Grooming Back to Basics for Better Coats

Grooming is as important a part of successful conformation presentation as handling. It doesn’t matter how gifted you are, you can’t make a silk purse out of sow’s ear in the 10 minutes you’re in the ring. It takes work. In many cases untold HOURS of hard work.

For today we’re just going to talk about some basic maintenance and at home care. Breed specific grooming, ring prep and favorite product recommendations will all be covered in later epidsodes.

Coat Care

Coat care is as individual as the breed. Double coated, single drop coats, hand stripping, scissoring, short smooth coats, short double coats, long fine hair, long coarse hair, curly hair. No matter what breed and coat type you’re working with, you need to have a routine and a plan. Hair is a renewable resource but it also requires loving care and maintenance. Those stunning, shiny dogs don’t just happen by accident!

Establish a Routine

Pick a day that is dedicated to dog grooming or assign a time each day to one part of the process. EVERY dog needs nails trimmed, teeth and ears checked and cleaned, coat brushed and a good bath and dry. If you have a Komondor this is a whole lot different game than if you have a whippet! Plan accordingly. Your dog’s success is dependent on the time and dedication you put in to this process.

Brushing the Coat

Brushing a dog to the skin is critically important to keeping the skin and hair coat healthy. A couple rules that apply, especially in drop coated breeds, NEVER BRUSH DRY HAIR! A light mist of conditioning spray as you brush will help minimize breakage and damage to the coat.

We have far too many different coat types to focus on just one, but I do want to touch on the heavily coated breeds. Please, I beg of you (as does every professional groomer) learn how to properly brush your dog. Start at the bottom of the dog (ie the feet), pull the coat up with one hand and brush down with the other. Literally, this might be a half inch section at a time to start with. Make sure that you SEE the skin and that the brush is actually *touching* the skin…. The best way to check your work is to run a comb through each section when you’re done brushing. If the comb doesn’t reach the skin and pull through easily, you have more work to do.

Now, whether you use a pin brush or slicker brush for this task depends on coat type and condition, and, to a degree, personal preference. Be VERY sure that you are brushing *through* the coat, not “flicking” your wrist… This also will help prevent breakage.

Train the Dog for Grooming

One thing I think folks forget is that grooming is something for which we train the dogs just like any other skill. Starting your puppy out as soon as it comes home with a quick trip to the grooming table each week for some kisses and treats, handling feet and mouth, rubbing and touching all over gradually increasing the time and attention as they get older and require more effort will pay HUGE dividends in the long run with a dog who sits, stands or lies quietly on the table instead of shrieking like a banshee and thrashing wailing biting lunging etc. A dog who is started early, consistently maintained and properly trained for grooming will enjoy the time and special attention. One that is 6 months old or more when it’s started might fight the process and often “learns” that the table is to be hated. Which means your life just got more difficult and the dog is less liable to win because the grooming process is such a nightmare it’s just easier to not do a thorough job.

Don’t forget, even dogs with short, smooth,