I want to keep her hair long... how can I do it?
I just want to be able to groom her properly without the need for a groomer... they are so irritating sometimes... and pricey. This has probably been mentioned before - but what kind of shampoos and conditioners does everyone recomend? What kind of brushes do I need to look into buying? After she eats - what should I wipe her mouth with? Is their a way to trim her hind quarters so poop doesn't get stuck to her butt? Speaking of which - if she does get poop on her... how should I get it out? Cutting or pulling? I have a Himalayan cat - and while his adult hair grew in I had a few problems with his hair mating up... so I pretty much brush him daily... and if a mat pops up I trim it out. Is brushing daily going to cut it with Sheepdogs? |
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| Wow, lots of questions... welcome to the forum....
I'll try to answer some, and I'm sure you'll get lots of replies with more answers, and varying ones. Every dog is different, every owner is different, you'll find along the way what works best for your dog and you. As far as preventing mats, the most difficult stage is the puppy to adult coat transition and many find it easiest to clip the dogs coat, if only this one time, for this transition. But consistent, and almost constant grooming during this phase can lead you through it relatively mat free. You will require many grooming tools, a wide tooth comb, pin brush, slicker (for feet and muzzle), a rake, there are more.... line grooming is best to prevent mats, and is the easiest way to maintain a gorgeous full coat. There are links to places that can instruct you on this, and videos available as well. If you search around this site you should find everything you need. As for shampoos and conditioners, I use johnsons baby shampoo, or L'Oreal kids shampoo. No extra condidtioners if you plan to show at all because it softens the coat, and the standard calls for a harsher coat. Rinsing really well helps ensure you don't cause dry skin, and brushing out the coat thoroughly before bathing helps prevent matting as well. If you bathe a mat, you are turning it into superglue. LOL I feed my dogs a mixture of wellness and Iams, Iams has a bit of a bad rep at the moment, but I have found my animals have always done well on it, and it keeps their stools firm. Kibble only though, I don't feed people food or canned food. For training treats I use kibble, except for the housetraining issue, in which case they get their favorite, marrowbones. I don't wipe their mouths after they eat, they nibble throughout the day and rarely have dirty faces. Most people keep the fur around the bum and hind legs trimmed to about an inch for cleanliness. Puppies will often get poop stuck to their bums, for the first few weeks home anyway. My girl Dancer used to get poop stuck to her almost every day the first 2-3 weeks home, and I would simply bathe her bottom in the bathroom sink, gently pulling out whatever was stuck and using a wide tooth comb to detangle if necessary. My girl Sky however has only had this happen once, and hated the feel of poop on her bum so much she ran around like mad squealing and yelping, so we immediately got it off! LOL Daily brushing is the best way to go, as they get older they don't need as much, but still whenever petting or touching the dog, feel out for any tiny mats as they develop and when they are small you can tug it out gently, and give the neck, shoulders, armpits and groin areas extra attention when brushing. Good luck!  |
| How can I improve on that answer??!! Let me say again, plan on daily grooming. Set the routine early as it is a great way to bond with the pup and also establish grooming is a fun and loving experience. You can reward afterward with a special treat--called a TDF (to die for).
Begin training with a very soft brush, I use a people hair brush or even a clothes brush. Then move up into the grooming tools. I believe NEOESR.org has a grooming video. Seeing is better than words. How long to groom each day? It will depend on what needs to be done. I don't think you can do a dog in less than 15 minutes with 30 minutes more likely. Will you have the time and quiet period to do this? No telephones, screaming kids, boiling kettles.......this is doggie time. Then again, if you are grooming a cat, you have the patience to handle a sheepdog, LOL. |
| Yes, as sheepieboss said, peace and quiet are important for grooming. I often do a bit of grooming in the mornings while I am having my morning tea, and again a longer grooming session in the evenings, after the kids have gone to bed while we're watching tv.
Dancer and Sky's to-die-for treat is a pedigree marrowbone. Dancer is such a lady though, when training with other dogs, if there is a dominant dog in the group she will actually carry her marrowbone and drop it at his feet! Sky on the other hand will not leave a crumb for anyone...lol... she's our little sausage. |
| I am not sure I can add much, Willowsprite and Sheepieboss said it well.....I can say that I sailed through with little grooming until mine got around the age of 9-10 months old and it seemed like overnight they went through a major matting transformation. I think this is when a lot of people will shave them down. I actually just had to spend a couple of hours with my husband dematting them and then it was a daily event of brushing. I went out then and bought the top of the line brushes and combs. There is such a difference in the ease of grooming. We use a lot of different combs and brushes. The two we use the most is a pin brush (without the little tips on the top) and a slicker brush. We also have different combs with different teeth. A flea comb helps on the face and ears. We have a water bottle handy when we are brushing, it helps to not remove too much of the coat.
When first starting out with your puppy, make grooming sessions small, but everyday. Sheepieboss has a great idea with rewarding. You want your puppy to enjoy grooming, it will be a daily routine before long. I usually wait until my children in bed and my husband sit down in front of a good movie and spend some time together with each other and the puppers. To keep the mouth clean, I would recommend changing the water frequently. Also you can just keep a towel in reach or tie a bandana around the dogs neck so that you can dry off a wet beard easily. I haven't had trouble with poop sticking on thier bum's, but I do trim around the anus about an inch out letting the hair get gradually longer. I can barely tell that they are trimmed there. Trouble areas that can sneak up on you are collar area, (I only put a collar on when going outside for walks and such) armpits, and flank area. With mine they also have never cared for the front legs and paws to be brushed, so for a bit they developed matts there the worst. Just with trial and error we finally figured out how to do the legs quickly and painlessly for them. For shampoo, and I have heard that a lot of people use it, but then there are others who say not to use. So, of course it would be up to you. I use Pantene diluted with water and use a baby shampoo for the head. I also use a whitening shampoo now, but I skip a few baths, I don't do it everytime. It seems to dry out the hair a little too much. I feed my pup's Nutro. They were on Iam's, but would have runny stools frequently. Since the switch to Nutro, we haven't had that anymore. Well, I shall stop my rambling. LOL And, I said I couldn't add much. 
Stormi and co. |
| 24 paws held high for Nutro! |
| It can be done - but it takes a lot of time and money (if you are going to pay for a groomer). Get the puppy used to grooming immediately - even when they don't require daily brushing - take 5-10 minutes and brush him and handle his toes, etc. - get him used to the process.
The amount of brushing will often depend on the coat of the dog. If you keep them in show coat (with the undercoat in tact) - this will require daily brushing. Dogs can remain in long coat - but if not being shown - can have alot of the undercoat removed - making it easier to maintain and although requires frequent brushing - you may be able to get away with a few times a week rather than daily (in my opinion anyway). For some tips - you should go to www.neoesr.org and look in the Topic - 12 Documents - there is a page with some "OES Maintenance Tips" - this discusses to some extent how to deal with the hair around the butt too. There are also grooming videos available from NEOESR. The best thing to do would be to have some instruction from your breeder - a good reputable breeder should be providing you with guidance and instruction! You can also attend some dog shows - alot of the exhibitors are more than happy to give some advice. Good Luck! (It's nice to see your doing your research before you get an OES puppy!!!) Kristen |
| I agree with most of what's been said and would like to add a few other tips. I have found washing the area where the poop sticks to the bum can make it worse for me so I take my pup outdoors, bring baby powder, a slicker, a flea comb and my grooming table or I use the ground. I powder the messy area thoroughly and then it just combs out. I may need to re-powder the area a few times. It works like magic and then her tush smells nice too. Corn starch works just as well but the baby powder shaker facilitates application. Also, remember, a clean coat grows faster. To do a quick spruce up I wash just the whites as the dark hair needs to be courser - frequent washing softens the hair. I also use water when I brush though I add about a tablespoon of conditioner to the spray bottle to keep the coat in condition. I do not get the hair very wet while I brush because water makes matts. The pin brush is my main tool though I believe the ones with balls on the tips break the hair off. I use Chris Christenson's brushes on the areas that are sensitive because his brushes have filed tips. I use #1 All Systems brushes for all other areas. Since I have been showing my dog I have learned to use a dryer on the cool air setting when I brush. It helps blow out the small matts as I gently pull them apart with my fingers, grooming goes faster, undercoat is saved and I can see down to the skin easily. I groom once a week without fail and my little girl can't wait to get on the table. She does not even let me get the table up on it's four legs before she is trying to get up on the table. Good Luck! |
| Wow! I am impressed! MY little girl could not wait to get UNDER any table when she sees the brush is out. I must be doing something wrong. I love the baby pouder idea. Didn't have to clean her bum yet, still has puppy coat, but I am sure its "coming to a sheepies near us" soon. LOL |
Boy am I glad to hear that the 'matting transformation' is just that, a transformation! Kia is 7 months old and starting to get them like mad. I have her groomed every other week and I am trying to keep up with them myself every couple of days, but she hates it.  I will try doing it every day and maybe the marrowbone - hopefully it will keep her occupied and not be sticky! I have a mat comb and a regular comb for line brushing but good grief. I think the fuzzy mats on the chest are actually worse than the fatter ones to get out!
Incidentally, I've tried the cornstarch paste for the beard and it didn't work at all - I see some of your pictures and the beards are so white! For our holiday pictures I will have to find someone to touch up that color! |
| When I was at the NEOESR picnic, I met a woman who taught me how to groom Baxter and showed me which tools she used. These include: a #1 All Systems pin brush, Matbreaker Dematting tool, an Oscar Frank Universal Slicker brush with a curved back, 10" straight shears with a short shank, and an #1 All Systems Dematting Comb (this comb is about 5 1/2 inches long with teeth spaced about 1/4 inch apart and the teeth are 2" long), nail clippers and ear powder. I was able to find all of these tools except for the Dematting comb at http://www.petedge.com. I found the comb at http://www.mjm-1allsystems.com.
The pins on the #1 All Systems brush are longer (they are about 1" long) than the pins on the brush that I got from the local pet store - however the price is comparable. I definitely notice the difference when I groom Baxter with this brush. Also, having a comb with long teeth makes it easy to find and eliminate any snarls lurking in his fur. I use the Matbreaker Dematting tool to thin out the fur on the back of Baxter's neck and his chest and to break up any mats that manage to get through all the brushing that we do. As for brushing - I find that it is easiest for us in the evening when he is tired. I don't get quite so much wriggling. It takes us about an hour to get him completely brushed and we do this every week. |
| My Ranger is 10 months old, and he too is developing mattes. I find that the real problem is me. If I do just a little bit on a daily basis, he's pretty much trouble-free. It's when I wait a week or two, do I ever regret it. I think persistance and regularity is the key.
John |
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