Dog grooming glossary

Met a grooming word you don’t know, on this site or at the groomer? Find it below. Each term links to the guide that covers it in full.

By Grooming Dogs · Updated October 5, 2026

Short answer:

Find a term below: they’re grouped by theme, and each one links to the full guide.
Some salon words, especially cut names like “puppy cut” and menu names like “tidy”, have no standard meaning. Always confirm with your groomer what they’ll actually do.

Coat and hair

Coat type: The kind of coat a dog has. This site sorts coats into five groups: short and smooth, wiry, double, long and silky, and curly. → Dog coat types

Double coat: A coat with two layers: a weather-resistant outer coat of longer, coarser hairs, and a soft, dense undercoat beneath it. → Dog coat types

Undercoat: The dense, soft, short layer of hair hidden beneath a longer outer coat. It’s the layer that sheds most. → Dog coat types

Guard hairs (topcoat): The longer, stiffer outer hairs that grow through and normally hide the undercoat. Groomers also call this layer the topcoat or guard coat. → Dog coat types

Wiry coat: A coat of hard, crisp, rough-feeling hair, typical of many terriers. Also called wirehair. → Dog coat types

Feathering: A longer fringe of hair on the ears, legs, tail or body. → Dog coat types

Furnishings: The long hair on the head, legs and tail of certain breeds, such as a terrier’s beard and eyebrows. → Dog coat types

Blowing coat: The heavy, seasonal shedding of the undercoat in many double-coated dogs. → Brushing your dog

Hand stripping: A specialist grooming technique for wiry coats, in which dead hairs are pulled out, by hand or with a tool, so new wiry hair can grow in. It’s a skilled service, mostly used for show dogs. → Dog coat types

Carding: Removing dead, soft undercoat from a coat with a carding knife, a comb-like serrated blade. Groomers often combine it with a clipper trim on wiry-coated pets. → Dog coat types

Shaving (a double coat): Clipping the coat down close to the skin. On a double coat this removes both layers, which grow back at different rates. → Should you shave a double-coated dog?

Brushing and de-matting

Tangle: A loose knot of hair, usually near the surface of the coat, that can be separated gently. → Brushing your dog

Mat (matting): Hair that has become packed tightly together, often close to the skin. Mats pull on the skin, and tighten further when they get wet and dry. → Dealing with mats

De-matting: Removing mats from a coat. Tight or widespread mats are a job for a groomer, who may clip the coat short instead of brushing them out. → Dealing with mats

Line brushing: Brushing the coat in small sections, from the skin outward, so no layer is missed. → Brushing your dog

Line combing: Working a comb through the coat section by section to lift out loose hair. Groomers use it on dense coats. → Brushing your dog

Slicker brush: A brush with fine wire bristles, used to work out small tangles and remove loose, dead hair. → Choosing a brush

Pin brush: A brush with widely spaced pins, used on longer coats. → Choosing a brush

Bristle brush: A brush with soft bristles that removes loose hair and smooths the coat. → Choosing a brush

Rubber curry brush: A rubber brush that loosens dead hair, dirt and dead skin, mostly used on short, smooth coats. → Choosing a brush

Undercoat rake: A rake-like tool that reaches into a thick undercoat to remove loose undercoat hair. → Choosing a brush

De-shedding tool: Any tool designed to remove loose undercoat from a double coat, such as an undercoat rake. → Choosing a brush

Steel comb: A metal comb used after brushing to check the coat is tangle-free right down to the skin. → Choosing a brush

Bathing and drying

Dog shampoo: Shampoo formulated specifically for dogs, which is what dog bathing guidance recommends using. → Bathing your dog

Waterless shampoo (spot cleaner): A pet cleaning product used on one dirty patch instead of giving a full bath. Dry shampoos and pet wipes are used the same way. → Bathing your dog

Blow-dry (blowout): A salon term for drying the coat with a dryer, usually while brushing it. Menus use both names, and what’s included can vary. → Bathing your dog

High-velocity dryer: A powerful dryer whose fast airflow pushes water and loose undercoat out of the coat. It’s used by groomers and at some self-service washes. → Bathing your dog

Cage dryer: A dryer attached to a crate, which dries a dog without anyone holding it. Heated cage dryers have been linked to serious injuries when dogs aren’t watched. → Choosing a groomer

Cuts, trims and blades

Clippers: Electric hair clippers with a cutting blade, used to cut the coat short or to an even length. → Trimming and haircuts

Blade number: Clipper blades are identified by number. The number doesn’t give a fixed length: the length a blade leaves changes with the blade’s angle and the dog’s coat, so check the manufacturer’s information. → Blade numbers and guide combs

Guide comb (guard comb): A plastic or metal comb that clips onto a clipper blade to set how long the hair is left. → Trimming and haircuts

Blunt-ended scissors (round-tip scissors): Grooming scissors with rounded tips, used for small trims near the face and paws. → Trimming and haircuts

Sanitary trim: Trimming the long hair around the genitals and under the tail so the area stays cleaner. Groomers may include slightly different areas. → The sanitary trim

Paw pad trim: Trimming the hair that grows between and over the pads of the paws. → Trimming the paw pads

Puppy cut: A common salon name for a haircut that’s usually described as one length all over. There’s no standard definition: groomers use it for very different lengths and styles, so describe the length and finish you want. → Asking for the cut you want

Teddy bear cut: A salon name for a haircut style. It isn’t standardized, and different groomers mean different things by it, so describe or show the look you want. → Asking for the cut you want

Kennel cut: Another salon name for a haircut style, often a shorter one. It isn’t standardized either, so agree the actual length with your groomer. → Asking for the cut you want

Nails, ears and teeth

Quick: The living core of a dog’s nail, containing blood vessels and nerves. On light nails it shows as a pink area. → Finding the quick

Dewclaw: An extra claw higher up on the inner side of the leg, a rudimentary fifth toe. Not every dog has them. → Trimming your dog’s nails

Nail clippers: Tools for cutting dog nails. Scissor- and plier-style clippers cut with two crossing blades; guillotine-style clippers cut with a single blade as the nail passes through a hole. → Choosing clippers or a grinder

Nail grinder: A rotary tool that shortens nails by filing them down rather than cutting. → Trimming your dog’s nails

Styptic powder: A powder pressed onto a nail tip to help stop bleeding if the quick is cut. → Trimming your dog’s nails

Ear flap (pinna): The outer part of the ear that you can see and lift, supported by cartilage. Dog-show glossaries also call it the “leather”. → Cleaning your dog’s ears

Ear canal: The passage leading down from the ear opening into the head. Nothing should be pushed into it. → Cleaning your dog’s ears

Ear-cleaning solution: A liquid made for cleaning dogs’ ears, ideally one recommended by your vet. → Cleaning your dog’s ears

Ear plucking: Removing hair from inside the ear. Whether it’s needed is debated, even among veterinary dermatologists, so ask your vet or groomer. → Cleaning your dog’s ears

Plaque: The buildup that forms on teeth constantly. Regular brushing is the most effective way to keep it under control. → Brushing your dog’s teeth

Tartar (calculus): The everyday name for what vets call dental calculus. Leave tartar to your vet rather than trying to remove it. → Brushing your dog’s teeth

VOHC seal: The seal of the Veterinary Oral Health Council, a group of veterinary dentists and dental scientists. Products carrying it have submitted evidence that they help control plaque, tartar or both. → Brushing your dog’s teeth

Pet toothpaste: Toothpaste made for pets. Human toothpaste isn’t a substitute, because dogs swallow it. → Brushing your dog’s teeth

At the groomer

Full groom: A salon package that usually combines a bath, drying, brushing and a haircut, often with nails and ears. What’s included varies between groomers, so check before you book. → Choosing a groomer

Bath and brush: A package with a bath, drying and brush-out but no full haircut. Some groomers include nails or ears. Names and contents vary. → Choosing a groomer

Tidy: A salon term for a lighter trim than a full haircut. It isn’t standardized: one groomer’s “tidy” covers feathers, belly, feet and sanitary area, while another’s is a bath with nails and a trim around the eyes. Names like “face, feet and fanny” or “mini groom” are used in similar ways. Ask what’s included. → Choosing a groomer

Mobile grooming: Grooming done in a van or trailer parked at your home. → Choosing a groomer

Self-service wash: A business where you wash your own dog using their tubs, shampoo and dryers. → Choosing a groomer

Anal glands: Two small scent glands beside a dog’s anus that normally empty on their own. Some grooming menus list “gland expression”, but veterinary guidance says emptying them is a job for a vet. → Trimming and haircuts: anal glands

Where to go next

Dog coat types

Which of the five coats your dog has.

Trimming and haircuts at home

Cut names, and how to describe the cut you want.

Dog grooming tools

Which brush or clipper suits your dog.

Choosing a dog groomer

What to ask before you book.

Definitions are short summaries. The linked guides give the full picture and their sources. Coat and anatomy terms follow the American Kennel Club’s glossary; salon terms reflect how US grooming businesses use them, and may differ at your groomer. How we write, source and fund our guides.