Help! With grooming

AryaStark

Hi. I am hoping that somebody may have some tips on grooming a very hairy dog.
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She hates to be brushed but I manage brushing her by distracting her. She would not like to go to a groomer and I do not like the idea of her being muzzled or tied up while being brushed... she mouthes quite a bit but would never bite!

I am wondering if I should be cutting the hair at the back of her legs etc... it is very hard to brush. I have read online that you should never cut a husky hair. She is a mix between a husky and a samoyed so it may be different!

Are there any good conditioners that I could use.

She blows her coat twice a year and it is only during this time that I have problems with grooming her.

Thanks in Advance!

AryaStark

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She has a very healthy coat just like out other dog but her coat gets very long and will kind of knot into dreads that I sometimes have to cut when they grow out a bit .. this does be around her head though and is not as hard to brush!

muddypaws

Hiya, I have a woolly sibe, whose coat is an absolute nightmare, and I trim it on his legs and on his tummy, and I know other woolly owners who do the same.

You shouldn't really shave a husky because then it makes their coat ineffective, the double coat works really well to keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but a long haired, or woolly coat is totally different, its not how their coat should be. If my boy lived somewhere with regular snow, he could freeze to death as the coat would ice up. So, my opinion is to do whatever keeps the dog comfortable. Poor Vince gets dreadful knots when his coat is too long, which can be painful for him, hence me trimming the longest bits.

She looks very like a woolly sibe, gorgeous girl.

AryaStark

muddypaws wrote: »

Hiya, I have a woolly sibe, whose coat is an absolute nightmare, and I trim it on his legs and on his tummy, and I know other woolly owners who do the same.

You shouldn't really shave a husky because then it makes their coat ineffective, the double coat works really well to keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but a long haired, or woolly coat is totally different, its not how their coat should be. If my boy lived somewhere with regular snow, he could freeze to death as the coat would ice up. So, my opinion is to do whatever keeps the dog comfortable. Poor Vince gets dreadful knots when his coat is too long, which can be painful for him, hence me trimming the longest bits.

She looks very like a woolly sibe, gorgeous girl.

Great thanks! Her belly hair is getting so long, I guess its her ago too she will be 4 this year. Ill cut the long belly bits and try to get at some of the back of her legs and bum.
I already trim her toes or she would have real hobbit toes.

Parts of her tail are quite knotted so I will start with cutting that off and see how she goes... I already know she will not be happy with me!

muddypaws

Yeah, Vince absolutely hates being brushed as well.

aonb

what about a grooming glove, or would that not work with the double coat?

Beautiful dog!

Knine

Like Muddypaws mentions I would give her a little trim & tidy up where needed. A thinning scissors will give a better more natural finish. If the belly hair is really untidy, you could clip that area. If you use a scissors here, be really careful of teats.

A small curve tip scissors is good for the paw area. I trim between toes also on my terriers.

AryaStark

aonb wrote: »

what about a grooming glove, or would that not work with the double coat?

Beautiful dog!

I'll look into it.. I will use anything that works to help her blow her coat... It is an unbelievable amount of hair and she can be like a snow globe when she shakes.

She does not shed at any other time of the year just blows the coat twice a year and it takes about 6 weeks
. Our other dog (black collie in pic) sheds all year around and always has!

aonb

Knine wrote: »

Like Muddypaws mentions I would give her a little trim & tidy up where needed. A thinning scissors will give a better more natural finish. If the belly hair is really untidy, you could clip that area. If you use a scissors here, be really careful of teats.

A small curve tip scissors is good for the paw area. I trim between toes also on my terriers.

I once approached my terrier to trim the hair between his toes, as he had walked on soft tar - he started SCREAMING - literally - when I picked his foot up before I even went near it with the scissors

AryaStark

aonb wrote: »

I once approached my terrier to trim the hair between his toes, as he had walked on soft tar - he started SCREAMING - literally - when I picked his foot up before I even went near it with the scissors

Nymeria doesn't mind having her toes trimmed! I have to wait until after a really good run when she is nice and tired... I can then trim them and she just lies there looking at me as if I am mad!

I can also brush the back of her when she is digging in the garden! Once I don't get in the way of her digging she does not even register me there brushing and pulling out chunks of hair! But when I am grooming her if I even pinch her a bit she will give out!

Knine

Mine don't mind being groomed at all, they jump onto the grooming table. I cut puppies nails from a few days old so they are well used to it.

Lol at the screaming. I often get people bringing dogs to have feet done & one Pug cross tried to kill me. I was glad she had a flat face! I even do the neighbours dogs & one little cutie used to run & hide when she would see me. I felt like Cruella!

SillyMangoX

Knine wrote: »

Mine don't mind being groomed at all, they jump onto the grooming table. I cut puppies nails from a few days old so they are well used to it.

Lol at the screaming. I often get people bringing dogs to have feet done & one Pug cross tried to kill me. I was glad she had a flat face! I even do the neighbours dogs & one little cutie used to run & hide when she would see me. I felt like Cruella!

It's always the pugs, I don't know what it is about them! I remember doing one a couple of months ago and oh my god you would swear I had quicked every nail with the screaming!

OP, a good thinning shears to take off the bulk is a brilliant investment. A blast dryer is great as well for the shedding, depending on how well she tolerates it. I think someone here had said about getting one for their dogs before, might have been tk123?

La.de.da

Beautiful dog. I know you say your not keen on groomers but maybe it would be the best route. Professional groomers are usually very good at settling a nervous doggy.


For yourself..... to get the dog comfortable with being brushed maybe a long process. Start off slow, plenty of treats and praise. A couple of minutes every day, and build it up from there.

mymo

I highly recommend mane n tail detangler, squirt it on knots and use a slicker brush and bit of patience. You may need to do it a few times, works great on my two(Tibetan terrier and Lhasa Also) but they are well use to being brushed and groomed, they need a lot of coat care.
Peanut butter on a Kong stick frozen may keep her occupied for a few mins at a time.


Note: daughter swears by this stuff for curly human hair too

Ms Doubtfire1

what a stunning dog. But ye, clipping would be easiest and probably most comfy for her as well.

Knine

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

what a stunning dog. But ye, clipping would be easiest and probably most comfy for her as well.

She has a double coat, clipping it off would ruin her lovely coat. She would look very different from the photo.

Knine

mymo wrote: »

Note: daughter swears by this stuff for curly human hair too

Tell me more. Where do I get this as a mammy of a daughter with crazy curly hair.

DBB

Agree with Mymo on the detangler... It is really excellent and will certainly help op... I have 2 long-coated GSDs, one of whom has very silky, long hair not unlike your girl's. You can work it through the hair with your fingers, then I use a human hairbrush with more detangler sprayed on it, and it really does let the brush go through the tangles. Then, I can use an undercoat rake much more easily because it's not yoinking her hair.
With the same dog, I have shaved a strip along the underside of her tummy to up between her front legs, leaving hair at the sides so you can't see that she's been shaved unless she's belly-up! I also clip away her inner thighs, including some of that trouser hair, but only enough that you can't see it.
Removal of hair in these awkward places is a great way to control the tangling too, it makes them easier to groom, and without doubt keeps the dog more comfortable, which is why I did it!

Knine

DBB wrote: »

With the same dog, I have shaved a strip along the underside of her tummy to up between her front legs, leaving hair at the sides so you can't see that she's been shaved unless she's belly-up! I also clip away her inner thighs, including some of that trouser hair, but only enough that you can't see it.

You would be surprised how many people do this, including on show dogs. Leaves a lovely neat look.

DBB

Knine wrote: »

You would be surprised how many people do this, including on show dogs. Leaves a lovely neat look.

Lol, and here was me thinking people would be horrified

Knine

DBB wrote: »

Lol, and here was me thinking people would be horrified

Not at all lol. Some terriers get a fair amount of help to look nice!

SillyMangoX

DBB wrote: »

Lol, and here was me thinking people would be horrified

I did this with Kero for the first time about a month ago, had to take her back legs short too as the matting was too tight but my god, it has made life so much easier! She's cooler, doesn't matt up from swimming anymore and can be thrown in the bath and brushed out in less than half the time it used to take. She will be a baldy belly from now on :D

AryaStark

How often do people wash their dogs i.e with shampoo

I only wash Nymeria 3 times a year... I do it when she is about halfway through blowing her coat and then again at Christmas! I was always under the impression that you do not wash dogs as it can effect the coat and natural oils.

She does get her feet washed with water if she is dirty and sometimes a body wash with warm water in the shower if she was been in mucky dirty water. But I do not use any shampoo when doing this.

She is very clean and does not have a dog smell!

VonVix

I only wash my boys when they're manky. My Shelties require a poop chute trimmed out their behind, I can usually tell when they are due a trimming as you will find a random log of poo dropped randomly in the middle of the living room. Hairy dog bum problems.

Choc Chip

Knine wrote: »

Not at all lol. Some terriers get a fair amount of help to look nice!

And here I was thinking I was cheating when I shaved my little terrier-man's sensitive bits!

Knine

Choc Chip wrote: »

And here I was thinking I was cheating when I shaved my little terrier-man's sensitive bits!

Especially those bits! 4 out of 5 dogs are hand stripped here but yeah they get tidied in areas with extra help especially once they are finished their show career.

At shows I have seen toy breeds getting their fur straightened lol & Poodles with more hair products then a loreal model.

mymo

For those in need the mane n tail detangler is available in boots and some other supermarkets or bigger chemists, also online.

I wish I'd found it when my daughter was small, would have made both our lives easier.
It was developed for horses apparently

AryaStark

So I am going to give her a bath today and then work on trimming the belly and cutting a bit out of the back of her legs. I am not mad about the idea of touching her tail as it sits so perfectly on her back... I will use the main & tail conditioner on that and see if that helps at all first.

She has a lovely tail!

Knine

AryaStark wrote: »

So I am going to give her a bath today and then work on trimming the belly and cutting a bit out of the back of her legs. I am not mad about the idea of touching her tail as it sits so perfectly on her back... I will use the main & tail conditioner on that and see if that helps at all first.

She has a lovely tail!

I would only use a thinning scissors on her tail. It will leave a more natural look on her. A normal scissors will butcher it. Otherwise keep it mat free & leave her tail alone

mymo

The stuff I use is the detangler spray, mainly on my dogs tails, gets matted bits out easy, and they carry them over the back too.
Haven't tried the other products, Johnson's baby conditioner is good for a conditioning rinse, dilute 50/50 with water, and leave a few mins, rinse well.