Hi all,

I went down a pretty deep rabbit hole reading AKC and veterinary grooming guidelines and realized how inconsistent the advice online can be.

With my background in natural sciences, I default to systems and categories — so the vague “brush regularly” advice wasn’t cutting it for me.

I needed something structured.

Instead of organizing by breed (which overlaps a lot), I grouped everything by coat biology — double coat, curly, wiry, etc. Breeds vary, but coat structure is what actually drives maintenance needs. So I built a coat-type brushing schedule table that pulls together the guidance into something more systematic and usable.

I made a Google Sheets table that includes:

1. Base brushing frequency
2. Bath frequency
3. Tool recommendations
4. Seasonal adjustments
5. Skin condition modifiers
6. Source links in every cell (AKC, VCA Hospitals, AAHA, VOHC, etc.)

This isn’t sponsored. I’m not trying to sell you a brush. 😂 I just prefer to have info structured and organized instead of guessing.

The goal isn’t to replace groomers or vets. Just to reduce guesswork and make preventive care more consistent.

If it helps anyone who’s new to dog parenthood, that would make me happy.

If you’re more of a systems / flowchart thinker like me, I also built a decision tree version. Happy to share if there’s interest.

Important disclaimer

I’m not a vet or groomer. This is a synthesis of publicly available veterinary and professional grooming guidance.

If your dog has allergies, skin disease, endocrine issues, etc., always follow your vet.

If I misinterpreted anything, I genuinely want to know — I’d rather improve it than defend it. 💜