One of the things I love the very most about being a dog groomer is that there is always something new to learn. For instance, my co-worker recently said she had read something about dogs with triple coats. In this case, it was a Pomeranian being discussed. I was skeptical, so I visited the American Kennel Club website and looked at the breed standard for Pomeranians. The standard clearly stated, "The double coat consists of a short, dense undercoat with a profuse,harsh-textured longer outer coat." This confirmed my belief, but because I'm a groomer geek andresearch makes me happy, I checked Google's AI site, Gemini. I asked if there were any dog breeds with triple coats. Gemini quickly informed me, "Yes, there are a few dog breeds that are often described as having triple coats."
The site listed a handful of breeds, such as the Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, and Siberian Husky. I went to each breed standard and found that all of them were described as having a double coat. Next, I dashed off a note to a friend who breeds and shows Samoyed. She had never heard of a triple coat but promised to talk to some other knowledgeable breeders and get back to me. I'm looking forward to her response.
Another website was suggested to me when I asked my question on Google. It led me to this informative quote found at: https://pethero.co.za/blog/the-different-types-of-fur-coats-on-dogs/. I was unfamiliar with this site but was intrigued by the following information. It said,
"Thanks to the genome sequencing done on dogs for the last two decades, dog enthusiasts now know that some modern-day dogs are still influenced by their primitive ancestors'DNA. One of these genetic characteristics – especially for Asian and European spitz-type dogs, Siberian sledding and hunting dogs, Nordic herding and guarding dogs, and Lapponian herders – is that they wear a triple coat, or what's also called the Arctic coat. It comprises an outer coat of guard hair, an insulating undercoat, as well as a second undercoat. This third coat of fur lies very close to the skin in a fuzzy layer that makes it near impossible to see the skin itself. If you look at where these dogs originated from – in the far northern parts of Europe, Russia and Asia – it's easy to see why they'd need an Arctic coat!"
I also found an interesting article written by Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins in Groomer to Groomer magazine. You can read it here. It includes some excellent photographs.
I would love to read more about the genome sequencing studies because, like I said, I'm a geek, and stuff like this fascinates me, so I am up to my elbows in further sleuthing. Meanwhile, the tentative answer to the original question seems to be yes. It appears that some breeds may have a previously unsung layer of fur in their coats. And why that isimportant to groomers is a topic for another post!
