Archive for the ‘Dog Grooming’ Category
6 Steps To Grooming a Wavy or Curly-Coated Sporting Breed
Grooming a dog with a curly or a wavy coat is not as simple as grooming one that has a short and smooth coat. For example, take the the “water breeds”. They are sporting dogs with extremely harsh curly coats. Because these dogs typically spend a lot of time out in the field, retrieving items from water, flushing upland game, and serving as all-purpose hunting companions, their coats should be kept short and neat. If not then their long and straggly curls will latch onto every stray; twigs, burr, pieces of debris, etc.
If your wavy or curly-coated dog is to be shown then their coats should be scissored into a neat shape, and this precise method of scissoring the curly coat takes a lot of time and work. Owners who keep curly-coated sporting breeds for hunting and as pets are much more likely to clip them down with an electric clipper to a length of about 2 inches (with the exception of the Curly-coated Retriever, whose coat is short enough that it doesn't require clipping).
The following are six steps to groom your wavy or curly-coated sporting breed:
- Before bathing your dog, brush out the entire coat with a pin brush and/or a slicker brush to remove as much dead coat as possible. This will also help eliminate tangle. Remove mats with a mat comb or coat rake, or cut through them with scissors.
- Next, run a comb through the entire coat to make sure you have removed every tangle. This step may take some time because you do not want to comb too fast and yank out any hair from the skin.
- Scissor the leg hair evenly, removing excess hair.
- Cut hair from under the foot and between the foot pads. The foot should look rounded and should blend in with the leg hair, appearing like a powder puff over the foot.
- Clip down torso to 2 inches, or scissor off fuzz and shape by scissoring the sides to tidy up. Shape the sides and rear to best match the shape of the breed. An imperfect form can be slightly adjusted by the shape in which you trim the curly coat. Make sure to take off just a little at a time, periodically standing back to check the shape of the dog. It is also good to have a picture of a well-groomed specimen of your breeds in order to have a better idea of the proper way of trimming.
- After the bath, do not blow-dry or brush the body coat. Let the curls or waves air-dry naturally in order for them to stay intact.
3 Ways to Dry Your Dogs Coat
There are three methods that can be applied to properly dry the coat, depending on the breed of dog you are working with. These are: The fluff-dry method, the cage drying method, and the towel-dry method.
The first method and perhaps the most difficult to achieve is the fluff-dry method. A high-speed floor dryer is used for this procedure. This method of drying is a very important and crucial step in the proper grooming of certain breeds such as the Poodle, Afghan, Old English Sheepdog, and Maltese.
In fluff drying, the hair is not only dried but should be straightened as well. The warm air from the dryer is directed at that portion of the coat which you are drying. The hair is brushed in an upward motion with quick, even strokes until the hair in that particular spot is dry and straight. This procedure is carried out over the entire coat until it is completely dry. The results of a fluff dry can sometimes determine the overall appearance of the completed grooming job. Therefore, it is important to learn to give a proper fluff dry. Special attention should be given to the areas of the head, ears (long-haired ears), and legs.
The second method of drying is known as cage or kennel drying and is usually used on short-coated dogs or on dogs whose coat does not require a fluffed or straight appearance. When using this method of drying, a cage dryer is attached to the cage and the dog is put into the cage on a towel until he is dry. It is important to make sure that the cage is properly ventilated on the top as well as on the sides. Otherwise, the dog may suffocate. If the dog is too large for the cage, he may be placed on a grooming table and dried with a floor dryer.
Another method of drying that is commonly used in drying small breeds is the towel drying method. Towel drying is usually used with small, short-haired breeds such as the Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher, and Toy Manchester Terrier. The coat is rubbed briskly with the towel until it is dry. This method is rarely used because many owners prefer the cage drying method, which is much faster. However, if the special equipment is not available in the home, this method is sufficient. However, do not to take the dog out until you are sure that the coat and skin are thoroughly dried.