For people who own Afghans, Bearded Collies, Bichons, Bouviers, Chow Chows, Cocker Spaniels, Colies, Kerry Blue Terriers, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, Newfoundlands, Old English Sheepdogs, Papillions, Pomeranians, Poodles, Pulis, Springer Spaniels, Samoyeds, Schnauzers, Shih Tzus, Silky Terriers, Skye Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaton Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers, and other similar coated dogs.
Many of our clients bring their dogs to us for grooming ask us to leave the coat long (long is defined by groomers as any length that is longer than 1/4 inch). Several of the above mentioned breeds (not meant to be a comprehensive list) need a concerted program of regular maintenance, and regular professional grooming in order for us to be able to do this. Of course everyone appreciated the look of a well groomed long coated dog. Look at any breed book, or professional photograph of a Bearded Collie, Cocker Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Old English Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, Wheaton and Yorkshire Terrier and you will see a wonderfully flowing coat. What most people don't realize is that in order to keep the coat in this condition several brushing and combing sessions per week are needed, along with regular professional grooming. Unfortunately people are not always told this when they first acquire their dogs and it is left to the groomer to explain this. So here are the facts for keeping your dog in a full coat.
The big issue is mats and tangling of the dog's coat. Mats are tangled fur that occurs at the skin. Matting is much more of a health issue than a cosmetic one. A matted coat will retain wetness and bacteria near your dog's skin. This can lead to skin conditions and uncomfortable bruising as the mats pull at the skin. Additionally they give your dog a unkempt look and aid in retaining odors and dirt. The number one grooming rule is that all the mats and tangles have to be removed. We do this by either brushing and combing out your dog's coat, or shaving him down. Both procedures have their downsides: Excessive brushing out of a matted dog can be both physically and psychologically difficult for your dog. The simple reason for this is because it hurts the dog. Imagine brushing out tangles from your hair and then picture a dog that has a solid coat of mats all over it's body! Often times, despite our best efforts, the amount of brushing out required to remove the mats and tangles irritates the skin and creates redness. When dogs are uncomfortable they often do what dogs commonly do when they are not enjoying something - try to bite the groomer! The other alternative is shaving the dog down. This leaves the coat with a length of 1/4 inch or less. I'm sure that you have seen dogs that have been shaved down...they do look a little unusual. The reason the cut needs to be so short is because the clipper blade needs to get between the mat and the skin. On the very rarest of occasions, this can lead to a small nick, or cut as shaving down a matted dog is a tricky and difficult procedure often compounded by the fact that dogs do move during the grooming procedure.
In both cases the grooming bill will be higher due to the fact that it takes longer, and is more difficult to work on a matted dog that a non-matted one.
There are several things that you can do to prevent the above happening to your dog:
- Ask your groomer to provide you with the proper tools to keep your dogs coat mat and tangle free. If you own a soft bristle brush throw it out. These are for show dogs that get brushed out daily. Groomers use slicker brushes, and metal combs. Additionally there are rakes, and mat splitters that help loosed up matted or clumpy coats. Remember you are doing this to break up the mats and tangles. You will know you have been successful when you can take a narrow spaced comb through 100% of your dog's coat. Many people bring in matted dogs to us and say they have been brushing. It's not about brushing per say, but about clearing the coat of mats and tangles, and combing out your dog is the test.
- Get your pet used to being brushed our from an early age. Yes, we know they don't always like it. We deal with this every day. With some patience, and persistence you can get your dog used to it. In fact we would be happy to show any of our clients how to do this properly and offer a complimentary grooming session for your puppy (after all his shots and boosters - usually at 16 weeks) to help acclimatize him to the procedure.
- If you are going to bathe at home be certain to comb out all the mats and tangles BEFORE the bath. Failing to do this will lead to those mats becoming tighter, and tighter. As a matter of fact brushing and combing is more important than bathing and will keep your dog looking, feeling, and smelling better.
- Be realistic about what you can do. Often times your dogs coat maintenance comes after house cleaning, grocery shopping, and taking care of the children. So if you can't get to it let the professionals do the job. Most groomers will set up a Regular Maintenance Program that combines brush outs, with full groomings at a frequency that meets your budget and dogs coat requirements. By PRE-BOOKING your next appointment you won't have to worry about when your dog should come in next. Often times your regular groomer may not be able to take you as soon as you need grooming. PRE-BOOKING takes that care and worry our of your dogs coat maintenance and it's often a lower charge.
- Pick a realistic coat length and keep your dog in this clip year round. Adjusting your dog's haircut for the season just leads to difficulty. A common misconception we hear is that people want to keep their dog's coat longer in the winter because they feel it keeps him warmer. Yes it's true, a longer coat may provide a little more warmth for you dog but only if its mat and tangle free. It's been our experience that the vast majority of dogs that have been kept in a long coat due to the perception of warmth usually have terribly matted coats that need to be shaved down each spring. Remember mats and tangles retain moisture at the dog's skin. How warm can that be? If you get caught in the rain the first thing you would do when you got home would be to remove your wet clothing. A dog cannot do this.
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| A matted coat being removed |
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