TRICKS OF THE TRADE
According to the book "The Stone Guide to Dog Grooming for all Breeds" By Ben and Pearl Stone, here are the guidelines to consider when starting out your dog's grooming.
Brushing and combing out the long-haired coat is the most laborious and time-consuming chore in dog grooming. However, a knowledge of some “tricks of the trade” will help to cut down on this labor time, especially so in the cases of badly matted coats. A dog groomer who has seen a badly matted Poodle, Old English Sheepdog, Afgham, Lhasa Apso or Shih Tzu, will appreciate the importance of these special techniques. Obviously, the longer the coat, the greater the potential for matting. With the smooth coated breeds, of course, matting is not a problem.
If an individual dog’s coat is so badly matted and tangled that it would take an inordinate amount of time to brush out (we have seen coats so bad that brushing out was virtually impossible) there is no alternative but to strip the coat. This means we must remove the entire coat, with clippers fitted with a fine blade, right down to the skin. Obviously, if the coat is stripped, there is no need for brushing and combing. The techniques for stripping the coat with clippers will be discussed in the clipping section.
Coat Conditioner
Let’s assume a dog’s coat is not so bad, does not require stripping and can be “saved”. But it’s still bad enough to require considerable brushing and combing. With and Old English Sheepdog, or similar long-haired breed where clipping is not ordinarily required, we are simply dealing with a great deal of brushing and combing. It has been found that saturing the coat with an oil-based coat conditioner will loosen the knots and tangles and considerably ease the brushing chore. Incidentally, coat conditioners which contain an oil base are beneficial for both the coat and the skin. Mink oil is the best coat conditioner on the market and especially so for matted coats. Some professional groomers and handlers have their own secrets for dealing with matted coats, and this becomes a matter of personal preference.
Universal brush
The universal brush is a German import and is convex-shaped with fairly long, wire bristles. It’s shape and density enable it to pull out dead hairs more efficiently than any other brush. Unfortunately, it will also pull out live hairs as well. The universal brush should, therefore, never be used for show coats.
Oster Mat Comb
Another major product which cuts down on dog grooming time is called the “Oster Mat Comb” (not to be confused with “Mat splitter”) This comb is a specially designed tool which cuts through knots and tangles and much less time is spent in brushing and combing. This mat comb s used in the following manner:
Grasp the mat comb firmly with thumb resting on the thumb rest and the other fingers around the wooden handle. Then place the mat comb directly behind the mat with the teeth flat against the skin. Then pull the mat comb forward towards you.
If the coat is too heavily matted, try pulling the comb through the coat with short vertical strokes which should result in slicing the big mat into several short ones. Continue this process until you comb through the coat without catching.
Then using your soft wire slicker or Universal brush, brush, work out all the remaining small mat and comb through once again, until the comb runs through smoothly.
The Principle a dog groomer must establish is that if the owner does not wish to see any loss of coat, he should take appropriate care of the dog. The dog groomer, meanwhile, will find these tips (tricks) a blessing in dealing with the coats described in this section. There are also a number “detanglers” on the market, which some professional groomers maintain are an aid in the dematting process.
To review these grooming tips for handling matted coats:
According to the book "The Stone Guide to Dog Grooming for all Breeds" By Ben and Pearl Stone, here are the guidelines to consider when starting out your dog's grooming.
Brushing and combing out the long-haired coat is the most laborious and time-consuming chore in dog grooming. However, a knowledge of some “tricks of the trade” will help to cut down on this labor time, especially so in the cases of badly matted coats. A dog groomer who has seen a badly matted Poodle, Old English Sheepdog, Afgham, Lhasa Apso or Shih Tzu, will appreciate the importance of these special techniques. Obviously, the longer the coat, the greater the potential for matting. With the smooth coated breeds, of course, matting is not a problem.
If an individual dog’s coat is so badly matted and tangled that it would take an inordinate amount of time to brush out (we have seen coats so bad that brushing out was virtually impossible) there is no alternative but to strip the coat. This means we must remove the entire coat, with clippers fitted with a fine blade, right down to the skin. Obviously, if the coat is stripped, there is no need for brushing and combing. The techniques for stripping the coat with clippers will be discussed in the clipping section.
Coat Conditioner
Let’s assume a dog’s coat is not so bad, does not require stripping and can be “saved”. But it’s still bad enough to require considerable brushing and combing. With and Old English Sheepdog, or similar long-haired breed where clipping is not ordinarily required, we are simply dealing with a great deal of brushing and combing. It has been found that saturing the coat with an oil-based coat conditioner will loosen the knots and tangles and considerably ease the brushing chore. Incidentally, coat conditioners which contain an oil base are beneficial for both the coat and the skin. Mink oil is the best coat conditioner on the market and especially so for matted coats. Some professional groomers and handlers have their own secrets for dealing with matted coats, and this becomes a matter of personal preference.
Universal brush
The universal brush is a German import and is convex-shaped with fairly long, wire bristles. It’s shape and density enable it to pull out dead hairs more efficiently than any other brush. Unfortunately, it will also pull out live hairs as well. The universal brush should, therefore, never be used for show coats.
Oster Mat Comb
Another major product which cuts down on dog grooming time is called the “Oster Mat Comb” (not to be confused with “Mat splitter”) This comb is a specially designed tool which cuts through knots and tangles and much less time is spent in brushing and combing. This mat comb s used in the following manner:
Grasp the mat comb firmly with thumb resting on the thumb rest and the other fingers around the wooden handle. Then place the mat comb directly behind the mat with the teeth flat against the skin. Then pull the mat comb forward towards you.
If the coat is too heavily matted, try pulling the comb through the coat with short vertical strokes which should result in slicing the big mat into several short ones. Continue this process until you comb through the coat without catching.
Then using your soft wire slicker or Universal brush, brush, work out all the remaining small mat and comb through once again, until the comb runs through smoothly.
The Principle a dog groomer must establish is that if the owner does not wish to see any loss of coat, he should take appropriate care of the dog. The dog groomer, meanwhile, will find these tips (tricks) a blessing in dealing with the coats described in this section. There are also a number “detanglers” on the market, which some professional groomers maintain are an aid in the dematting process.
To review these grooming tips for handling matted coats:
- Use an oil-based coat conditioner
- Use the Universal brush
- Use the Oster mat comb