Spring: The season of flying fur!
Right now my Siberian Husky, Tika, looks like a dandelion that just went to seed! Her coat is much thicker than prior Siberians I have owned; what worked for them doesn’t necessarily work for her. Here are some grooming suggestions from SOS-SRF board members.
Rule number 1 — NEVER use a Furminator on a Siberian — it breaks, rips & cuts the fur, severely damaging the dog’s coat almost as much as shaving.
Pat Tetrault recommends blowing a dog out with a high speed dog blow dryer (no heat) first — it removes a lot of dirt, dog dust, & loose hair. A grooming table with noose brings the dog up to your level. NEVER leave a dog unattended on a grooming table.
Don't neglect feet! You can get your dog used to you trimming or grinding toenails (she uses a Dremel). The foot and hair between the footpads should be carefully trimmed. It is probably best to used non-pointy scissors. This helps to keep dirt & mud down.
Any good shampoo works. She often use human shampoo, Mane & Tail shampoo or many of the premium dog shampoos. Most important is to thoroughly wet the dog before shampooing, be sure to scrub down to the skin, and RINSE RINSE RINSE. I often rinse, and shampoo again to be sure I’ve gotten all of the soil out, especially on the white areas. Cotton balls in the ears help to keep the water from running into ear canals.
Several of us use steel teeth combs & grooming rakes. Gail Roberts prefers a rake with teeth of two levels & the Lez Pooches slicker brush. I have a flexible double-sided slicker with stainless steel teeth & a rake.
Cheryl recommends Plush Puppy’s OMG conditioner, Pat prefers White Pearl, Randee suggests Orvus Sheep Shampoo and I like using TropiClean Whitening pet shampoo.
Mary Ann suggests Plush Puppy and Pure Paws products. In talking to others, she learned that they like #1 All Systems, Super Cleaning and Conditioning Shampoo for everyday baths. It smells really good and is gentle on the dog's skin. For show baths they use #1 All System Whitening and Proline Fair Advantage Volumizing Shampoo. Another well-liked shampoo line used by several of us is Earth Bath.
Gail adds that for dogs with skin issues, Virbac Epi-Soothe shampoo is a helpful product.
How to be glad your Siberian sheds
It collects in the quiet corners of the house, revealing the stagnant areas of air-flow. It floats through the air and onto the counter tops...it is in the very air you breathe. It waxes and it wanes, but it is always there on your clothes and furniture, revealing to all the world that you own a Siberian husky. It is, of course, Siberian husky hair, in particular, that fine soft undercoat that keeps them so warm and our vacuum cleaners so busy. It is like the water of the sorcerer's apprentice–the faster you brush, the more there is. There has to be a way to cope with all of it. Of course, one solution is not to own a Siberian husky. But for those of us that have completely capitulated to the charms of this breed, that is just not an option. So what do we do with it? Well, there is something for which it can be used that also benefits Siberians; it can be donated to the Save Our Siberians-Siberspace Rescue Fund, the SOS-SRF.
SOS-SRF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, is a group of Siberian Husky lovers that have banded together to raise money for the purpose of helping with special medical expenses of Siberians currently with rescue groups or shelters. This is done by collecting fur from our own well-fed, pampered dogs, spinning it into yarn and making items from that yarn. Those items, as well as other Siberian-related items, are then offered approximately twice a year on an Internet auction. The items have sold well; the group has raised thousand of dollars since its inception in the fall of 1997, benefitting nearly 650 dogs. The fund-raising has expanded to additional auction items as well as other items for direct sale.
The idea was originated by Pat Tetrault and Janet Whitesell when some particularly heart-rending rescue cases arose. When the idea was mentioned on Sibernet-L (an email list devoted to the Siberian Husky), several others expressed interest in knitting, crocheting, making dream catchers, etc., as well as helping with organization and administration of the fund. The board now comprises eleven members, nine in various parts of the US and two in Canada, and has long been officially non-profit in the USA. The fur is collected and sent to a spinner, who spins the fur into yarn. The yarn is then sent to a board member who distributes the yarn where needed. Other board members, along with some non-board members who just want to help out, knit or crochet hats, mittens, scarves, accessories for plush toys, dream catchers, etc. The items are then sent to the high bidders on the SOS-SRF auction.
 Siberwool scarf-- handspun & hand-knitted.
To raise money for a permanent fund the idea of a Siberian Husky knitting project using the dogs' undercoat was proposed. The idea evolved into the Save Our Siberians - Siberspace Rescue Fund with focus on assisting rescued Siberians while in the care of rescue organizations (or individual Good Samaritans).
This has expanded into a twice-yearly internet auction of Siberian Husky related items. If you would like to help out, you can send your fur to us; contact information is on our website. Collect it in paper bags, not plastic; it gets smelly stored in plastic, and it may not be spun right away. It must be thoroughly dry, so unless your dog is very dirty, it is better not to wash the dog. Just comb, collect, and send. Someone will spin it, wash the yarn in hot water to set the twist after spinning, label it with your name and your dog's name (or names if you have several dogs' fur combined) and send it to one of the knitters. One of us will work it into something to sell on the auction site. For more information about the group and its origins and work, the time of the next auction, and what we have for direct sale, visit http://www.sos-srf.org. The spring auction is happening right now!
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