their undercoats in preparation for seasonal shifts. This phenomenon is known as “blowing” and means that at these times there will be a lot of excess hair around the home! The new undercoat takes about 3 to 4 months to completely grow back in.

The best way to keep your Husky’s luscious locks manageable is by implementing a regular grooming regimen. This doesn’t need to be overcomplicated or too time-consuming. It will minimize the amount of excess hair you’ll find on your clothes and keep your Husky mat-free. It provides the bonus of bonding time with your precious pet.

The 6 Incredible Husky Haircuts & Grooming Styles

Even though Huskies should never receive a full haircut, you can still play around with their style to create a look that shows off your Husky’s swagger. Check out these six fun styles best carried out by a dog groomer with expertise working with dogs with double coats. A qualified dog groomer will never interfere with a Husky’s undercoat other than to wash, brush, and comb it.

1. Classic Husky Trim

The classic Husky trim involves trimming particular parts of the Husky’s body so that their wolf-like appearance is accentuated. The groomer will trim the back, sides, and legs of the Husky just a bit shorter than the head, neck, and chest.

Leaving the head, neck, and chest fuller than the rest of the body gives the Husky a proud and regal appearance. This trim will leave no doubts as to their Siberian wolf ancestry.

2.  Even Trim

As the name suggests, the even trim is simply a uniform trim to all body parts, including the head, neck, and chest. It usually entails trimming no more than an inch or two of the topcoat and much less around the head and legs. In keeping with Husky trimming protocol, the undercoat is never touched.

This kind of trim would be carried out mainly to make routine grooming easier. It also cleans up the dog’s appearance and can help prevent the formation of knots and mats.

3.  Summer Trim

The summer trim is very similar to the even trim in many regards, but your dog groomer may choose not to trim as much off the head and legs. As you may have gathered from its name, the primary purpose of this trim is to help the Husky stay cool in summer.

Their dual-purpose double coat does an excellent job of insulating them from the heat of a balmy summer’s day, but trimming an inch or so of their topcoat can help in really sweltering climates.

4.  Narrow Face Trim

As the name of this trim implies, the hair on the Husky’s face is trimmed to give them a sleek, almost imposing look. This trim can accentuate the “don’t mess with me” attitude of their wolf forefathers.

Usually, the hair on the rest of their body is left untouched or is trimmed very little.

5.  Big Head Trim

The big head trim is another classic cut for Huskies. The body is evenly trimmed, but the head is left completely untrimmed, accentuating its size and those gorgeous Husky features. Sometimes, the groomer may trim a bit of hair from around the eyes for functionality and comfort.

6.  Fleecy Trim

This grooming style is not much of a trim at all. Although the groomer may trim a little of the overcoat of guard hairs, this style is more about brushwork than anything else.

After trimming a little of the overcoat, if they choose, the groomer will work with brushes and combs, fluffing up the Husky’s coat to its full fleecy glory. The final result is a bold and eye-catching Husky dog guaranteed to make heads turn everywhere he or she goes.

Husky Grooming Tips

No amount or style of trim will eradicate the need for grooming your Husky. Since their undercoat always remains untouched, it still needs to be tended to keep it in good condition.

Here are our top tips for keeping your Husky’s opulent coat in great shape and your house (relatively) hair-free.

1. Brushing

Brush your Husky every day with a slicker brush. This will prevent things from getting out of hand, which they can do quickly. At the very least, you will need to thoroughly brush them once or twice a week, including combing (below).

While they are blowing, you will need to brush and comb daily. Brushing doesn’t always effectively get down to their delicate, dense undercoat, so you will need to use a combination of grooming utensils, including combs.

2. Combing

A wide-toothed comb can break up any mats that may form. Daily brushing should prevent this, but you can’t predict messy playtime that could play havoc with their dense mane! A rake-type comb is excellent for getting down to the undercoat and effectively removing trapped hairs that have been shed.

3. Bathing

Bathing too regularly can affect the skin’s natural and healthy oil production, resulting in dry or itchy skin. It’s not necessary to bathe your Husky more than every 3 months unless a medical condition requires it.

4. Grooming location

You’re going to be grooming your Husky often and probably opportunistically, so most of the time, you’ll be giving them a quick brush wherever they are. However, if you are undertaking an intensive grooming session, for instance, while they are seasonally shedding, you might want to choose a location that will keep hair out of the home. The front porch or backyard are good options.

Their coat is not the only area that needs attention. Several other essential grooming activities should be carried out regularly.

Other Grooming Needs

Teeth

As with all dogs, a Husky’s teeth need regular cleaning. Brush with a canine toothpaste and toothbrush at least three times a week.

Feet

Their constantly growing toenails will need regular trimming or grinding to prevent them from becoming overgrown. The regularity with which they require trimming will depend on the amount of exercise they receive and where they exercise. More active dogs may require trimming less often, but housebound Huskies need it more often.

Owing to their frigid origins, Huskies have a significant amount of hair that grows on their feet between their foot pads. You may want to trim it back if it is proving inconvenient to them. For example, if they are slipping on polished floors, getting mud and dirt trapped in their hair, or overheating, trimming the foot hair will help.

Eye and Ear Care

Your Husky’s eyes and ears should be monitored for any signs of ill health. Huskies are prone to eye ailments so if you notice any changes that concern you, they should be checked out by your veterinarian immediately. It’s advisable to have your Husky’s eyes examined annually. Dirty ears can be cleaned at home with an appropriate cleanser, but any signs of ear distress should warrant a visit to the veterinary clinic.

Teeth brushing and nail clipping can be carried out at home. However, if you are not confident about clipping your Husky’s toenails, your local pet groomer or veterinarian will gladly assist. It is best not to attempt toenail clipping unless you know what you are doing. If you misjudge the clipping length you could cut into the quick.

Conclusion

Huskies don’t require drastic grooming such as seasonal clips or cuts like other breeds. Their double coats are cleverly designed to keep them warm and cool and shouldn’t be interfered with much. However, a Husky’s constant grooming needs will provide you with plenty of opportunities for bonding with your precious fur child.

Although you can’t make any radical changes to the contours of their coat, you can tweak it a little here and there to improve their dashing good looks. You can certainly have a little fun with the subtle trims and styles above!

Featured Image Credit: Wasitt Hemwarapornchai, Shutterstock