Dog grooming advice

lostinrates

I'm still struggling with keeping my boy's coat well maintained. I think I've posted before.


It mats easily, often within a day of last grooming there is a hither nasty knot and he is really resenting grooming. With immense guilt to day I realised the advised slicker brush is pArt of the problem, even though I never press down on it, only pull back, its still been enough to put a couple of tiny scratches in his skin. These aren't bleeder, but nevertheless must be unpleasant and explain his reluctance. It was only when I bathed him after brushing tonight I saw a tiny scratch on ear and head that I'm certain must be from the brush.

I have a slicker with bobbles too ( and wish I had only ever used that , and combs but they just aren't that great on the soft fluffy easily knotted hair.

I'm also using anti tangle sprays....but not sure they make much difference. He goes to a professional groomer roughly every every six weeks and she does a great job, but tells me to persevere with slicker and comb......

Is there any thing I'm missing? Rather than damage his confidence in grooming I'm cutting out a lot of coat, but I'd love him to have a full coat, don't mind a daily brush, but not if its going to make him unhappy or sore. If it makes him unhappy then instead we'll have him clipped out. I feel immensely guilty about those scratches, he and I had a huge cuddle and I put the slicker in the bin.

I'm thinking of trying a tangle teaser or a plastic curry comb?

lee111s

What kind of dog is he? How often is he washed/bathed? Do you take him to the groomers to have the excess hair cut off?

I use a furminator on Lenny and that does the trick. He does get the odd bit of matting under his belly but I just trim it off with scisors.

lostinrates

lee111s wrote: »

What kind of dog is he? How often is he washed/bathed? Do you take him to the groomers to have the excess hair cut off?

I use a furminator on Lenny and that does the trick. He does get the odd bit of matting under his belly but I just trim it off with scisors.

He's just a little terrier with a fluffy coat.

He's bathed when he gets in the slurry pit or muck heap! :rotfl: or when he is really grotty. Not that often, monthly? It depends on him really.



Today it was watching him pee over his belly and front legs that made me think after his brush he should have a bath, and the bath showed the skin. The other bonus with washing him is I can put conditioner in the knottier bits which makes them easier to keep knot free for a few days.

The groomer does a complete groom, a trim, wash, teeth and tootsies. I am trying to get better at his trim, so sometimes do it mild a few days before he is due in to be tidied up my them :).

Furminatpr is a banned thing in my house now...groomer assures me it would be a killer for his coat and I quite royally impaired one of our dogs coat for a season with it and a little over enthusiasm:o. The cats like it though, and we use it whe the horses are moulting:)

orlao

What about pig oil?

If you were to slather that on him after a bath, it should keep his coat unknotted. He's only be oily for an hour or so after you put it on...

lee111s

I bath my dog weekly, sometimes 2-3 times a week recently woth the mud. He's a springer though and totally nuts so he's always tunning around in the bushes/fields and doesn't care what colour he gets! Couple of days ago I couldn't make out his brown patches on his back! Covered in mud! He does get a few bits ot matting on his underside which I snip off with scisors but other than that no real issues.

lostinrates

orlao wrote: »

What about pig oil?

If you were to slather that on him after a bath, it should keep his coat unknotted. He's only be oily for an hour or so after you put it on...

Hmm, thinking of the havoc a small oily terrier could reek in an hour :rotfl:. I could crate him.

Does it really work? I could even just try it in places like elbows for a test run.....thanks.

lostinrates

lee111s wrote: »

I bath my dog weekly, sometimes 2-3 times a week recently woth the mud. He's a springer though and totally nuts so he's always tunning around in the bushes/fields and doesn't care what colour he gets! Couple of days ago I couldn't make out his brown patches on his back! Covered in mud! He does get a few bits ot matting on his underside which I snip off with scisors but other than that no real issues.

We don't have central heating (though the room the dogs sleep in is heated) or that could provision of running warm water). Just like the now binned brush, I don't want to cause discomfort and really I'd like him to not hate being groomed.

The other thing is really its the matts tat cause a problem, and so I need him knot free before washing him, whether I wash or not.


DH took him out last night and the first thing he did was roll in mud undoing my time spent brushing, washing and drying and fluffing him up:rotfl: This morning he has Been further making efforts to undo his hair style. :rotfl: he doesn't care much.

gettingready

Mickey Rake - try one of those, find the one right for his coat.

I have a large one for Zara - it is brilliant, does not hurt the skin as the ends go inside when you press it to the skin.

I tried Furminator and it was awful for Zara, not sure what people see in that as it was cutting/breaking her fur.

Mikki rake is brilliant.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=mikki+rake&sprefix=mikki+rake%2Caps%2C225&rh=n%3A340840031%2Ck%3Amikki+rake

When I am out with Zara and have it with me, everyone wants to try it on their dogs and everyone buys one afterwards - I should get a commision to be honest ... LOL

But it really is the best and I went through a lot of various brushes - both slicked and furminator are awful and hurt the skin... This one is absolutely great

Just get a proper Mikki not a similar one - Mikki retracts the rake when you press it, others do not not. Because it retracts - you can not hurt/scratch the dog's skin.

gettingready

I also use this detangling spray on Zara betwen baths on dry fur and it is brilliant. I spray it on her, rub in a bit (strait strokes) and few min later I can easily brush her terrible, terrible "pants"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Head-Ball-Detangling-Spray/dp/B0019VUIHO/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1382871911&sr=1-6&keywords=bed+head+dog

Bath - we use this shampoo and "finishing spray" - both brilliant

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animology-Gloss-Finish-Spray-250/dp/B008EI0MX0/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_img_y

ka7e

Trawling through the Mikki range (thanks gettingready!) I found this -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-Grooming-Matt-Breaker-Replacement/dp/B001QOE7M6/ref=wl_mb_hu_m_2_dp
Might do the trick!

gettingready

Have not used this, so can not say - but glad you found it and will try.. and let us know.