There are two coats in this breed – the rough and the smooth. The smooth coat, like any smooth coated dog, has a seasonal shed. That means that in the spring and fall, the dead hairs fall out. The shed lasts maybe two weeks and is encouraged with warm baths followed by brushing. Regular grooming for a smooth uses a “hound’s glove” to give the coat gloss and catch the loose hairs. The rough coat does not have a seasonal shed. Each hair in the body coat grows to about 3-4 inches and then dies and a new hair grows in the follicle. But the hairs do not come out all at one time. Regular grooming and daily brushing keeps hair off furniture and floor. Rough-coated pets need to visit a groomer about every three months where clipping trims the body coat and a scissors trims the beard and legs.
For conformation showing the rough coated Griffon is hand stripped or tidied for neatness by hand. The rough show coat should never be prepared with scissors and/or clippers, and should be of sufficient length to determine texture.