Maintenance after Grooming

lori

lori

Well-Known Member
Owned by
2 cockers
Hi all! I was wondering what to do in between grooming for Teddy? I've always had dogs who didn't need a lot of grooming other than a brush through. I bring him to a groomer about every 6 to 8 weeks, but in between his legs and ears get terribly matted and I have a hard time getting through them. I have a slicker brush and a comb that I use. Is there something else I should use, and should I be doing this every day to avoid matting. I must admit, I haven't been good in between grooming with his ears and legs. He just got a puppy cut for the summer now, so I want to keep up with him now. My lab is so easy--just use a Furminator and 10 minutes later I'm done! :)
 
I like the pin brush as well. I have to brush daily, mine are in coat. I spray a little spray before brushing. I like Crown Royal Magic Touch. It helps. I use Pin brush, slicker and a comb. You might want to bathe in between taking him to the groomer. It really helps, I find that they may less when they are clean.
 
I also like pin brushes but prefer ones with the tips on the ends so it does not scratch the skin. I am not a fan of slicker brushes as the pins are so short they only get the outer layers of hair unless you really work with them. I do not show so I do not have to worry about the cut and tons of hair so I cut as much as I can to make things easier. I do puppy cut in spring and always keep the inside of ears shaved year round to let more air into them and I also shave the belly,only leaving enough hair to make it look like he has a full shirt and I keep the back and neck shaved. The less hair the easier,summer I do a full shaving,they look funny but they love the short hair when it is so hot. This cut is easy for summer and also grows back in nicely just in time for fall and winter. I brush every couple of days and always use Johnson's baby spray no more tangles, I spray enough behind the front legs till it is almost wet (this is a really bad spot for tangles) I have used it for years as it is so gentle,works well and smells so good. When you are brushing the hair,instead of just brushing down with the hair, brush the hair up in layers also,helps to get into it deeper and helps keeps out the tangles. Baths every couple of weeks,check ears every couple of days and clean them weekly. I also have had lots of smooth coated dogs and grooming is so easy but once you get into a routine with these guys it will get a lot easier and really does not take that long. I usually brush of the evening when Levi is lying on my lap,then roll him over on his back,holding his leg up and brush hair both ways up and down to get into the legs really good. He is really used to this routine and looks forward to it as soon as he sees the brush and spray bottle. You can also get a snood to put on Teddy ears when he eats,will keep the ears from falling down into his food bowl keeping them cleaner and less tangles.
 
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Nicole said:
I like the pin brush as well. I have to brush daily, mine are in coat. I spray a little spray before brushing. I like Crown Royal Magic Touch. It helps. I use Pin brush, slicker and a comb. You might want to bathe in between taking him to the groomer. It really helps, I find that they may less when they are clean.
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I use Show Coat. I've had people ask me what perfume I had on because they liked the smell. It's Show Coat! A grooming spray of some sort does help. I wanted to add, that like Nicole I do use a pin brush, slicker brush, and comb when I groom.
 
My boys are not in full coat at all. In fact I keep them in puppy cuts. I also use a pin brush, slicker and a comb. I use either Crown Royale spray, or GloCoat Spray. I brush almost every day and bath every other week. All 3 of my dogs have thick coats.
 
All excellent suggestions, I also brush and then comb. Once those little mats get started they can build quickly. I you find you need to cut a matt make sure that you put a comb between the skin and matt and cut on the side between the comb and the matt.

Also before you bath, make sure and do a thorough brushing and comb thru. It really helps to keep the mats from at bay and I find it helps with the drying after a bath.
 
Something I learned, that I'm sure those here that groom have known for a long time have also known for a long time, is that hair has memory so even when you get a mat out it wants to recreate itself. Kind of like when you sleep on your hair funny and a piece sticks out. If you just comb it down it will pop back up again. It needs to be washed and styled so it will stay in place. That's why it's good to first thouroughly brush your dog out and then bath them every couple of weeks. You'll get a lot less mats that way
 
As a Persian breeder who baths my cats every week, grooming my Cocker just came second nature (with a little help from the folks here learning what exactly to do). The grooming spray I use on my cats is Avocado Mist by Eqyss...I use it as part of my LAST rince. It is a leave in conditioning spray but I always rince it out during the bath. I decided to give it a try on Audra since her coat can be dry in some areas even using a conditioning shampoo...it has REALLY prevented alot of matting.

One other tip from a Persian breeder/exibitor and X hair dresser. If you take distilled water and "lightly" mist the coat BEFORE you put a spray of any sort on the coat...it will help the coat to not develop static which also is a culpret for causing matts. The conditioning spray will help to hold the moisure better in the hair shaft if misted before any leave-in conditioner is applied. May seem a little more involved but really after you get the routine is mastered, it will go quicker.

When blow drying, try using cool air and not warm air...this also lessons the static in the coat.

My motto has always been a clean coat is a matt free coat...and it is so very true!
 
Wow I didn't know about the distilled water Heather!
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
I use Show Coat. I've had people ask me what perfume I had on because they liked the smell. It's Show Coat! A grooming spray of some sort does help. I wanted to add, that like Nicole I do use a pin brush, slicker brush, and comb when I groom.
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Oh Karen I will look into Show Coat...I like "nice smelling" products that work well :)
 
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Teddy has been cut for almost a week now super short. His ears are still a pain in the behinder, but I'm doing it every day. They get matted so easy! I never used a spray before, so I'll have to get some of that. I also never bathed him in between his grooming appointments, so I'm not sure how to go about that since I have a hard time getting on my knees and back up again :)
 
lori said:
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Teddy has been cut for almost a week now super short. His ears are still a pain in the behinder, but I'm doing it every day. They get matted so easy! I never used a spray before, so I'll have to get some of that. I also never bathed him in between his grooming appointments, so I'm not sure how to go about that since I have a hard time getting on my knees and back up again :)
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I have a walk in shower in my cabin, and, an old fashioned sink in my kitchen. So, mine get their baths there. I buy pet shampoo then cut it in half with water. (Premixed) Easier to rinse out. You must get all the shampoo out or you can really irritate your dogs skin. In the summer I sometimes put mine on a picknick table and use the hose outside. But, only when it's really hot.
 
lori said:
I also never bathed him in between his grooming appointments, so I'm not sure how to go about that since I have a hard time getting on my knees and back up again :)
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How large is Teddy? I bath Zoe' in the kitchen sink, it is one without the center divide. Since her balance is so bad it enables me to keep one arm under her middle and upright. I do get wet and I put a towel on the floor, LOL you would think that by now I would not look like a drowned rat mayself. Zoe' thinks it is payback :)
 
Teddy is currently a little over 28 lbs. He is still overweight by a 3-4 lbs. He is a bigger cocker. I'll have my daughter help me with the kitchen sink before she heads of to college in Calif in a few weeks. How do cockers like the water? My lab loves it, but he doesn't need bathing but once or twice a year at max unless he rolls in dead squirrels or some other critter.
 
Where do you get show coat? I have some kind of spray I spritz on the dogs now and then that is sweet pea. It's just something that makes them smell good. I also have some kind of dog shampoo that you just spray in and then massage it in and leave that in. I used that on Chuck a couple of times, but never on Teddy.
 
I have a handheld shower, and I've always just brought my cockers into the shower with me. (unless it's a "special event" shower, like when NCN found the police horse poop. This works especially for Cordelia, since the medicated shampoo and conditioner each have to be left in for 5 minutes.
 
Kathy,

I wanted tell you my completely unscientific accidental experiments using the pin brush with the balls on the end vs. the ones without the ball tips. I had a very nice pin brush with the ball tips but my groomer and the handler urged me to get one without the ball tips. They said this type of brush worked better and less fur was removed.

I usually brush the boys about daily but throughtly groom 3 times a week. They were due for a grooming on Sunday but I was gone from 7:30am until sometime in the evening so they didn't get groomed on Sunday. Yesterday I went to groom Farley first and I was throughtly amazed how many small tangles he seemed to have and how much fur was coming out. I was a little concerned since he had already blown coat for the spring and wondered if he could have gotten into something sticky since the brush wasn't moving well throught his fur. When I finished Farley up I realized that I was using the pin brush with the balled tips. I then brushed Ki who has 10x the fur Farley does with the untipped brush. The brush moved easily through his coat and only a small amount of fur was left in the brush.

According to my thoroughly unscientific experiment, I think my handler and groomer might have been right about the brush.
 
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deborah said:
I have a handheld shower, and I've always just brought my cockers into the shower with me. (unless it's a "special event" shower, like when NCN found the police horse poop. This works especially for Cordelia, since the medicated shampoo and conditioner each have to be left in for 5 minutes.
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I'm so glad I am not the only one that showers with the dog...LOL The looks when someone hears that! GAST! :eek: But we have shower doors and I cannot get between the tolet and the tub and bend over to reach the water and hose -- so much less back breaking to just jump in. I did bath Audra once in the kitchen sink -- yeah, I didn't feel I got her rinsed well at all! So back to showers!

Karen - I love the Chris Christensen Pin Brushes because they don't have the tips for that VERY reason! I have enough trouble keeping coat on a Persian...I don't need it coming out when you are combing/brushing for every ring at a show...and they work wonderful to fluff and not pull! I have one of the rectangle pin brushes too just because I feel they work like a slicker for the feet and tail but don't pull and well, it feels better in my hand for those areas than the paddle pin brush.
 
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